What is Hape (Rapeh)?

What Is Rapé? A Sacred Plant Medicine for Purification and Clarity

Rapé (pronounced ha-peh or rah-pay) is a powerful and sacred shamanic snuff used in ceremonial settings by Indigenous tribes of the Amazon, particularly in Brazil and Peru. It’s a fine, earthy powder made from Nicotiana Rustica (a potent form of tobacco known as mapacho) and a blend of other sacred medicinal plants. Unlike commercial tobacco products, Rapé is not smoked — it is administered through the nose as a means of energetic, physical, and spiritual cleansing.

This ancestral medicine offers a deep connection to the earth, spirit, and self, and is revered for its ability to bring clarity, realignment, and purification.

The History and Sacred Origins of Rapé

The use of sacred snuff dates back to the Incan civilization and likely even earlier, as Indigenous peoples explored the psychotropic and healing properties of native plants. In Amazonian cultures, Rapé is still used regularly as part of spiritual rituals, healing ceremonies, and daily grounding practices.

Traditionally, Rapé is:

• Used before meals to prepare the body and mind

  
  
  
  

• Incorporated into Ayahuasca, Sananga, or Kambo ceremonies

  
  
  
  

• Applied during prayer, intention-setting, and purification rituals

  
  
  
  

Unlike casual or addictive use of tobacco in Western culture, the tribes treat Rapé as a sacred ally — one that requires respect, presence, and purpose.

The Power of Intention: Set and Setting

The effects of Rapé are deeply connected to set and setting — two key elements for any plant medicine journey:

• Set: Your mindset, emotional state, and intention

  
  
  
  

• Setting: The environment, energy, and surrounding atmosphere

  
  
  
  

To receive the most benefit from Rapé, approach it with a clear intention. You may seek:

• Emotional release

  
  
  
  

• Energetic cleansing

  
  
  
  

• Deeper meditation or clarity around a question

  
  
  
  

• Connection to Spirit or higher consciousness

  
  
  
  

Create a sacred space. This doesn’t require a temple — only intention. Light a candle, sit in stillness, or enter a natural space. Approach the moment with reverence.

How to Use Ceremonial Rapé

Rapé is not snorted or inhaled the way Western substances are. Instead, it is blown into the nose through a special pipe:

• Tepi: A long pipe used by another person to blow Rapé into both nostrils

  
  
  
  

• Kuripe: A smaller, V-shaped pipe for self-administration

  
  
  
  

A pea-sized amount of Rapé is placed in the pipe and then blown with force into each nostril — ideally within moments of one another to create energetic balance.

The initial sensation can be intense. You may feel a jolt of alertness, followed by a deep sense of grounding, clarity, or emotional release.

What Happens During a Rapé Experience

As soon as Rapé enters the nasal passage, it permeates the mucous membranes and quickly enters the bloodstream. The natural alkaloids in mapacho stimulate nicotine receptors, causing a rush of:

• Dopamine (pleasure and reward)

  
  
  
  

• Acetylcholine (focus and memory)

  
  
  
  

• Epinephrine (energy and alertness)

  
  
  
  

Most people report feeling calm, alert, and deeply grounded — often more present in the “here and now.” The eyes may water, sneezing may occur, or the body may release tears, mucus, saliva, or even vomit. This is normal and intentional — Rapé is a purgative, used to help expel physical, emotional, and energetic toxins.

Medicinal and Spiritual Benefits of Rapé

Mental and Spiritual Effects

• Clears the mind of repetitive thoughts and emotional static

  
  
  
  

• Heightens awareness and sharpens sensory perception

  
  
  
  

• Facilitates meditative states and intuitive insight

  
  
  
  

• Supports energetic balance and spiritual connection

  
  
  
  

• Enhances creativity and clarity of vision

  
  
  
  

• Opens the door to extrasensory perception, such as intuitive knowing or lucid dreaming

  
  
  
  

Many Indigenous shamans believe Rapé decalcifies the pineal gland, the energy center linked to intuition, vision, and spiritual sight (often referred to as the third eye).

Physical and Energetic Benefits

• Clears the sinuses, nasal passages, and throat

  
  
  
  

• Acts as an antibacterial agent and immune system booster

  
  
  
  

• Relieves congestion and stimulates detoxification

  
  
  
  

• Releases physical tension and blocked emotional energy

  
  
  
  

• Cleanses the energy body and unblocks stagnant chakra pathways

  
  
  
  

Chakra Alignment Through Rapé

Different Rapé blends are created using unique sacred plants that work on specific energy centers in the body. Here’s a guide:

Chakra	Rapé Types
Root (Base)	Cumaru, Hunikuin, Tsunu, Nukini
Sacral	Hayape, Traditional Yawanawa
Solar Plexus	Floresta
Heart	Rio Croa, Hayape
Throat	Cumaru, Tsunu
Third Eye (Ajna)	Jarina, Parica, Nave
Crown	Jarina, Parica, Nave

Working with the right blend supports targeted healing, activation, and clearing of energy blockages throughout the body and spirit.

Final Thoughts: Respect the Medicine

Rapé is a profound teacher and tool for transformation. Like all sacred plant medicines, it should be used responsibly, with proper guidance and intention. Whether used in ceremony or as a daily grounding practice, its gifts are vast — from physical purification to spiritual revelation.

If you feel called to this medicine, approach it with honor, humility, and presence. And if you’re new to the practice, it’s always wise to begin with a guide or practitioner who can support your journey.