This untreated Mimosa hostilis root bark is also known by the name of the Shamanic drink (Jurema) that is still used ritualistically today in parts of South America.   The plant itself is completely legal to posses and grow, but any extraction of the plant material is illegal in most countries.  Historically, many indigenous tribes of the Eastern Amazon used preparations of this root to induce shamanic states of consciousness, but it is most widely known for its powerful external analgesic properties.  This is the much-coveted "purple-pink" strain of Mimosa, which is the rarest of the Mimosa bark available.

Unfortunately, in historical terms, this is one of those plants that has been lost to history, at least at the moment, because there is no solid evidence of how Mimosa bark was actually made and used in rituals, other than as a drink called Jurema.  Some think that it was mixed with Caapi or Syrian Rue, and others think that it was simply boiled, by itself, over a number of hours.

This bark; a true Shaman’s medicine tool, is most known for its ability to treat wounds and burns.  Analgesic properties of this ancient bark, when powdered (and somewhat illegal to do in the USA) became famous throughout the world when the international press reported on its use in a natural gas catastrophe and an earthquake where many people received severe burns.  For those who received the powdered Mimosa Bark to treat their burns and their wounds; the death rate fell significantly!