After dinner at 7:30, the group met in the Maloca for the Nu-Nu (pronounced ‘new-new’) ceremony. The shaman for this ceremony, Johnny, translated by Tamara, walked us through the process. Nu-nu is a finely ground snuff of five jungle plants: mapacho (jungle tobacco), cacao, cocoa, a certain tree bark, and another Amazonian plant which I didn’t write down. It is very safe and has been used by Amazonians for hundreds of generations.
The snuff is loaded into a 2-3 foot hollowed out wood tube and blown into your nose, one nostril at a time by the shaman. Once it’s blown into your nostril, you put your arms up to open the chest cavity, put your head down, and breathe normally. The shamans then do shaman-type stuff such as hold the top of your head and blow on your head and ears. Another helper-friend of Johnny’s stands behind you and supports you, making sure you’re doing well and everything is ok.
Nu-nu has many benefits, particularly a thorough clearing out of your sinuses and an opening of your third eye.
The ceremony began and people went up one by one to receive a nu-nu blow in each nostril from either Johnny or Tamara. I was one of the first two people to go, receiving the nu-nu from Tamara first. She loaded it, I tilted my head back, she placed it up against my right nostril, I helped hold it in place, she said “ready?”, I gave her the go, and POOF. It hits you a bit hard as you flinch and your head jerks back as enters your nose. Your eyes water, it burns, and your face feels a bit flush and warm. After receiving the nu-nu in both nostrils, I blew my nose and spit out a good bit of mucus from deep in my sinuses. I felt a sense of amazing clarity and calm. My forehead tingled, I felt energized, and like my perception was indeed enhanced.
This occurred until everyone had received a round of nu-nu in each nostril from both Johnny and Tamara. The ceremony went smoothly, and I believe almost everyone enjoyed the effects of the nu-nu, although the process of receiving the snuff was a bit unpleasant. The ceremony closed and we went to bed at about 10, ready to wake up at 6 for our next ceremony, Kambo.