Ayahuasca is an entheogenic drink from the Amazon, or more precisely: a sacred medicine. This ayahuasca medicine is cooked for days in traditional prayers and chants by our taitas (shamans) in Putumayo – a region in Colombia that is also known as the gateway to the Amazon – and, thanks to its ingredients, enables our participants to take a deep look into their own souls during our ayahuasca ceremony.
The ingredients of ayahuasca medicine are made up of two different plant components – caapi (the ayahuasca root or liana) and chacruna, both plants from the Amazon. Chacruna, which contains DMT, is responsible for the psychoactive effect of the ayahuasca during the ceremony. 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 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 resolve your inner conflicts in the long term.
However, there are also other combinations of herbal components that have a similar effect. Essentially, the production of 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 be used as MAO inhibitors in Europe, include mimosa or peganum harmala seeds, as the chacruna plant does not grow in Europe.
Origin and spread of the ayahuasca medicine
The origin of ayahuasca lies in the shamanic religions (shamans are medicine men and women) of the Amazon and other parts of South America – including Colombia. Countries where ayahuasca is used for medicinal purposes include Brazil, Peru and Colombia. Handed down traditions, experiences and centuries-old knowledge by the shamans are incorporated into the preparation of ayahuasca medicine, which is administered during an ayahuasca ceremony. What exactly does the medicine contain, how is it used during the ceremony and how can the effect on our human brain be explained or is it dangerous? All that is described below.
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 Kamentsa Biya 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 liana and the Chacruna Psychotria viridis 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 liana is peeled thoroughly and often 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 Psychotria are cut into small pieces and thoroughly cleaned.
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 brain. 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), a region in Colombia also known as the gateway to the Amazon. 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 very 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 ayahuasca ceremony is approximately 4-6 hours. In most ayahuasca ceremonies, there is the option of drinking several cups of ayahuasca to deepen the process or if the effect has not yet really 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 pour out. The ayahuasca ceremony is often followed by a cleansing of the spirit. Then you are allowed to leave the ceremonial room. 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.”
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 ayahuasca 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 aversions. 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 therefore drink a pure emetic every two months or so. Vomiting can also be seen as a symbol of letting go of old, negative thoughts, conditioning 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 ayahuasca ceremonies. Take your time to look around our website and follow our social media accounts on the subject of ayahuasca so that you don’t miss anything. Of course, you can always contact us and our shamans personally.
Would you like to experience the magic of an ayahuasca experience in Colombia? Remember that there is a specific reason why you have landed on this page. Because now you’re just one click away from your spiritual journey. Book your ayahuasca ceremony in the Amazon now!