Jon Sun Tan (conscious dreamer)

In spiritual alchemy, nitric oxide gas is esoterically known as the fire spirit because it is made up of 1 molecule nitrogen (fire element) combined with 1 molecule oxygen (air element). Nitric oxide benefits our body and mind in many ways and ceremonial cacao plays a critical role in its production and ability to exert its effects.

Physical benefits of nitric oxide:

• Antimicrobial 
• Antioxidant 
• Anti-inflammatory 
• NO (nitric oxide) produced by nNOS (neural nitric oxide synthase) enzyme is neural protective
• Powerful vasodilator that ensures oxygen delivery to mitochondria
• Electron donor aiding in the oxidative phosphorylation metabolic pathway
• Helps intracellular hydration
• Helps to maintain parasympathetic dominance and a sound liquid crystal 
• Increases oxytocin that reciprocally decreases vasopressin thus increasing melatonin (the alchemical wedding)
• Ionizes cerebral spinal fluid (Kundalini)

Nitric oxide is cultivated through:

• Breathwork (nasal breathing, chanting, bandhas, etc.)
• Diet (nitrites, nitrates, L-arginine, citric fruits, flavonoids, etc.)
• The coccygeal gland at the base of our spine
• The vortexing action of our heart
• UV-A radiation (from sunlight) reduces nitrites stored in our skin to nitric oxide
• Near infrared increases activity of NOS (nitric oxide synthase) enzyme

Cacao is a powerful way to produce nitric oxide and increase its ability to exert its effects on our body and mind. It is important to highlight here that due to its quality and lack of heating and processing, ceremonial grade cacao’s constituents remain intact and bioavailable.

Cacao’s constituents and their role in nitric oxide:

• L-arginine – primary substrate for NOS enzyme that catalyzes L-arginine to L-citrulline, creating NO as a biproduct 
• Flavanols – activates eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase)
• PEA (phenylethylamine) – stimulates the release of neurotransmitters that activate eNOS
• Anandamide – fatty acid neurotransmitter that increases NO production by activating cannabinoid receptors
• Magnesium – relaxes blood vessels making it easier for NO to exert its effects
• Theobromine – bitter tasting alkaloid (contains nitrogen) that inhibits enzymes that constrict the blood vessels, thus making it easier for NO to exert its effects
• Copper – a cofactor to eNOS
• Calcium – binds to calmodulin, a protein that activates NOS
• Tryptophan – activates NOS (particularly nNOS)

Heart expansion (love) and nitric oxide ignite the alchemical wedding by increasing oxytocin and reciprocally decreasing vasopressin. This leads to increased melatonin, that in turn increases the expression of our enzymes of enlightenment; that of INMT and iOMT. These enzymes convert tryptamine to N,N DMT and 5-MeO DMT, respectively. Nitric oxide also activates the enzymes of DMATS and PTS, increasing their ability to convert tryptamine to pinoline.

In summary, the alchemical wedding occurs when our feminine lunar seed, of the pituitary gland, releases oxytocin and reciprocally decreases vasopressin. This causes our masculine solar seed, of the pineal gland, to increase melatonin production; thus increasing the expression of our enzymes of enlightenment used to convert tryptamine into N,N DMT, 5-MeO DMT and pinoline. Pinoline is an MAO inhibitor that prevents the degradation of DMT by the MAO enzyme. It thus acts similarly to the Banisteriopsis caapi vine in ayahuasca.

Cacao is typically classified as a psychoactive, yet through its cascading effects it also plays a role in the alchemical wedding that produces and releases our endogenous (meaning produced within) psychedelics. Shamanism is the use of altered states to interact with the spirit world and through the alchemical wedding our endogenous psychedelics connect us to our subconscious and unconscious mind, as well as the collective; thus facilitating our deepest shadow-work by degree.