Ayahuasca is a psychedelic drink used in religious ceremonies and medical treatments in South America. It contains DMT and is traditionally brewed with Banisteriopsis caapi and other jungle plants. Side effects include vomiting, and its recreational use is illegal in many areas.
Ayahuasca is a psychedelic drink traditionally brewed by some Amazonian peoples. A number of different decoctions are referred to as ayahuasca, with different peoples having their own version of this compound, and outside of South America, brews lacking the traditional ingredients may still be called ayahuasca, which can add to the confusion. In South America, ayahuasca is used in religious ceremonies and also in some types of medical treatments. Outside of this region, people may take it because they are interested in the psychedelic experience.
One of the main traditional ingredients of ayahuasca is Banisteriopsis caapi, a grape native to the Amazon Basin. This grape variety has high concentrations of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a psychoactive alkaloid. In addition to the bark and stems of this vine, ayahuasca can include psychoactive substances from other jungle plants, and some blends leave out the vine altogether, depending on regional regulations.
Alternative names for ayahuasca include yage, la purga, caapi and natema. The decoction is traditionally prepared under the supervision of a skilled shaman who has learned the stages of processing and preparation through an apprenticeship. Once the ayahuasca is ready, the shaman conducts a ceremony where the compound is consumed by the shaman and other participants. Some people believe that beer helps them connect with the divine, allowing them to see things happening in the spirit world, and others think it takes them to the land of the dead, explaining the Quecha name for the vine, which means “rope of the dead”.
One of the most common side effects of ayahuasca is vomiting. Indeed, vomiting is integrated into the ceremony in some regions, and in other areas, people take the drug for the purpose of curing intestinal parasites, as the alkaloids kill the parasites and vomiting and diarrhea ensure their total expulsion. Preparations for medical use tend to contain fewer hallucinogens.
In the Amazon, the religious use of ayahuasca by tribes with a history of using this brew is protected by law in many areas. Religious groups outside this region who say the drug is central to their religious practice may also be allowed to produce and use small quantities, with the government closely monitoring to ensure the drug is not abused. Recreational use of ayahuasca is usually illegal, because the drug contains compounds such as DMT that are banned or controlled by law.
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