Sananga Eye Drops: Benefits, Traditional Uses and How to Apply

What Are Sananga Eye Drops?

Sananga is prepared from the root bark of Tabernaemontana sananho, a shrub of the western Amazon.¹ The bark is scraped into fine shavings, pressed, and diluted with water to the desired strength — a process performed entirely by hand by Indigenous medicine makers in Acre, Brazil. The result is a golden liquid applied directly to the eyes, one drop at a time.

Traditionally, sananga sits at the crossroads of the practical and the sacred. Hunters take it to sharpen perception before entering the forest; healers work with it to clear panema — the energetic heaviness believed to accumulate from negative thought patterns, unhealthy habits and emotional distress; and in ceremony it is valued for opening a deeper sense of connection. Whether used casually or ceremonially, many practitioners describe a settled mental focus and a feeling of emotional lightness afterwards.

How Do Tribal People Use Sananga?

The Indigenous tribes of the Amazon — the Matsés, Yawanawá and Katukina among them — have a long history with sananga. Among the Matsés it is known as becchete (bëcchëte), meaning "plant medicine"; the Huni Kuin of Brazil call it mana heins. The most common preparation is the eye-drop form, a potent extraction of the root bark.

Drops are applied before hunting: the tribes hold that sananga heightens the ability to perceive detail and colour, sharpens intuition, and improves success in locating prey. Beyond the hunt, sananga is part of everyday eye care in the traditional setting, and it carries an equally important spiritual role — the tribes work with it to clear panema and restore a sense of connection.

The wider ethnobotanical record shows how versatile the plant is in tribal hands: an aqueous extraction is traditionally used for gargling and as a purgative; the plant's latex is applied to cloth for toothache; topical preparations are used on painful stings such as those of the tocandíra ant or stingrays; and the leaves, softened over fire, are traditionally applied to rheumatic aches. These are traditional uses recorded among the tribes and passed on orally — not clinically evaluated treatments.

Sananga Benefits: Physical, Mental and Spiritual Effects

Traditional use and contemporary practitioner reports describe sananga as working through three domains. These effects vary with the preparation's strength, the setting and the user's intention — and they are reports from lived experience, not clinical findings. Sananga has not been the subject of formal clinical research, and nothing here should be read as a claim that it treats or cures any eye condition.

1. Physical Effects

A sharp burning on application — often compared to chilli in the eyes — with tearing, brief blurred vision and light sensitivity that subside within minutes. Long-term users commonly describe sharper colour perception and a sense of visual freshness or clarity afterwards. These are personal reports from traditional and modern use; anyone with an existing eye condition should speak with an ophthalmologist before considering sananga.

2. Mental and Emotional Effects

The intensity of the sting demands presence: many users describe the session as a hard reset for the mind, followed by calm, focus and emotional release — sometimes tears that feel like more than a physical reaction. Working with the breath through the discomfort is itself part of the practice.

3. Spiritual Effects

In the shamanic understanding, sananga's central work is clearing panema — the disruptive, heavy energy believed to attract misfortune and block well-being. Indigenous tradition describes sananga as opening the "third eye," dispelling confusion and negative thought patterns, and cleansing the energetic field. Consistent, respectful use is said to dissolve these heavy energies gradually, fostering lightness, sharper intuition and a deeper connection with one's higher self. These are traditional and spiritual frameworks, offered as the tribes understand them.

What Does the Science Say About Sananga?

Honestly, very little has been studied directly. There are no clinical trials on sananga, and no published ophthalmology research on applying it to the eyes. Almost everything known about it comes from Indigenous tradition and the accounts of people who use it — not from laboratory or medical testing. The limited science that does exist sits mostly at the level of the wider plant genus, rather than sananga the eye drop itself.

Sananga is made from the root bark of Tabernaemontana sananho,¹ part of a large genus in the dogbane family (Apocynaceae). Across that genus, phytochemical reviews catalogue a broad range of monoterpene indole alkaloids — the compound class these plants are known for.²⁴ Those reviews describe the genus as a whole, though; T. sananho itself has had little dedicated chemical study, so it cannot be assumed to contain any particular compound in any particular amount.

The plant does appear in the ethnobotanical record. Fieldwork on Amazonian hunting practice documents Tabernaemontana preparations given to hunting dogs to sharpen their perception and success in the forest³ — the same "clear sight" association that surrounds sananga among people. None of this work, however, tests the claims most often made about sananga — improved vision, emotional release, or clearing panema — and none of it establishes that sananga treats or prevents any medical condition.

In short, sananga's reputation rests on generations of Indigenous practice and on the reports of modern users, not on clinical evidence. We think that is worth stating plainly rather than dressing up. If rigorous research on sananga is published in future, we will update this guide to reflect it.

Where to Find Sananga Eye Drops

Shamanic medicine is a time-honoured craft that depends on the maker as much as the plant. Our liquid sananga and dried root bark are crafted in Acre, Brazil, by experienced practitioners of the Katukina, Kuntanawa and Yawanawá tribes — artisans with a deep working knowledge of the plant, preparing it as their lineages have taught. When choosing a provider, authenticity and expertise matter: the species used, the freshness of the preparation, and the hands that made it.

From our shop

Fresh Sananga Eye Drops

Three strengths — Katukina Soothing, Kuntanawa Balanced, Yawanawá Powerful — made fresh in Acre and shipped cold.

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How to Get the Most from Sananga

Before your first session, read about the experiences others have had with this medicine — our Sananga Reviews page gathers first-hand accounts of what to expect. In the traditional understanding, trust in the spirit of sananga matters: the more openly you work with the medicine, the more it gives back.

We offer three strengths — Soothing, Balanced and Powerful — and we recommend starting with Soothing and progressing gradually. A Soothing session typically asks 2–5 minutes of quiet work; Balanced and Powerful usually call for 10–25 minutes of focused rest. Jumping straight to Powerful rarely gives the best results: the traditional approach is patience — let the medicine dissolve panema gradually, session by session, building a relationship rather than forcing an experience.

Make Your Own Sananga at Home

Do it yourself

Prefer to mix small, ultra-fresh batches yourself? Our Katukina Sananga Root Bark Powder — sustainably gathered in Acre — makes it possible. The illustrated tutorial covers sterilising jars and water for a contamination-free brew, the traditional 1 g-to-7 ml ratio behind the Katukina “Soothing” formula, and safe refrigerated storage for up to four months per batch.

Read the full guide →

The Ideal Setting for a Sananga Session

Use sananga in solitude, in a peaceful space where interruptions are unlikely. Consider clearing the room beforehand with Palo Santo or a gentle incense; dim the lights, draw the curtains, and switch off your phone. Lie somewhere comfortable — lying down is the most natural position for this work — keep a notebook within reach for any insights that surface, and have tissues on hand. A calm, prepared space lets you meet the sting without resistance and receive whatever follows.

How to Apply Sananga Eye Drops: Step by Step

1. Prepare. Remove contact lenses if you wear them. Settle into your prepared space and decide whether you'll self-apply or have someone assist.
2. With a helper. Lie down with your eyes open. Your helper applies one drop to each eye. You may feel a strong urge to close your eyes after the first drop — try to keep them open until both eyes have received the medicine.
3. Self-application. Lie down and close your eyes. Place one drop at the inner corner of each eye, near the tear duct. Then open your eyes, letting the sananga spread across their surface.
4. Meet the sting. Expect a sharp burning for a few minutes — the normal, expected character of sananga, regarded in the tradition as the medicine at work. Breathe slowly and let it move through.
5. Rest and integrate. Keep your eyes closed once the drops are in, stay with your breath, and allow the session to unfold. With practice, self-application becomes easy and familiar.

Phases of the Sananga Ritual

1. Application

Apply the drops as described above. As a newcomer, begin with a lighter preparation and progress gradually to stronger ones over subsequent sessions.

2. Breathwork

Focus on the breath to move through the discomfort — it subsides within minutes. Release resistance and internal drama; keep the eyes closed until the stinging passes and it feels natural to open them. Welcome whatever arises: joy, relaxation, even tears.

3. Insight

Enter a state of deep rest and introspection, much like Savasana in yoga. Stay with the breath and observe thoughts and insights without attachment.

4. Gratitude

Close by giving thanks — to the plant, the people who made the medicine, and whatever higher connection your practice honours.

5. Journaling

Record your insights while they are fresh. Reflecting across sessions often reveals the slower arc of the work.

Post-Sananga Care

After a session you may notice heightened sensitivity to light and noise. This is typically short-lived but can be intense: natural light may feel uncomfortably bright, and a mild headache is possible. Rest in a dimly lit, quiet room until you feel ready to return to normal light and activity, and give yourself unhurried time to integrate. Every session is different — listen to your body and honour what it asks for.

Sananga Eye Drops — Frequently Asked Questions

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