We know the Amazon Forests as the lungs of our planet, the Earth's largest rainforest is also home to the richest biodiversity. Spread over nine countries, mainly Brazil, Peru and Colombia, the area of 7,000,000 kilometers is home to 350 ethnic groups with a population of more than 30 million.
The first thing to notice when stepping into the jungle is that all life is intertwined and that it is a single organism that complements each other. Sometimes this can be seen as simply being unable to distinguish which tree a branch belongs to. A closer look reveals that the tree is home to the bird, and the bird protects it by eating the small creatures on the tree. After spending some time, it is understood that every living thing exists by leaving lasting effects on each other. These effects are so intertwined in evolution that a plant molecule can bind to a receptor in the human brain with a key-lock fit, sparking a series of activities.
Those who reveal the most mystical of these activities are classified as "psychotropics." Psychotropic plants can have sedative, stimulant, cognition-enhancing or hallucinogenic effects on humans. For example, tea and coffee we drink to wake up in the morning, passion flower, also known as passiflora, is one of the most widely used sedative psychotropic plants.
Man's discoveries of the wonders of plants date back thousands of years, much older than laboratories. Ayawaska (Ayahuasca, Aya, La Madre, Grandma) is one of the people who came out of the Amazons and finds a place more and more in the life of modern people day by day. I have discussed this drug, which we will hear more and more every day due to its wide-ranging healing potential, in a comprehensive article.
Content of the article;
1. What is Ayawaska?
Preparation
Pharmacological structure
DMT
2. Applications
Traditional
Ayahuasca-assisted psychotherapy
Microdosing
3. Experience
Physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual effects
The ceremony
Retreat and the shaman
4. Preparation and Integration
Dieta
Resources
Do you have Ayahuasca experience?
Yes
No
What is Ayawaska?
Ayawasca is translated as "vine of the soul", a combination of two Quechua words meaning aya "soul" and waska "ivy". It is made from a mixture of plants that work in harmony and interaction with each other, rather than a single plant. The specific recipes of different tribes are passed down through the traditions. Banisteriopsis caapi (Ayawaska creeper, kaapi, yagé) are some of these mixtures, with plants such as Psychotria viridis (cacruna), Nicotiana tabacum, Diplopterys cabrerana Ilex guayusa used as companions. For example, the traditional Peruvian recipe is Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, while the Mexican Indian recipe consists of Banisteriopsis caapi and Mimosa hostilis. Even if the same prescription is applied, each drug differs from the other. The age of the plants, the soil they grow on, their neighbors, the prayers the shaman prays while collecting, the boiling/infusing times, the quality of the fire lit under it, and even the energy of the people who drink it are among the factors.
The taste is usually intense, bitter and viscous.
Preparation
The shaman's adventure of preparing Ayawaska begins with sunrise - this also coincides with the loudest hours of the forest. Parrots scream, monkeys jump from tree to tree with crackling branches, various insects buzz and the whole forest prepares for the new day. The shaman enters the depths of the forest and greets the plants for which he will prepare the mixture, asks for permission and collects as many as necessary accompanied by prayers. When he returns home, he carefully cleans the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, places a layer of fibrous branches in a clay pot, which he shreds with a wooden mallet and crushes. This pottery was carefully shaped by saying prayers and ikaros, and then pictures were drawn on it by the shaman's maestra. He fills the pot with all the herbs and a few liters of water and places it on the fire. The slowly brewed mixture becomes ready in a few hours.
Pharmacological structure
Harmala alkaloids (harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine) and DMT (N-Dimethyltryptamine) are the active ingredients that play the leading role. DMT, the active ingredient of chakrana, produces strong psychic effects when inhaled as smoke or vapor. When taken orally, its effects are not experienced since it is broken down by the monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzyme in the human body. Ancient shamans discovered that this changed hundreds of years ago, when cacruna and kaapi were infused together. The harmala alkaloids in kaapi ensured that the DMT in the chacruna could also be activated when taken orally. Thanks to modern science, it has been understood that these alkaloids act as Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and prevent MAO from breaking down DMT.
DMT
DMT is in the same group as silocybin, silosin, ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT and are referred to as tryptamine psycheactives. Like DMT, its siblings are also obtained from nature and used by shamanic methods. Silocybin and silosin are found in a species of fungi called magic mushrooms, ibogaine is found in the Iboga bush growing in Central Africa, and in the secretion of the toad called 5-MeO-DMT Bufo.
While there are various ways to experience DMT, Ayawaska is different from the whole. For example, its effect is measured in minutes when inhaled and injected, but takes hours when drunk as an Ayawaska blend.
DMT is found in the circulatory system of some animals and humans, such as plants, but its source has not yet been discovered. Although there are studies that it is synthesized in the brains of rodents (2), it is speculation to say the same for humans. There are beliefs that DMT is synthesized in the pineal gland in humans and that it can be triggered by breathing practices and prolonged darkness.
This mysterious substance is also referred to as the "spirit molecule". One reason for this is that it offers a near-death experience to people who have had NDE, or near-death experiences. Results of a study conducted at Imperial College London noted a significant match in nine of the sixteen NDE characteristics in the DMT-treated group (3).
Applications
We know that the meeting of human beings with psycheactives dates back at least thousands of years. There are even theories that many religions arose thanks to insight expanded by the support of psycheactives. In the case of Ayawaska, the oldest record found is from 1000 years ago. The shaman pouch found in Bolivia contained DMT and harmaline. (4)
Since then, it has spread out of the pouch and spread all over the world. It continues to transform the lives of thousands of people, with its scope ranging from the Amazon Forest to university laboratories.
Traditional
The mixture, which the shaman takes from brewing and leaves to cool, is ready after a few hours of cooling. The travelers, that is, the participants, take their places in the circle where this mixture will be presented to them. People attend Aya ceremonies for different reasons. For example, if a person in the tribe needs guidance, the circle consists only of the shaman(s), and answers are sought to help the tribe member under the guidance of Aya. Or the circle may be made up of tribesmen who come together purely for social purposes. In another circle, the tribe may have artistic souls who simply want to unleash inspiration and creativity. All these circles have a shaman and his job is to keep space for all travelers to have a safe journey. The circles in which gringos, that is, people of the modern world, participate, are also formed by the gathering of people with different intentions.
Ayahuasca-assisted psychotherapy
After decades of prohibition, the "psycheactive renaissance" has begun, thanks to a return to ancient traditions and increased attention from the scientific community. Although it is still illegal in most countries, the therapeutic use of psycheactives is becoming widespread. One of them is the blending of modern psychotherapy methods with shamanic healing techniques. An example of this is when a psychologist provides therapy for symptoms such as addiction, anxiety, impulsive behavior in a relatively clinical context and accompanied by Ayahuasca. These protocols are applied as a single session with a high dose or as retreats spread over several days.
After a 5-day retreat, instructed by psychiatrist Gabor Maté, participants reported improved mood and decreased addiction (reduced use of alcohol, tobacco, and cocaine, but no change in cannabis and opium use). All participants reported positive and lasting changes. (5)
Microdosing
We call microdosing the intake of a small amount of a drug that is small enough not to affect daily life and enough to feel the effects. When it comes to Ayawaska, the main reasons for choosing the microdosing method are;
- Restriction to travel to countries where DMT is legal (DMT-free, B. caapi-based mixtures are also observed to provide the same benefits)
- Do not prefer a ceremony that will last several hours
- Desire to heal and grow in a relatively easy and mild way
- Connecting with the spirit of the medicine before the ceremony and/or maintaining the connection after (6)
Potential benefits of Harmala alkaloids that can be accessed by microdosing include strengthening bone and cartilage tissues (7), healing damaged nerve cells in the brain (8) and reducing inflammation (9).
This method also carries factors to be considered such as time, dose, preparation and diet.
Experience
We can list the elements that have the most impact on the experience that psycheactives will offer as follows; (10)
- Preparation: expectations and preparation of the traveler and guide
- Environment: assets within the space and the atmosphere of the space
- Substance and amount: DMT 100 milligrams, LSD 200 micrograms, etc.
- Guide: someone who is experienced in working with different layers of consciousness and various dimensions of reality, holding space for the traveler to have a safe and productive experience
- Session: duration of the journey
- Status: post-experience integration, existing support mechanisms and relationships
The effects of ayahuasca are felt 20-60 minutes after drinking and peak after an average of 2 hours. It takes a few hours for the felt effect to wear off, but the traveler continues to feel "different" afterwards and even in the days that follow. As will be explained in detail in the rest of the article, the experience cannot be seen as limited to only a few hours when the drug stays in the body. Preparation and integration are important parts of the experience.
Physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual effects
The mixture can produce intense physical effects, at least as long as it remains in the body. Ginger root is rotated before the ceremony in some tribes to suppress the famous side effect of nausea. Since it is a strong purgative, vomiting and diarrhea may also occur. For the locals, the effect of vomiting is seen as a purifying and mirroring part of the ceremony, referred to as "la purga," rather than a side effect.
The herbs it contains apply additional pressure to the heart by increasing the heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, it is not recommended for those with circulatory and heart problems, pregnant and breastfeeding women. However, it is common to see a wide range of participants in the shaman's circle with his tribe, from his ninety-year-old father to his five-year-old child.
Their structures, which can communicate with a large number of receptors in our brain, cause intense mental and psychological effects. Changes in the perception of reality and hallucinations are among these effects. Seeing beings from different dimensions, going to the past or future, communicating with animals and plants are common experiences.
On the other hand, unlike some psycheactives, complete detachment from reality is rare and short-lived.
Thanks to increased self-awareness, events can gain new meanings, solutions to problems can be found, and insights can be gained on changing habits and lifestyles. An article published in 2016 reveals that Ayahuaska may have effective and permanent antidepressant properties (11).
Emotionally, it can contain almost all the colors in a color palette. From a chest-filling euphoria to unspeakable fears, the potential to feel all emotions remains. Often, joyous and uncomfortable feelings come in waves throughout a ceremony, and at some point an emotional drain may be felt. As with all other aspects, what will be felt during a session is unpredictable and the nature of one session does not give the impression of that of another.
When it comes to Ayahuasca, it's not without mentioning its "dark" aspect that perhaps most distinguishes it from other ritualistic psychotropics. It is from this aspect that her soul is sometimes depicted as a grandmother with tongs. This, of course, can be seen as the human mind's desire to make pleasurable emotions endless, but its resistance to what it finds unpleasant. As resistance increases, emotions such as fear and paranoia become stronger, so surrender is the greatest facilitator of the experience.
Let's move on to the most sought-after spiritual influences. The most obvious is overflowing with a sense of peace and unity in an extraterrestrial space. Connecting with the divine can be experienced as feeling divine and expanding to realize that all existence is a divine expression. There may be a dissociation and symbolic death that allows one to be free from self-limiting beliefs and patterns, referred to as "ego death". In a sense, this molecule encourages the person to reach areas of his psyche that were previously inaccessible. In another study, during the Ayahuasca experience, discoveries about life purpose and the true nature of existence, gaining insights about the best version of the individual are common feedback (12).
Ceremony
As noted at the beginning of the chapter, there are many factors that determine the "quality" of a ceremony. For the sake of simplification, I will consider the differences between tribes in the regions where Ayawaska was born and where it is still legal today.
In the ceremonies of the Shipibo tribe in Peru, the shaman's songs, called ikaro, are at the forefront. Ikaro can be described as the songs that plants whisper to the shaman after years of dieta. In addition to singing for the group, the shaman also sings to each member of the circle. This must be one of the most fascinating experiences in life. Using one's voice to wield such great power, having complete control over another's experience, and humbly using that power to heal can in itself be life-changing. Shipibo shamans also use wild tobacco called mapacho and a flower cologne called agua de florida for purification. Usually dieta is made with another plant in addition to Ayawaska ceremonies. Bobinsana and Ajo Sacha are examples of these plants.
In traditions around Colombia and Venezuela, the instrument accompanies the shaman's songs in different languages. In this region, we see that a bouquet of plant leaves called Waira is used to balance the energy in the air.
In addition, a procedure called rapé is used, in which the ashes of tobacco and some plants are applied by blowing through the nostril and performed for purposes such as centering, rooting and purification. In Brazil, another region where this is used, the famous Yawanawa tribe welcomes us. The ceremonies of this tribe look quite different from the Shipibo ceremonies. Among the Shipibos, the shaman, or maestra(he) is seen as a doctor, since his focus is on healing. That's why the ceremonies are relatively solemn and heavy. On the other hand, Yawanawa ceremonies are dominated by an atmosphere where music is played, danced and socialized.
Retreat and the shaman
With the spread of the movement to legalize psycheactives led by North American countries, it will be possible to have an experience in hospitals and therapy centers. Today, retreats are the most common meeting place of modern world people with Ayawaska. Species range from one-ceremony three-day retreats to ninety-day retreats in the Amazon jungle. Some work only with Ayawaska, while others may also involve another psychic ceremony – the Watchuma cactus with mescaline is a common example.
It may be a native ayahuasquero leading the ceremony or a gringo shaman. The training process of indigenous and gringo shamans is quite different from each other. Locals are people who started working with plants at a young age, devoted their whole life to this path and drank medicine for years.
On the other hand, when it comes to "false shamanism", one's origin is irrelevant. The number of people who do not have enough education and experience, who take the role of shaman with the motivation to gain money, power and status, is increasing day by day. In order to avoid this, it is a great responsibility to ask questions about the accumulation of the shaman to work with and to do research. For example, according to Amazonian shamans, psychic surgeries and energy balancing are mostly done with live music and ikaros, they consider playing music from the recording as amateurish. Learning and considering such criteria is a personal choice and responsibility.
Preparation and Integration
It is believed that the spirit of the plant summons the traveler when the time comes for the Ayahuasca experience. And again, when the time comes, circumstances will make this experience possible. When this subtle preparation is complete, the call is reflected in consciousness, and thus the first intention is set. A common experience is that the spirit of the plant starts working the moment the intention is set. And so begins the period of conscious preparation. How this preparation will look varies, but we can list some factors.
Whether or not Ayawaska is legal in the country where the ceremony will take place may be a factor. While completely illegal in most countries, controlled legal in countries such as Spain and Portugal, it is legal under certain criteria in Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico. While it was only allowed to be used under church control in the United States for many years, it has recently been re-legalized in many cities.
The strong positive effects of preparation on the mental, psychological and physical dimensions are observed on the experience.
Clarifying the intention of sitting at the ceremony makes it easier to work the plant and interpret the responses. For example, a person who sits in a circle with the intention of drinking Ayawaska for recreational purposes is likely to traumatize himself.
Learning how active substances interact with the human body provides confidence and surrender. Knowing that it is expected when side effects are felt reduces resistance and fear. Learning breathing practices provides a tool to get one out of the darkest places.
Maintaining a certain lifestyle reduces physiological side effects and allows the positive effects of the drug to last longer. Some foods and supplements contradict the ingredients in Ayawaska. It is important to avoid them during the preparation process and after the ceremony.
The plant often offers the traveler an insight into how far he lives from his own reality. Sometimes this is so intense that it can make sudden, radical changes in the traveler's life. This can become painful for both him and those around him. However, the messages received with a conscious integration process can be mixed for your life by spreading them over time and much more compassionately.
My experience and observation over the years in Latin America has shown that this process can be essential even from the ceremony itself. Most retreats and facilitators do not yet place enough emphasis on this process and are not trauma-informed anyway. I offer support under my Psychedelic Experience Preparation & Integration program in order to minimize possible risks and facilitate the process of working with the plant.
Dieta
The procedure applied to make the preparation and integration process efficient is called dieta and its content may vary depending on the shaman or retreat center. While dieta is essential for the Shipibo, Yawanawa, and Napo Runa tribes, some tribes or retreats do not. (13) It is recommended to continue between one week before and two weeks after the ceremony.
Common foods to avoid include spicy and bitter foods, dairy products, onions and garlic, red meat and pork, fermented foods, alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages.
Sexual activity, including masturbation, should be avoided.
Drugs that cannot be used together with ayahuasca include drugs that affect the serotonin hormone, antidepressants, cannabis, St. John's Wort, ginseng plants. If there is any supplement used other than these, it must be reported to the retreat center.
Resources
- As noted, the current of legalization of psycheactives is spreading around the world. For Ayahuasca, the latest status can be seen via this link
- Psychedelic ceremonies and retreats can be found on Retreat Guru
- Book recommendation: The Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook : The Essential Guide to Ayahuasca Journeying
- Documentary recommendation: The Nature of Ayahuasca (2019) Documentary
If you want to share additional resources, share your own experience or ask questions, you can email to hello@noortribe.com
References
(1) Franzen F, Gross H (June 1965). "Tryptamine, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, N,N-dimethyl-5-hydroxytryptamine and 5-methoxytryptamine in human blood and urine". Nature. 206 (988): 1052. Bibcode:1965Natur.206.1052F. doi:10.1038/2061052a0. PMID5839067. S2CID4226040.
(2) Barker SA, Borjigin J, Lomnicka I, Strassman R (December 2013). "LC/MS/MS analysis of the endogenous dimethyltryptamine hallucinogens, their precursors, and major metabolites in rat pineal gland microdialysate"(PDF). Biomedical Chromatography. 27 (12): 1690–700. doi:10.1002/bmc.2981. hdl:2027.42/101767. PMID23881860
(3) Timmermann C, Roseman L, Williams L, Erritzoe D, Martial C, Cassol H, Laureys S, Nutt D, Carhart-Harris R. DMT Models the Near-Death Experience. Front Psychol. 2018 Aug 15;9:1424. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424. PMID: 30174629; PMCID: PMC6107838.
(4) Miller, M. J., Albarracin-Jordan, J., Moore, C., & Capriles, J. M. (2019b). Chemical evidence for the use of multiple psychotropic plants in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from South America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(23), 11207–11212. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1902174116
(5) Thomas, G., Lucas, P., Capler, N., Tupper, K., & Martin, G. (2013). Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 6(1), 30–42. https://doi.org/10.2174/15733998113099990003
(6) EntheoNation. (n.d.). Modern Shamanism, Psychedelic Science, & Visionary Culture. https://entheonation.com/
(7) Yonezawa, T., Hasegawa, S. I., Asai, M., Ninomiya, T., Sasaki, T., Cha, B. Y., Teruya, T., Ozawa, H., Yagasaki, K., Nagai, K., & Woo, J. T. (2011). Harmine, a β-carboline alkaloid, inhibits osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption in vitro and in vivo. European Journal of Pharmacology, 650(2–3), 511–518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejphar.2010.10.048
(8) Morales-García, J. A., de la Fuente Revenga, M., Alonso-Gil, S., Rodríguez-Franco, M. I., Feilding, A., Perez-Castillo, A., & Riba, J. (2017). The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro. Scientific Reports, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05407-9
(9) Bremner, P., Rivera, D., Calzado, M., Obón, C., Inocencio, C., Beckwith, C., Fiebich, B., Muñoz, E., & Heinrich, M. (2009). Assessing medicinal plants from South-Eastern Spain for potential anti-inflammatory effects targeting nuclear factor-Kappa B and other pro-inflammatory mediators. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 124(2), 295–305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2009.04.035
(10) Fadiman, J. (2011). The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys (Illustrated). Park Street Press.
(11) Sanches, Rafael Faria; de Lima Osório, Flávia; dos Santos, Rafael G.; Macedo, Ligia R.H.; Maia-de-Oliveira, João Paulo; Wichert-Ana, Lauro; de Araujo, Draulio Barros; Riba, Jordi; Crippa, José Alexandre S.; Hallak, Jaime E.C. (2016). "Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression". Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health). 36 (1): 77–81. doi:10.1097/jcp.0000000000000436. ISSN0271-0749. PMID26650973. S2CID41083002.
(12) Gorman, Peter (2010). Ayahuasca in My Blood: 25 Years of Medicine Dreaming. ISBN978-1-4528-8290-1.
(13) Woolfe, S. (2022, November 15). Ayahuasca. HealingMaps. https://healingmaps.com/ayahuasca/
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