What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is a traditional medicine and psychedelic brew native to the Amazon Rainforest. Otherwise know as: Huasca, yagé, Kamarampi, Huni, brew, daime, the tea, la purga.

Ayahuasca has been used ceremonially for centuries by indigenous peoples in Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador to Induce altered states of consciousness, heal trauma and gain spiritual insights.

As an entheogen, ayahuasca is believed to be able to catalyze personal transformation and connection to nature and the spirit.

DMT (dimethyltryptamine) is the active ingredient, and is a potent naturally occurring chemical compound that produces intense psychoactive effects.

Ayahuasca ceremonies with shamans or ayahuasceros have become increasingly popular in many places outside of South America, with people seeking healing, transformation and personal growth.

What does Ayahuasca look like?

Ayahuasca is a brown-reddish drink with a pungent taste and smell - it's known to be pretty foul tasting.

How does Ayahuasca work?

Ayahuasca is typically consumed as a brew or tea which you drink.

The brew is made from a combination of ayahuasca vines and plants, which contain the psychedelic alkaloid dimethyltryptamine (DMT) along with other plants that have an MAO inhibitor.

It's made by prolonged heating or boiling of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (also known as ayahuasca, caapi, soul vine, or yagé ) with the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub (also known as chacruna, chacrona, or chaqruy).

By itself, the DMT in the Psychotria viridis shrub would be broken down in the body.

The alkaloids in the caapi vine act as monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOIs) - the MAOIs allow the primary psychoactive compound in the Psychotria viridis, DMT , to be orally active.

The MAO inhibitor prevents the DMT from being digested, allowing it to pass through the stomach unharmed before being absorbed as it enters the bloodstream.

Quite remarkable when you think about it.

A variety of other plants can be included in the decoction for different traditional purposes, but these two are the key ones.

How is Ayahusaca Prepared?

The ayahuasca tea is made from the ayahuasca vine, boiled with the other jungle plants to create an ayahuasca potion that has been used for centuries by local shaman and healers.

How is Ayahuasca taken?

Ayahuasca is generally taken in an ayahuasca ceremony or ritualized setting.

You will usually take ayahuasca in the evening, having fasted beforehand.

Generally you will take the ayahuasca with everyone else at the retreat, in a designated ceremony room, which is typically dimly lit.

Here you will have your own area to sit and lie down.

The shaman will invite each participant to come up to take a cup of ayahuasca they have poured for you. You will then drink it in one go.

During the ceremony, the shaman may sing icaros. These are medicine songs used by South American indigenous shamans in ayahuasca ceremonies.

During a traditional Ayahuasca ceremony, drumming and icaros are played. The icaros, sung by a Shaman, are an integral part of the ceremony. Its through these songs that your mareación (the visionary effects of Ayahuasca) is enhanced.

The ayahuasca experience can last several hours and will often be accompanied by powerful physical reactions such as nausea or vomiting, as well as altered visual perception, intense feelings of joy or deep insights into the nature of the universe.

How to Prepare for an Ayahusaca Ceremony

Even before you go to the ceremony, there is typically a recommended dieta (diet) that you start weeks before.

What does Ayahuasca feel like?

Ayahuasca affects each person differently, based on:

• size, weight and health
• whether the person is used to taking it
• whether other drugs are taken around the same time
• the amount taken
• the strength of the decoction (varies from batch to batch)
• environment (where the drug is taken).

As with other psychedelic, set and setting is key. Ayahuasca will have varied effects depending on a person’s mood (the ‘set’) or the environment they are in (the ‘setting’):

• Set: a person’s state of mind, previous encounters with psychoactive drugs, and expectations of what’s going to happen.
• Setting: the environment in which someone consumes ayahuasca – whether it’s known and familiar, who they’re with, if they’re indoors or outdoors, the type of music and light.

The Ayahuasca purge

The first effects are physical changes, including burning sensations in the stomach, tingling sensations, changes in perception of body temperature and skin sensitivity, and nausea.

Most people report some initial anxiety or fear, which mostly fades.

Shortly after consuming ayahuasca , users typically purge. This can involve vomiting and diarrhoea (Yep, nice). These symptoms are so commonly experienced that many believe they’re an essential component of the experience and help to “purify” the body.

The Ayahuasca peak

Ayahuasca leads to an altered level of consciousness due to psychoactive substances in the ingredients. Once the effects start to peak, ayahuasca can be an intense journey.

• Hallucinations (auditory and visual) - ranging from increases in an object’s brightness and sharpness, vibrations in the visual field and moving patterns.
• Emotions like fear, joy, sadness, euphoria, anger, happiness, awe and amazement.
• Physical reactions such as numbness or tingling in the body and deeper connection with one’s body and breath.
• Feelings of connection and unity
• Introspection - changes in thought processes and cognition
• Enhanced rate of thinking which is generally focused on personal psychological content.
• Insight into personal goings on.
• Memory recalled relating to recent personal matters.
• Transient changes in the sense of self
• Time distortion - the passing of time feels quick or slow.
• A sense of bodily detachment and ego death

Many report feeling a sense of euphoria, feeling energized and having increased clarity while they’re under the influence of ayahuasca.

Feeling of connection to their inner wisdom or nature.

All in all ayahuasca is often described as an insight-inducing journey which can leave participants with new perspective and clarity on the inner workings of their world.

How long does Ayahuasca take to kick in?

Typically, the effects of ayahuasca begin within 30 minutes to an hour.

How long does Ayahuasca Last?

The peak starts to hit around the 1 to 2 hour mark - thats when Blood concentrations of DMT peak - and last for a total of 4 to 6 hours, sometimes longer.

Does Ayahuasca have a comedown?

Ayahuasca and DMT typically has fewer comedown effects than other hallucinogens, like LSD.

Most ceremonies takes place after dusk, so once you finish it's nighttime and you head off to bed, tired and exhausted from the experience. This by itself helps with any residual anxiety that comes with the transition back to reality, because your'e asleep.

Most people report feeling good the next day; connected, happy and strong. Some people report being on a 'spiritual high' for several weeks after.

A key to how you feel after is your after care and how you integrate what you just went through. And thats why it's so important to work with experienced practioners and guides.

Ayahuasca aftercare

Studious aftercare is critical for reintegration after drinking ayahuasca. Most (good) retreats won't just send you on your way the next day - you need a period of readjustment.

Remember, you just did something extraordinary, even though it was hard work and scary. Thats powerful. You’ve likely gained new perspectives and committed to and invested in your personal growth.

Altered states lead to altered traits (IE long term change), but only if you consciously integrating our new learnings. Even after you're back at home, you should be integrating and reflecting:

• Journal - keep tabs on how you feel and make notes on anything that comes up. This is a great practice generally, but especially for integrating deep work with psychedelics.
• Engage a professional to help you unpack - there are integration specialists and a lot of retreats offer follow up care.
• A daily meditation, mindfulness or breathwork practice
• Take care of your mind, body and spirit - you probably want to ease back into society and be gentle with yourself. Going to a music festival the day after you get back is probably bad for your emotional healing, for example.

Can you have a bad trip on Ayahuasca?

Yes, as with other psychedelics, some people may have negative experiences or challenging experiences.

But challenging does not necessarily mean bad, and so long as you have the right support around you, is all manageable and likely valuable. Practitioners would argue this is all part of the learning and healing journey.

"Bad Trips" could mean...

• anxiety and confusion
• frightening hallucinations
• fear and paranoia

Ayahuasca experiences

You can read about peoples experiences with ayahuasca over at Erowid. Here's a small selection: 

"We headed inside and all of the sudden it came to me very matter of factly, 'I have to throw up.' My head over the bowl, I began to see disgusting images of blood and dirt and puss and dead things and remebered being in high school and worrying about how acne made me look ugly. All of these ugly thoughts of myself and all of the things I felt guilty about, I regretted doing, all of my self directed negativity was concentrated into every heave into the puke filled water. (A voice in my head said, 'That was great.') After that, I found myself, clean and pure, new and innocent. I sat up on the bathroom floor and I was an enlightened prince sitting in a field of bright green grass on a sunny day. I was glowing from head to toe and I realized that this is who I always am and that all that junk in the toilet is just a self imposed illusion. I felt fine with leaving it there. I soon noticed E by my side and she was my princess. It was beautiful..."

I lost track of what was “me”. I thought that my girlfriend and I were the same thing. I was all of life, every living thing, and I felt the improbability of anything existing at all. And I felt the pain of life, the great tearing rending pain that is implicit in being alive. It was alternately too beautiful to look at and too terrible to comprehend. I had finally “done it”, gotten to that place I had searched for. Ego death. The annihilation of the self. And it was all too much.

"Upon drinking the first cup, I returned to my bed and meditated. After about 40 minutes of not feeling much they offered a second cup. I decided to take it. Immediately upon drinking the second cup, I started to feel the effects come on. I laid down and closed my eyes. Visuals began to emerge as Escher like paintings of different rooms with other worldly beings. I couldn’t quite look directly at them. There was also a sense that things were sideways or upside down. The feeling was odd but alluring. The music gave a tribal tone to the journey. There was a warmth to the experience. And then the beat of the drum signaled something: It was time to purge. And I vomited. It wasn’t too bad but I didn’t purge much. And then it became clear a healing presence had begun to investigate my life: Mother Ayahuasca. It felt like she was moving deeply through my nervous system, getting to know me. She took me back to childhood memories I had completely forgotten: Finding my childhood stuffed animal monkey James. “We found James!” In childlike awe we danced to the harmonica music played by the Shaman. The visuals were beautiful. James and my childhood room were all shining beams of light everywhere. This was pure unadulterated joy. She told me I need to smile more. This was pure unadulterated joy. She told me I need to smile more. Then the trip became more intense. She told me to just accept everything that happens and I’m on the right path. This is what Jordan Peterson emphasizes as the meaning of it all, what I’m always discussing, I already know how to heal: Keep following this path. This was among many moments I can only describe as supreme understanding. A conviction on the level of a religious zealot. This is what faith really is. Faith that the future will be ok. Faith in a higher power. This is how to remove anxiety: Simply have faith. I felt a deep sense of love and connection to this presence."

Carol started having a hard time. She said, softly at first, but then more insistently, “help me”. I thought that Q was right next to her, so I concentrated on my own internal experience. I thought that Q was right next to her, so I concentrated on my own internal experience. I drifted through feelings, through joys and anxieties, feeling weightless and free to drift around my inner landscape. Carol continued to call out, and I looked up to see Q heading over to us from across the yard. I felt a wave of confusion and shame that I had not helped her, since I was the one closest to her. Things for Carol got worse, as she spun out into panic. She said things like “I need this to stop”, “help me”, and “you’re not fucking helping me!”, alternately whispering and shouting.

Are there risks with Ayahusaca?

Ayahuasca does not appear to have a adverse effects on the body.

There can be physiological reactions during the trip that can create concern in the moment, like Increase in blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature. But this is all transitory.

Existing research indicates that long-term use of ayahuasca is not associated with a loss of cognitive functioning or negative mental health outcomes.

Those with a history of psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, should avoid Ayahuasca, as taking it could worsen their psychiatric symptoms. Ayahuasca’s interaction with serotonin in the brain can be lethal for people taking antidepressants. So your health status is important to review before embarking on an ayahuasca journey.

Is Ayahusaca Addictive?

No, there is virtually no risk for dependence..

Can you build tolerance to Ayahusaca ?

Repeated use of ayahuasca does not appear to result in tolerance to the effects, and it appears to pose an extremely

Are there potential therapeutic benefits with Ayahusaca?

Many clinical trials underway to investigate the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca and DMT. Researchers are hopeful that it may be helpful for a variety of conditions, including

• Drug and Alcohol Dependence
• PTSD (post Traumatic Stress Disorder)
• Major Depression or Treatment resistant depression
• Brain Health
• Mood disorders

Research suggests ayahuasca can change activity in areas of the brain.

When they’re overactive, these areas are associated with conditions like anxiety, social phobia and depression, which might be why ayahuasca is beneficial for these disorders.

DMT is also related to proteins that help with memory and the regeneration of neurons.

Ayahusaca for personal growth

As well as physiological changes, the kind of deep introspection generated by an Ayahuasca experience can lead to profound self-awareness and clarity regarding personal issues and belief systems.

It can generate the kind of insights that can lead to long-term, stable perspective shifts (provided the right aftercare and integration is there). People who seek experiences of personal growth with ayahuasca speak of a sense of connectedness with and compassion for others around them.

“Through all of history, mankind has ingested psychedelic substances. Those substances exist to put you in touch with spirits beyond yourself, with the creator, with the creative impulse of the planet.” - —Ray Manzarek, American keyboardist, singer and co-founder of The Doors

“Ayahuasca was definitely one of my favorite drugs I’ve ever done. When I did it, I asked everyone else in the room, ‘Did your entire life just change? Are you a new person?”—Miley Cyrus, singer and songwriter

“You have to take seriously the notion that understanding the universe is your responsibility, because the only understanding of the universe that will be useful to you is your own understanding.”—Terence McKenna

Dennis McKenna cites its ability to make users feel interconnected with nature (known as biophilia) as one potential avenue by which the discussion around environmental efforts can be elevated and expanded. More on psychedelic biophilia with Dr Sam Gandy here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ViiKi4nVKI

Is Ayahuasca Legal?

Ayahuasca’s legality has become increasingly complicated. The legal status of ayahuasca varies from country to country, and its defined use can depend on the particular blend and what ayahuasca is used for.

While ayahuasca use is legal in some countries such as Peru, it may be considered a controlled substance in other places due to its psychoactive components DMT and MAOIs.

Ayahuasca has been gaining widespread acceptance as a spiritual healing tool among many indigenous cultures; however, it remains illegal in most parts of the world due to its psychotropic effects. Generally speaking, ayahuasca is not legal in most countries (France, United Kingdom, United States), although some places have taken steps towards decriminalizing certain types of use, such a Oakland, CA Santa Cruz, CA in the USA.

Canada the legal status is unclear - they have not legislated either way.

To the best of our knowledge, ayahuasca is currently legal in:

• Bolivia
• Brazil
• Colombia
• Ecuador
• Peru

Places where Ayahuasca is decriminalized

• Argentina
• Armenia
• Chile
• Colombia
• Costa Rica
• Croatia
• Czech Republic
• Estonia
• Germany
• Italy
• Mexico
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Paraguay
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• Russian Federation
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Uruguay

Does Ayahusaca show up on a drug test?

It depends on the type of drug test.

Hallucinogens are difficult to detect because the body metabolizes them so quickly.

A urine or hair follicle test may be able to detect trace amounts of DMT from 24 hours to a few days after use. However, most commonly used drug tests don’t look for DMT.

Ayahuasca vs. DMT

DMT and ayahuasca are not the same. Ayahuasca causes the effects of DMT contained in the Psychotria viridis shrub to work in a certain way, but it’s the DMT in ayahuasca tea that’s actually the hallucinogen.

DMT stands for dimethyltryptamine, and it’s a hallucinogenic substance that is naturally present in plants and animals, and can also be produced synthetically.

It’s a very powerful psychedelic substance. DMT impacts the brain by working on the neural circuits that utilize serotonin.

In addition to using DMT in ayahuasca tea, the drug can also be snorted or smoked (or injected).

Commonly people take DMT by itself by smoking it in a single hit pipe. When someone smokes DMT, the effects are very different from what occurs when drinking the ayahuasca brew.

Smoking DMT most certainly changes your sense of reality, but the effects last only a few minutes. It's been nicknamed the business trip for this reason. A very intense and short experience.

Ayahuasca sustainability

In recent years ayahuasca has been gaining immense popularity in the Western world. Ayahuasca tourism is now a major industry. This popularity has brought with it numerous sustainability challenges due to increased demand.

To meet this upsurge in demand many practitioners choose shortcuts that jeopardize ayahuasca sustainability, such as harvesting ayahuasca vine from wild locations or mixing different plants during brewing process.

To ensure ayahuasca can be enjoyed by present and future generations, it’s essential that proper ayahuasca sustainability practices are put into place. These practices should include thoughtful consideration of ayahuasca sourcing, responsible community participation when ayahuasca ceremonies take place, and environmental awareness.

If we are to continue to reap the benefits of this powerful hallucinogen, then collective care and practices must be established in order to sustain ayahuasca’s natural resources, cultural heritage and its environment.

Final Thoughts

Ayahuasca can produce profound physical, mental and emotional effects.

It's important to remember that working with this ancient plant medicine is not something to take lightly - it should always be done in safe surroundings with a skilled guide who can help ensure your individual journey into this transformational realm safely. Like auto repair and dentistry - ancient shamanic drugs are best done with the aid of a professional.

Ayahuasca should be treated with reverence and respect. There is immense power there - people often describe ayahuasca as a totally life-changing experience.

Exploring the idea of having an ayahuasca experience? Looking for a suitable ayahuasca retreat? There are now many ayahuasca retreats that you can go an sit with this medicine. Some better than others, so do your research; you should be quite certain that your Shaman or curandero is legit, as you will be entrusting them with your psychological and emotional well-being

Today, people from all over the world travel to these places to participate in ayahuasca rituals. Check out this guide on the top ayahuasca retreats in the USA and close by.