Duboisia hopwoodii is the major entheogen of indigenous Australia, and most often named "Pituri" among many indigenous words naming it. However the word "Pituri" means "do not be doing it", and can be applied to any entheogenic plant.

There is little research to date with respect of Duboisia hopwoodii's potential. It might have been an unpopular choice for research because of the negative reputation it acquired after European arrival, or, it might have been that indigenous vested interests have prevented European attention to it's ongoing use. However, the picture within indigenous social contexts is changing, and enabling of me to make this thread. I ought also thank both Torsten at Shamanis Australis and Darren at Herbalistics for their inputs.

I will put a list here of source material for anybody wanting to read the available information, and then some anthropological information, related to how I came to be given the gift of permission from an indigenous ngungkari to make use of Pituri.

This radio podcast is worth waiting for the arrival at the destination of "Pituringa";

Herbalistics sell Duboisia hopwoodii leaf, strictly for scientific research;

Erowid have surprisingly little information;

This website has good historic data;

Also this website covers some history;

(the real history is in fact very relevant given that every Australian child gets taught how the "Burke and Wills" expedition into the arid centre of Australia failed, because Burke and Wills died of starvation and dehydration, however the members of their expedition who survived to tell the tale, had chewed Pituri when given by a local indigenous family)

Torsten tells me that the current research is involving Duboisia myropoides rather than Duboisia hopwoodii, and the plants in the images in this website certainly look more like D.myropoides. The research is engaged with L-scopolamine extraction, (scopolamine got extracted from Duboisia hopwoodii for use in field hospitals during world war two).;

And this final link is not inaccurate either;

Indigenous uses are inclusive of utilizing many admixtures, most often turned to ash then rubbed into prechewed matter. Admixture plants include black wattle root bark most commonly, and also the ibogaine containing native plant mentioned in Erowid, and unexpectedly perhaps, but very effectively, the bark of the Boab or Boabab tree, is as Pituri got given me.

There is an ancient saying of indigenous culture associated with giving and receiving the gift of Pituri, that has translated into Aussie slang long enough ago. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do" is said by the giver, indicating the same as the meaning in the name "Pituri". Which is very relevant, in that the experience of using, feels as high as I ever felt, and also as though it impossible to not be causal in every way at all times, for about three days after chewing even a tiny amount, which is in fact active for around seven days. It felt higher than I felt when I had drunk a bit of beer, then was handed a bong of tobacco, cannabis, and unbeknownst to me before I smoke, also heroin. It tends to be also very corrective of the mind, and somewhat embarrassingly so, without even needing sit still and let the visions commence.

It got reported to me in my youth, that the chewing Pituri experience, was that after 10-20 minutes, the body can no longer sit upright, but collapses and then the visions begin, lasting for three days and nights as observed, and more like 300 lifetimes within the experience, according to the friendship of my youth. The visions are always specific to local forms of mother nature's biodiversity and an uncanny emmulence.

Pituri is also still in use today, for enabling as many as three days and nights of walking through deserts without needing carry food and water. Duboisia hopwoodii is planted at either end of every major desert crossing walking route.

Another major use still current is for initiatory rites of sub-incision, (the incision is as deep as urethra and from base to tip, and I can vouch for the fact), which are always preceded by a few weeks boys in their early twenties spend alone among already initated men, before becoming men, and subsequently being allowed marry. This initiatory tradition is one of the oldest in the world in an unbroken lineage, I feel most honoured to be considered worthy of having become initiated into myself.

Duboisia hopwoodii is widely believed in, among indigenous men, to be how to dream up the evolution of the biodiversity. An example I am witness to, is its use by a particular illicit cannabis grower (who I had to report to police already), to cause a cannabis sativa crop become rapidly adapted to Australian growing conditions. That is, adapted to receiving no water beyond limited rainfall, and low nitrogen high mineral soils. The cannabis developed a higher amount of THC and other unexpected flavours. The strongest visionary experience I ever had was connected with smoking that cannabis. (Not as "high" as chewing Pituri, but more visionary for myself personally.)

And last but not least of indigenous uses of Duboisia hopwoodii, is as a prevention of, but also cure for, a variety of cancers. Yet because it is not proper to attempt to substantiate any substance can cure cancer, that fact is usually never reported, despite being well known. I will also myself add, that another fact known by the "Ngungkari"(Shaman) who will treat cancer, is that what can cure it in one person could as readily cause in another person, since it will be some substance that deters far sightedness by engaging the immune response to far away fears. Why it is different in different persons is because we each have a differently enabled immune response, and not because any substance ought be labelled as inherently carcinogenic. In fact Duboisia hopwoodii might be the least carcinogenic of any of the visionary medicinal plants, by cause of its connecting the mind with the forms of nature so very resiliently. This is all according to indigenous Shamanic know how, and of course ought not be received as medical advice.

Duboisia hopwoodii has particular affinity with the pancreas, and its use need always take a lot of care towards enabling the pancreas sustain good health.

The "Sacred site" most associated with Pituri, is named "Pituringa" as told about in the first link above. The story behind the story in that link, is that Pituringa, a major trading site for Pituri, got closed down by indigenous men, shortly before Federation of the Australian Nation State in 1901. The accompanying story is that missing children became associated with Pituri, and thus it was a misuse story potentially. However what is changing currently, is that it became proven, that the fear of missing children being associated with Pituri, was caused moreso by the process of how Pituringa got closed, than by any person of European descent having chewed Pituri (which was what the fear was that had engaged in the closure). Pituringa is the site also most associated with the evolution of the biodiversity and therefore many indigenous men are awaiting a kind of "Grand Opening", however that might never happen, and other steps are being taken which have already shifted the "sacredness" off site until such a time as an agreement is able to be made with the farmer whose purchase of a remote desert cattle station, also purchased himself a large Duboisia hopwoodii crop. Why I am mentioning Pituringa here, is because its usefulness as a sacred site, is also associated with the legitimacy of all entheogenic plants. That is true to the extent that, men who use Pituri, have long needed to conceal an inner belief, that the legal status of all entheogens all over the world, is related to Pituringa's current status. So the Grand Opening idea, is one of re-legitimising all entheogenic plants. What was stopping that from having happened before now, was in fact the hand of the same aforementioned cannabis grower, and the hat I am wearing in being who opens up the topic of Pituri/Duboisia hopwoodii as research material in science, is also the hat of having been who has had to confront him and his hardened criminality, about how he was behind a lot of criminal threats being made against police, directly into their dreams, of their dying of nasty cancers, if not always enabling him and his. I don't think that belief is particularly able to be corroborated, except to add that I certainly have experienced what it might be like to dispute his hand in any matter, and yet I could prove to him, through his own Pituri dreaming, exactly how wrong he.

Did I mention yet that the experiential reality of Duboisia is kind of super-charged? Nevermind, I really don't want any more.

The overt risk of Duboisia hopwoodii, is in its potentially addictive nature. However, those persons who habitually use it, are all well minded, and well considered by others, as active in positive social contribution. Also, the experience of feeling to be in control excessively, can be a great deterrent. The half life is longer than opiums. The known alkaloids are, as well as the scopolamine, nicotine, nor-nicotine (which is perhaps the extensiveness of the high), and hyoscine. The hyoscine is of course a little worrying making Pituri use alike Ayahuasca with mapacho and toé. However the experience simply always turns the mind into any and every local species of flora and fauna, such that there is little chance to make much mess of oneself, because one is left with only one's humanity as the aftermath left over. The general rule in indigenous custom, is that if anybody feels at all worried about a negative outcome, then don't use it. Simple!

Hopefully my relating all this information will be enough to stimulate scientific interest in research potential.

totally unclear. what do you mean?
do you mean that for persons with sensitive pancreas this plant is a big no no? or what?

Duboisia Hopwoodii, can cause upsets to pancreatic health, but that doesn't happen in everybody. What is likely, is that it could worsen pancreatic cancer, but cure other cancers.

Why the pancreas is influenced, is totally defined by the behaviour of the person in respect of what they consume, during the first seven days after use of Pituri. What happens is, if a person uses Pituri, then drinks alcohol six days later, their pancreas becomes dependent upon alcohol and the person becomes alcoholic, for example.

This is the reason so many indigenous men are alcohol drinkers. Many more are in fact dependent, than just the drunks in the street, and very often aligned with having used Pituri. The culture is not yet adjusted into providing new rules for Pituri use, within the context of being able to access all the commodities of The West. Whereas if I had just spent three days walking across a very dry desert, and then wanted three days rest, before 1788, there is not much I could consume which might not be safe to be consuming for the rest of my life. Clearly a retreat environment and continuation of a restricted diet and other abstinence requirements are all that is necessary.

now, that's solid explanation, thanx.

I was happy to see this thread. I remember reading about it in Pharmako Poeia. When I saw seeds were for sale at Herbalistics I placed an order of 5 packs (75 seeds). The order has not arrived yet but when it does I might be able to contribute to the thread from a plant growth perspective. Eventually more.
Thanks for sharing the info, Rivaq.

I don't know the extent to which the pancreas is the focus of potential danger, only because chewing is the traditional method, and how much because the drug has an affinity for the pancreas.

I do know duboisia hopwoodii is more often successful than not, when used to treat cancer. And I know that the pre-condition of that success, is the need to continue to consume anything consumed within a couple of weeks either side of its use.

It is still difficult at times to think with clarity about Pituri, since still are some indigenous medicine men at war against the idea of the plant becoming openly known, and they influence my world daily. However the other side already won.

The language of "drug affinity" with various organs and regions of the body, belongs within the literature of homeopathy.

Also anybody who wanted to disagree about my point that Pituri causes non-stop witnessing of oneself as shapeshifter, might like my thoughts aligned with when that is different. Being when the plant is correcting one's beliefs, and can be dramatic, but also is always embarrassingly prevalent in the solid matter world, as if you just never before noticed how everybody else believes in the world. Like a bad trip would be the kind as in the movie Hellraiser, or the movie Jacob's Ladder. Yet no reports of overdose exist. I think because chewing prevents overdose, because it tastes so bad, and is so hard to swallow.

please do. i was considering growing it... but then again... i am a "black thumb" (as opposed to "green thumb" kinda guy, i kill plants without even trying, comes naturally

Just a bit more information now,

the charity named "Bush Heritage" which I am a supporter of, and who basically simply buy and sustains habitat lands, is the owner of the land around Pituringa, and have started doing tours since July 2017. Here is a URL: https://www.bushheritage...e-protect/visit/ethabuka

If anybody from overseas wanted to go on that tour, (the links above have enough information about traditional preparation of duboisia hopwoodii, and this tour goes to the prehistoric "farm" at the edge of the Simpson desert), how to could be by flying into Brisbane, and hiring a 4WD here, ($1000- per week, X 3 weeks + same again the petrol budget), . . . the drive there is long and,...nevermind I don't want to put anybody off, it is pleasant enough if accustomed to Aussie road trips.

awesome. keep up the good work.