What you need to know about Ayahuasca

“The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious ”

— Albert Einstein

Recently on Netflix, the American actor Zac Efron journeys around the world in his docuseries “Down to Earth”, exploring healthy and sustainable ways to live. With a stop in Iquitos, Peru -  Zac aims to boost his immune system in the Amazon rainforest. Climbing a tree and then watching his dinner wriggle on a plate, Zac then takes us briefly to explore the controversial subject of Ayahuasca tourism. In recent years, the world has become increasingly interested in the natural properties and potential healing powers of plants.

— What is Ayahuasca? —

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew that people make using the leaves of the Psychotria Viridis plant and the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine. It may also contain other ingredients. The name “ayahuasca” originates from the Quechua language, where aya means soul or ancestors, and wasca (huasca) means vine or rope. Most people translate this as “vine of the soul.” It induces an “introspective dream-like experience” that includes visions and memories. More recently, it is being used in Europe and North America, not only for religious or healing reasons but also for recreation. It has become popular in recent years as a potential treatment for addictions and mental health illnesses such as PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety. 

— Benefits —

Research indicates that ayahuasca may offer several potential health benefits, especially for brain health and emotional well-being. However, more studies are necessary to confirm these findings. Potential benefits include:

• Antidepressant

• Psychological well being

• Coping strategies

• Creative thinking and visual creativity

• Development of self-knowledge

• Enable greater self-control 

• Improve social relationships and with the environment

• Improved mindfulness and cognitive flexibility (observe, describe, act with awareness, and non-reactivity)

• Several present-day studies suggest that it may be useful for treating various psychiatric disorders and addictions.

— How to prepare for ayahuasca —

• You have to set your intentions with ayahuasca because the experience can be overwhelming. With this, you will always know your purpose and why ayahuasca is calling you.

• It is best to simplify your diet as much as possible in the months and, in particular, two weeks leading up to the ceremony. Eliminate processed foods, colorings, and preservatives; avoid salty, sugary, and spicy foods; cut out animal products, particularly meat; and eliminate all addictive substances like alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs. Work with your doctor to determine if you can also reduce or eliminate your reliance on prescription drugs where possible, particularly if you are on MAOI or SSRI drugs. These medications will interfere directly with the effects of Ayahuasca and, in some cases, the interaction can have serious health repercussions. Do not attempt to work with Ayahuasca while taking these medications.

• Traditional ayahuasca preparation suggests that you avoid sexual activity including masturbation at least two weeks before and after your ceremony.

• Sex is a powerful energetic exchange and it can deplete your energy and inhibit the effectiveness of the plants to teach and guide you.

— Experiencing Ayahuasca —

There are many types of Ayahuasca experiences. At the Rythmia Advancement Center, YouTuber Cami Petyn describes her experience with Ayahuasca as a “Mother Spirit”. Ayahuasca is a plant medicine and the ceremony consists of everyone gathering together in a room where there are about 60 people. The room has a bunch of beds and “puke buckets”. Shamans serve a RAPE which is a form of ground tobacco - another plant medicine that they use to help keep users calm in the ayahuasca experience. The whole process lasted 8 hours. In the experience, she explains you can enter a loop of non-stop thoughts about work, friends, family, and relationships. You can have gorgeous visuals. It's like you are dreaming in a sense that you are submerged in this other dimension. Then it is possible that Ayahuasca could show you some memories from the past; it is also possible that you could start to experience different emotions.

For Cami, she took a large dose of Ayahuasca. She experienced an ego-death which was a constant thought of death where she thought she became a man in a hospital about to die and she thought she would not see her friends or family. she explains that she felt there was no return back and she really understood death and then in this man's body she realized that was time to die and finally she let her go. She describes that suddenly it was all blackness and she became nothing, she didn’t recognize herself and forgot who she was and her own name. 

In her experience, she also interviewed Dr. Jeff, a Doctor of Psychology. With a Master’s in Public Health from UCLA, he says that there are medical requirements that people need to be safe during this experience. For example, if people have schizophrenia it's not appropriate for them to do Ayahuasca and people that have certain bipolar conditions and tend to have a manic phase of psychosis - it's not ideal for them. But any kind of anxiety, addiction, depression is suitable for Ayahuasca. 

Ayahuasca ceremonies typically take place at night and last until the Ayahuasca effects have worn off. After the room is prepared and blessed by the shaman who leads the ceremony, the participants are given Ayahuasca, often divided into multiple doses. Many people begin to feel its impact within 20–60 minutes after drinking the Ayahuasca. The results depend on the dosage, and the journey will last 2–6 hours

Anyone taking Ayahuasca can experience symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, euphoria, extremely visual and auditory hallucinations, mind-altering psychedelic effects, fear, and paranoia, It should be highlighted that some of the negative effects, such as vomiting and diarrhea, are considered a natural part of the process of cleansing.

People respond differently to Ayahuasca. Many feel euphoria and a sense of liberation, while others experience extreme panic and anxiety. To anyone taking Ayahuasca, it is not rare to experience both positive and negative effects from the brew. The shaman and others guiding the Ayahuasca experience provide participants with spiritual guidance and track participants for health. In case of emergencies, some retreats also have medical personnel on hand. Often these ceremonies are performed consecutively, with participants drinking Ayahuasca a few nights in a row. This results in a different experience each time Ayahuasca is taken.

— Recommended places for Ayahuasca —

AyaAdvisors.org is one of the best sites to research for Ayahuasca retreats. This site is an invaluable resource as it lists out the different retreats by rating, price, and category. Along with these, we suggest learning about the various options as much as you can, and what every experience usually entails. There are retreats of various lengths and intended to serve different purposes.

— Support —

The Ayahuasca Foundation is currently hosting research on the treatment of childhood trauma, depression, anxiety, and chronic pain, as well as a concurrent study on epigenetic changes potentiated by treatment with ayahuasca and plant medicine in its native setting. If you are interested in learning more about this research, please visit the site where you can also donate to their research.

How cool is it that @zacdowntoearth is now trending #1 in the US on @netflix? What a pleasure it was to meet @ZacEfron and @DarinOlien, along with the fantastic crew of #DownToEarthWithZacEfron pic.twitter.com/bPe7ZXvv9o

— ayahuasca foundation (@AyahuascaFound) July 15, 2020

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