Joey Kelly describes intense Kambo ritual experience in the Amazon

Extreme athlete Joey Kelly has described his intense experience undergoing a Kambo ritual in the Amazon rainforest while filming the production ‘Surviving Amazonas – Die Prüfung der Shanenawa’.

Speaking on the podcast ‘Mit den Waffeln einer Frau’ with Barbara Schöneberger, the 53-year-old detailed the physical toll of the ritual, which involves applying frog venom to small cuts on the skin. Kelly reported experiencing high blood pressure, rapid heartbeat, and severe nausea, stating, ‘Within three and a half seconds you feel like you are dying.’

While the Shanenawa people refer to the substance as ‘medicine from the forest,’ Kelly characterized the experience as a drug-induced state. He noted that while he is glad to have survived the ordeal, he would never participate in the ritual again.