Sacred Tobacco

Sacred tobacco refers to tobacco in its traditional ceremonial form — most often mapacho (Nicotiana rustica) — as it is used within the Shipibo curanderismo tradition and related Amazonian traditions for spiritual protection, cleansing, and prayer. ECC uses "sacred tobacco" to draw a clear line between this ceremonial use and commercial tobacco products.

In ceremony, sacred tobacco is smoked by facilitators as an act of prayer and used to bless and protect the ceremonial space, and its smoke may be blown over participants as a form of spiritual cleansing. It is treated as a plant teacher in its own right within the tradition, approached with the same intentionality and respect given to the ayahuasca sacrament, never as a recreational habit.