No, Ayahuasca is not a drug. The first difference between Ayahuasca and a drug is a matter of context. Even though here in Colombia and in the Western world we talk about drugs and call any medicine for pain or illness a drug, there is a big difference between Ayahuasca and drugs. We explain here why Ayahuasca is not a drug.
Ayahuasca is a natural plant medicine that has been shared for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. The active ingredient it contains, DMT, is a metabolic product produced naturally in the body. DMT is normally broken down quickly in the body so that no effect can occur. The only exceptions in life are birth and death; at these times a large amount of DMT is suddenly released.
Our body cannot develop an addiction to DMT or Ayahuasca. The more Ayahuasca you have drunk in your life, the less Ayahuasca medicine you will need for the same effect. This is exactly the opposite for a drug. The more often and the longer you consume a drug, the more resistant you become to this substance and develop a tolerance; you must therefore increase your consumption in order to achieve the same effect. This is not the case with Ayahuasca! Some people only drink a little of the Ayahuasca medicine to get into their process, as they are already very connected to the plant medicine.
Also, the healing from Ayahuasca medicine can begin with the hangover and the physical cleansing that comes with it. During this time, you may vomit or generally not feel well. Unlike with the consumption of drugs, you will not feel any pleasure or joy shortly after drinking the Ayahuasca medicine. But after this initial cleansing process, the effect changes in a positive direction. You feel that you are doing well and you feel a nice energy. The hangover suddenly turns into a powerful feeling. With drugs, these feelings arise in exactly the opposite way – in other words, they have a reverse logic: first, happiness hormones are released and you feel joy and pleasure. Afterwards, however, these positive feelings tip over into a very negative direction and you feel somehow empty. After just one Ayahuasca ceremony, on the other hand, you will feel alive and fulfilled. You will probably feel a good energy in your life, feel motivated and be really creative.
First of all, we are talking about drugs and we are talking about something illegal and we are talking about substances that suddenly create addictions, substances that make people ill and turn them into drug addicts, whereby this term – depending on the context – always refers to a question of illegality or to something associated with Western medicine.
Drugs poison an organism from the inside or can be the trigger for permanent psychological or physical damage. Ayahuasca medicine, which must be drunk in a ceremony, heals the body from the inside out and therefore has a positive effect on physical and mental health and, consequently, on life as a whole.
Drugs are addictive, they make people sick on some level of addiction; among other things, it is also said that drugs are taken to produce pleasurable effects and a kind of escape from reality from one’s own life, while Ayahuasca medicine does not directly produce a pleasant state at first; most of the time the effect is actually quite unpleasant.
Firstly, Ayahuasca medicine is not addictive and unlike illegal drugs, in our context and in the indigenous context, Ayahuasca medicine is used for healing and purification for healing processes in Ayahuasca ceremonies. Ayahuasca is not used to have fun. Ayahuasca medicine is not used to isolate yourself from reality; quite the opposite! Ayahuasca connects you to reality, to life. As already mentioned, it does not produce pleasure, but often unpleasant sensations. You don’t really feel well at first, suddenly vomit or get diarrhea; this can serve to get rid of harmful substances from the body. But Ayahuasca also increases your emotional and self-reflective awareness and causes an expansion of consciousness. In contrast to Ayahuasca, drugs inhibit your perception of the world or negatively influence your consciousness. Drinking Ayahuasca medicine increases the activation of the frontal and paralimbic areas of the brain. These regions are responsible for self-awareness and controlling emotions. Ayahuasca medicine thus allows you to look deep into your own soul.
When we talk about medicine, we are talking about something that heals us and cleanses us, and when we talk about drugs, we are talking about something that harms us in some way and makes us sick. Therefore, the concept of the difference between drugs and medicine is a question of context, but also a cultural question. The answer to this question is that Ayahuasca in its proper use, during an Ayahuasca ceremony, is not a drug. Furthermore, when we think of the word drug, we think of something that is harmful and when we drink Ayahuasca, it is definitely not harmful! Ayahuasca medicine is known for its healing power, as it frees the mind and purifies the body. Targeted successes have already been achieved in the treatment of mental illnesses with Ayahuasca therapy.
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.
Is Ayahuasca dangerous or deadly?
The sole intake of Ayahuasca medicine has no lethal effect on an organism. Only the interaction of Ayahuasca with other drugs, medication or illnesses can be dangerous. This is because Ayahuasca tea contains the body’s own active ingredient dimethyltryptamine (DMT) as well as Mao inhibitors. In combination with other drugs or medication (e.g. antidepressants), the monoamine oxidase-inhibiting effect of Ayahuasca poses a danger to life. The enzyme complex monoaminooxidase actually ensures that substances such as DMT are broken down quickly in the body before they cross the blood-brain barrier. This enzyme complex must therefore be inhibited during a retreat so that Ayahuasca can actually have an intensive effect on the brain.
If you need to take medication, please consult your doctor before an Ayahuasca ceremony. This also applies if you suffer from an increased heart rate or high blood pressure.
To prepare for your Ayahuasca ceremony, we recommend that you do not take any medication two weeks prior to your ceremony. Then, nothing will stand in the way of your Ayahuasca experience.
By the way, birth control pills have no effect on drinking Ayahuasca or vice versa. However, you should make sure to take them early enough before the ceremony so that your body can fully absorb the active ingredient and you are still protected against pregnancy.
How much does Ayahuasca cost and where can you buy it?
Under no circumstances should you buy Ayahuasca and consume it alone. There are several important reasons for this. Ayahuasca is generally not freely available for sale and is not even offered commercially. Of course, you should never obtain it illegally on the black market. Apart from the fact that this is illegal anyway, it can also be very dangerous to consume Ayahuasca of unknown origin without professional supervision. For example, the Ayahuasca could also be stretched with other substances, and it is not possible for laymen to reliably assess the effects of a tea made from the Ayahuasca plant. The preparation of the plant brew is a real challenge and should therefore only be carried out by knowledgeable shamans. A responsible shaman knows his own home-made Ayahuasca medicine very well and can guide and support you during your Ayahuasca experience if, for example, you experience intense spiritual experiences and emotions during your ceremony.
Here you can book an Ayahuasca ceremony with competent and responsible shamans and find out about the associated costs. Or perhaps an entire Ayahuasca journey or retreat is just what is right for you.