Ayahuasca – What is it exactly?
Ayahuasca is one of the most powerful remedies that humanity has owed to the plant world. It is an entheogenic drink from the Amazon, more precisely: a sacred medicine. This Ayahuasca medicine is cooked for days by our Taitas (shamans) in Putumayo – a region in Colombia that is also called the gateway to the Amazon – in a ritual with traditional prayers and chants and, thanks to its ingredients, this medicine allows our participants to take a deep look into their own soul during the ceremony. Ayahuasca is the essence of the Amazon forest. Only to those who taste it will the treasure open its doors. Only to them will the secret of the jungle be revealed.
The ingredients of Ayahuasca medicine are made up of two different plant components: the stems of Banisteriopsis Caapi (the Ayahuasca vine) and the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Chacruna), both plants from the Amazon. The DMT-contained in chacruna- is responsible for the psychoactive effects of the Ayahuasca during the ceremony. While DMT is generally broken down very quickly as the body’s own substance, the Ayahuasca plant, Banisteriopsis Caapi, with MAO inhibitors ensures that the breakdown of DMT slows down during the Ayahuasca ceremony.
What is special about the Ayahuasca drink is not the ingredients, but the unique consciousness of the Ayahuasca from the Amazon, whose spirit can gradually be transferred to your body. During your personal Ayahuasca experience, you will remain consistently happy and be able to permanently decode your inner conflicts.
However, there are also other combinations of herbal components that have a similar effect. Essentially, making Ayahuasca involves mixing two plants together. It is important that one contains DMT and the other MAO inhibitors; otherwise the medicine cannot develop its effect in the brain. Alternative ingredients for Ayahuasca, which can also often be used as MAO inhibitors in Europe, include mimosa or seeds of Peganum harmala, as the chacruna plant does not grow in Europe.
Jessica Greiner
Founder
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Origin and spread of the Ayahuasca medicine
The origin of Ayahuasca lies in the shamanic cosmovision (shamans are medicine men and women) of the Amazon and other parts of South America – including Colombia. The Amazon is considered a forest of healing springs and it is a divine pharmacy.
Countries where Ayahuasca is taken for medicinal purposes in a ceremony include Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Traditions, experiences and centuries-old knowledge of the shamans are incorporated into the preparation of the Ayahuasca medicine, which is administered during an Ayahuasca ceremony. We will show you the ritual use of Ayahuasca in our ceremonies and follow the cultural traces of the Kamëntsa Biyá tradition. We will tell you exactly what the medicine contains, how it is used during the ceremony, how its effects on the human brain can be explained, and whether it is dangerous.
Recipe & preparation
Essentially, Ayahuasca consists of two different plants; the Ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and the Chacruna leaves (Diplopterys cabrerana).
Chacruna – Latin for psychotria viridis – is a plant growing in South America that contains the ingredient dimethyltryptamine (DMT). DMT is a tryptamine alkaloid that has psychoactive effects. The substance is usually broken down by the body in a short time, which is prevented by the addition of Caapi.
The Caapi – Latin for complete banisteriopsis caapi – is a type of liana that contains MAO inhibitors. These monoamine oxidase inhibitors belong to the harmane alkaloids and delay the breakdown of DMT.
We only use the best medicine from the Putumayo jungle in our Ayahuasca ceremonies; from our Taitas, with whom we have been working for over 15 years.
How the Ayahuasca medicine from the Amazon is made
The production of Ayahuasca is a complex process that requires both spiritual devotion and a great deal of knowledge, which has been passed down from taita (medicine man or woman or shaman or shamaness) to taita in the Kamëntsa Biyá tradition over several generations and is still passed down today.
Harvesting the Ayahuasca plants
In order to start the Ayahuasca cooking process, the two main ingredients of the Ayahuasca drink, the Ayahuasca vine and the Chacruna plant must first be harvested by the shamans from the depths of the Amazon jungle.
Preparing for the Ayahuasca cooking process
The bark of the Ayahuasca vine is peeled thoroughly and then chopped up to expose the inner bark fibers, as these contain the important active ingredients for the Ayahuasca cooking process. The leaves of the chacruna plant are cut into small pieces and cleaned thoroughly.
The Ayahuasca cooking process
The prepared Ayahuasca plant parts are mixed in a large pot and water is added; this starts the cooking process. This process takes 5 days and 5 nights for our shamans. This requires constant attention to the Ayahuasca. During the boiling process, the ingredients of the Ayahuasca plants are released through heat and repeated mixing. After boiling, the liquid is reduced by heating it further. The aim is to reduce the volume and obtain a more concentrated Ayahuasca mixture with a good effect.
Ayahuasca Intention: Promotion and healing
The most important thing in the preparation of Ayahuasca medicine is the state of consciousness of each shaman and the intentions that must be present throughout the process; both in the heart and in the mind. The main intention in making Ayahuasca is to promote healing on a physical, emotional and spiritual level. This can include the relief of physical ailments, the processing of emotional trauma or spiritual development. Our Ayahuasca medicine is therefore prepared using traditional prayers and chants by our shamans in Putumayo (Amazonas). This Ayahuasca cooking process gives our participants a deep insight into the soul of the plant medicine Ayahuasca due to the intentions of our shamans and the active ingredients. The preparation of this Ayahuasca medicine is not only time-consuming, but also physically demanding for all shamans. It is a long path that requires dedication, patience and a lot of effort.
The duration of Ayahuasca’s effect on the brain
The duration of Ayahuasca’s effect on the human brain during the ceremony is approximately 4-6 hours. In most ceremonies, there is the option of drinking several cups of Ayahuasca to deepen the process or if the effect has not yet kicked in. However, how long and how intense the Ayahuasca medicine affects the brain varies from person to person. Our experienced shamans know how much Ayahuasca they can offer to each participant. The Ayahuasca ceremony is often followed by a cleansing of the spirit. Then you are allowed to leave the place of the ceremony. It often happens that the Ayahuasca medicine is present in your dreams for several days after the ceremony. This allows you to explore certain topics in greater depth.
Ayahuasca therapy – Ayahuasca as medicine
Ayahuasca can be seen as a tool for overcoming various psychological problems and challenges. The therapeutic purposes of Ayahuasca are verstatile and can be used to overcome trauma, treat addiction, depression and anxiety. The use of Ayahuasca in therapeutic contexts is currently the subject of intensive research. A 2021 study found “that the use of Ayahuasca in a traditional setting […] is associated with significant improvements in a range of mental health outcomes. These changes were maintained at 6-month follow-up without further ingestion, suggesting lasting therapeutic potential.”
Jessica Greiner
Founder
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The possible side effects of Ayahuasca medicine
In an Ayahuasca ceremony, you always start with the hangover and then move on to increasingly positive levels of consciousness. With drugs, this pattern is exactly the opposite. A side effect of Ayahuasca can be nausea with vomiting at the beginning of the ceremony. Although this is the most common side effect, it does not always occur. Vomiting is essential for your physical and spiritual transformation. If you are afraid to vomit, consider the origin of your fear. The idea that it is a bad thing comes from Western society. But there is no reason for this. Our shamans know the healing effect of vomiting as a bodily function. To detoxify themselves, they drink a plant-made purgative every two months or so. Vomiting can also be seen as a symbol of letting go of old, negative conditioning thoughts, and beliefs. Afterwards, you feel relieved and the process usually transforms into increasingly pleasant levels of consciousness. The challenge is to let go of the old so that something new can emerge. Other side effects of Ayahuasca can include sweating and trembling during the ceremony. Always trust that our shamans have a complete overview of what is happening in the room during every Ayahuasca ceremony. We will support you in your process if you need us.
What else would you like to know about Ayahuasca?
Surely you have more questions about Ayahuasca and our ceremonies. Take your time to look around our website and follow our social media accounts on the subject so that you don’t miss anything. Of course, you can always contact us and our shamans personally.
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FAQ
Here you will find all the answers to the questions we receive most frequently.
What is Ayahuasca and what ingredients does it contain?
Ayahuasca is a medicine that unfolds its effects not only on a physical but also on a psychological level in the brain. Although it is often mistakenly referred to as a drug, it is in fact a shamanic healing art that is becoming increasingly well-known internationally. This may be due not least to the fact that Ayahuasca offers the possibility of curing depression, psychosis or other mental illnesses. An Ayahuasca experience reveals paths that would possibly never arise in conventional therapy.
The ingredients of Ayahuasca medicine are made up of two different herbal components – caapi (the ayahuasca root or liana) and chacruna. Chacruna, which contains DMT, is responsible for the psychoactive effect of ayahuasca. While DMT as an endogenous substance is generally broken down very quickly, the Ayahuasca plant caapi with MAO inhibitors ensures that the breakdown of DMT is slowed down during the ayahuasca ceremony.
However, the special thing about Ayahuasca tea are not the ingredients, but the unique consciousness of the Ayahuasca, whose spirit can gradually be transferred to your body.
What does Ayahuasca do and what effect does it have on the brain?
Ayahuasca unfolds a profound change of consciousness in your mindset and has an effect on your brain that helps you to recognize and overcome old or toxic habits. The medicine strengthens your emotional and self-reflective perception and gives you a deep inner knowing. The effect of the Ayahuasca plant sets in after 30 to 40 minutes. The peak – the spiritual climax, so to speak – of an Ayahuasca experience is usually reached after 90 to 120 minutes. The duration of the effect is around 4 hours, but can also last up to 12 hours.
Ayahuasca cleanses you both physically and mentally. You will meet yourself in the process. The Ayahuasca ceremony shows you all your sides, including the unpleasant aspects. It is a self-critical encounter in which you can feel a deep respect for life and nature. The harmony of nature around you will probably also be part of your experience. In the Ayahuasca ceremonies during your retreat, the medicine will help you to strengthen your own emotional health and mental clarity. Each process is a highly individual matter. During your personal Ayahuasca experience you can experience many things – from insights, shattering experiences, inner wars, rebirths, near-death experiences, enlightenments, to unbearable bliss. You can find, meet and strengthen yourself. Some of your realizations may also appear after the Ayahuasca ceremony. The after-effects of the medicine are different for each person, and it is possible that you will deepen and internalize your Ayahuasca experience even more in the days following the ceremony.
What happens when you drink Ayahuasca and what are the side effects?
Immediately after drinking the bitter Ayahuasca tea, you may experience side effects such as diarrhea, discomfort, nausea and vomiting. Ayahuasca then triggers massive visions and puts you into a mind-expanding state of trance for several hours – the so-called chuma. The effects of Ayahuasca range from mild visions to powerful out-of-body experiences. These insights bring about a profound healing of your body from the inside out. The visions are usually followed by other feelings (e.g. the feeling of flying or being behind your own ego). However, it is also possible that you will not receive any visions on your Ayahuasca journey. Sooner or later, everyone experiences emotional highs and lows during an Ayahuasca ceremony. Long forgotten memories can resurface and you will meet your innermost self. Ayahuasca not only changes your consciousness during the ceremony, but also has a lasting effect on your thoughts. The effects of such an experience can appear months after your ceremony.