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An Introduction to Ayahuasca

admin — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:27:58 +0000

Ayahuasca (aya-spirit/dead, waska-vine/rope) or Yage (ya-hey) are native Amazonian names for the jungle vine Banisteriopsis Caapi, and the medicinal tea prepared from it. Ayahuasca is used throughout the Upper Amazon to enable access to the visionary or mythological world that provides revelation, blessing, healing, and ontological solace (Dobkin de Rios 1972, Grof 1994, Andritsky 1984).

Constituents

The Banisteriopsis caapi vine is a Malpighiaceous jungle liana found in the tropical regions of Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Brazil, the Orinoco of Venezuela and the Pacific Coast of Colombia/Ecuador. The vine is the common base ingredient of the Ayahuasca tea. B. caapi contains beta-carbolines that exhibit sedative, hypnotic, anti-depressant, monoamine oxidase inhibiting, and threshold visionary activity.

Ayahuasca is a synergystic potion. A wide variety of admixture plants is used by the indigenous tribes of the Upper Amazon. Vine-only brew is sometimes used. Most typically the vine is mixed with a tryptamine carrying plant. The foliage of Psychotria viridis (Chacruna) is the principal admixture of Ayahuasca potions employed throughout Peru and Brazil. In Columbia and Amazonian Ecuador, the plant Diplopterys cabrerana (Chaliponga) is often used instead.

These plants provide the “light” or the visionary qualities, but these tryptamine-containing plants are not orally active alone. The monoamine oxidase inhibiting action of the B. caapi vine makes it possible for the tryptamines to produce powerful visions. In turn, the admixture plants potentiate the Vine.

The combination of the Caapi vine with Chacruna or Chaliponga is sometimes known as a marriage of Power and Light. This marriage unlocks the full shamanic mareacion and its visionary mythological vistas.

This medicine has been used for millennia in order to enter the sacred supernatural world, to heal, divine, and worship.

Antiquity

The use of Ayahuasca may well be primordial, its use extending back to the earliest aboriginal inhabitants of the Upper Amazon region. Abstract liminal patterns such as zigzags, serrated lines and geometric forms found on ancient relics and traditional textiles, pottery and body art of various tribes represent the perceptual threshold between everyday and transpersonal realms of consciousness. These relics, combined with an abundance of myths describing the origin of Ayahuasca as deeply intertwined cosmologically with the creation of the universe, earth, and tribal people, indicate a long history of human use.

Ayahuasca is a revered and respected sacred medicine, considered a spiritual and physiological panacea par excellence, because its medicine can instruct in healing, visionary insight, and the art of using plants for various purposes. Sometimes it is referred to simply as La Medicina – the Medicine.

For indigenous people such as the Napo Runa of Ecuador, Ayahuasca is “the mother of all medicines” and “the mother of all plants.” Other peoples regard Ayahuasca as a Grandfather or Grandmother. Ayahuasca, “the Vine with a soul,” is perceived as a communicating being who guides, teaches, and heals. Ayahuasca also acts as a mediator and translator between the human and plant worlds, and teaches humans how to communicate with plants and use them for various purposes.

Modern use

In modern times, many new Ayahuasca traditions have continued to grow like the spreading tendrils of the Vine. Ayahuasca seems to adapt itself to the needs and intents of those who use it the way the vine adapts its form to the shape of the tree on which it grows.

At the turn of the twentieth century, during the Rubber Boom, mestizo rubber tappers entered Amazonia. Because rubber had to be harvested from wild, separated trees, these men worked mostly alone in the forest. (Many Indians were brutally enslaved by rubber companies as well, but that is another story.) When these mestizos fell ill, they had to turn to Indian curanderos. Some of them ended up apprenticing to the curanderos and learning the Ayahuasca practices. In other cases, mestizo rubber tappers were kidnapped by Indians and lived several years with them.

From that, as the mestizo cities of Iquitos and Pucallpa grew, so did a mestizo Ayahuasca tradition that blended indigenous Ayahuasca practices with some Catholic worldview.

The next branch of new Ayahuasca tradition also came from a rubber tapper. The Afro-Brazilian Raimundo Irineu started Santo Daime, a church that blends African traditions with esoteric Christianity and Ayahuasca. Santo Daime replaces the older practice of individual shamanism with a kind of group shamanism, in which an entire group of people can perform healings collectively.

Other syncretic Ayahuasca churches followed, such as the Centro Espírita Beneficente União do Vegetal (UDV) and Barquinha in Brazil and Soga del Alma in Peru. Santo Daime and UDV have become international, with meetings in many countries in the world.

There are also syncretic movements with Sufism (Fatimiya Sufi Order), Gnosticism (Gnostisismo Revolutionario de la Concienca de Krishna, based in Colombia), Sikhism, and Wicca (Padeva). New syncretic movements will undoubtedly continue to appear.

Another syncretic movement is between Ayahuasca shamanism and western psychotherapy. The most famous center for this is Takiwasi, a treatment center for drug addiction in Tarapoto, Peru, in which Ayahuasca shamans and western psychotherapists work together using Ayahuasca to help treat addicts of cocaine and other drugs.

Yet another Ayahuasca tradition, which began in the 1980s but became stronger in the late 1990s, is that of the western psychedelics tradition. Within this tradition, a custom started of using the word “ayahuasca” to mean any combination of MAOI and DMT, because the chemical action on the brain was what mattered. Their perspective was that Ayahuasca was simply an orally active form of DMT, the B. caapi vine was merely the potentiator of the DMT, and that any combination of plants, or even of pharmaceuticals and laboratory chemicals, that similarly resulted in orally active DMT was basically the same as Ayahuasca. Within the western psychedelic tradition, the term “ayahuasca” is often used to refer to a brew made of Peganum harmala and a DMT source, typically Mimosa hostilis.

Since some in the western psychedelic movement are serious spiritual seekers, within the western psychedelic movement has developed a tradition of using Ayahuasca primarily for mystical experiences, and for that purpose Ayahuasca and Mimosa/Rue can both serve — they can both be good catalysts for profound cosmic mystical experiences — as can many other Plant Teachers. But they are each distinct Teachers, each with its own distinct personality, each to be be respected for itself.

A new Ayahuasca syncretic tradition is developing via what is known as “Ayahuasca tourism.” Individuals from industrialized countries are traveling to South America to drink Ayahuasca with Amazonian healers, and Amazonian healers are learning to adapt their healing traditions to the needs of patients from the western world. This is creating a new syncretism, because, just as mestizo curanderismo adapted to the issues of mestizo people, the needs, issues, and quests of people from industrialized countries are deeply different from kinds of problems and illnesses that Amazonian indigenous and mestizo curanderos have traditionally had to address. As a result, a new tradition is developing as some curanderos learn to adapt to the needs of foreigners; some curanderos are creating retreats specifically geared to foreigners (often in partnership with foreigners) and many of these have web sites.

The Ayahuasca tourism industry is centered in Iquitos, Peru, and to a lesser extent Pucallpa. Traditional healers in the Amazon, both indigenous and mestizo, charge for their services; reciprocation is important in Amazonian and Andean culture, and in the Amazonian world one’s willingness to offer something of value communicates the seriousness of one’s intent to the spirits. Needless to say, since foreigners represent money, there are increasing numbers of charlatans in these regions who represent themselves as trained shamans and offer Ayahuasca to tourists. These individuals can copy the outward forms of ceremonies they have witnessed, but in the Amazon a real shaman, or curandero, or vegetalista, or yachak, or paye, or paqo, has undergone highly disciplined training. People considering visiting these regions to drink Ayahuasca are encouraged to do research and educate themselves first.

Individuals who want less touristic, gringo-oriented settings, who want to share Ayahuasca in the context of real life of Amazonian people, may go to other regions, including Colombia (dangerous), Ecuador, or other parts of Peru. Indigenous as well as mestizo people are very open about sharing Ayahuasca (but payment is expected in return). By sharing Ayahuasca with foreigners, the Indians gain allies, because Ayahuasca drunk in the rainforest frequently converts the drinker into a passionate defender of the rainforest. (Indeed, Ayahuasca may have something to do with why the Amazon rainforest has become a passionate international cause in the past couple of decades.)

Sometimes Amazonian healers actually take on western apprentices and train them in their ancient practices. These western apprentices — who may remain in South America helping to run Ayahuasca retreats, or who may bring their healing practices back to their own countries, and who may blend their ayahuasquero training with other training they have had — may be considered part of the broader “neo-shamanic” movement, a movement to adapt shamanism to the needs and problems of the industrialized world.

The Ayahuasca forum aspires to create a spaciousness in which all these traditions, and individual seekers of all backgrounds, can communicate and exchange insights.

Legality

No plants (natural materials) containing DMT are at present controlled under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances. Consequently, preparations (e.g.decoctions) made of these plants, including Ayahuasca are not under international control and, therefore, not subject to any of the articles of the 1971 Convention.
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca_law.shtml

In Brazil, a protracted legal battle in the 1980’s ended with the Brazilian government finding Ayahuasca churches use of Ayahuasca was safe and showed no signs of harming the members. In 1992, Brazil formally legalized the constituent plants and Ayahuasca tea.

In the United States, the plants that are used to make Ayahuasca are legal. However, the chemical N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is contained in the admixture plants, is a controlled substance. While it is not illegal to possess or sell plants containing DMT, processing, preparing, or having the intent to prepare for consumption would be considered illegal. However, brewing Ayahuasca with the B. caapi vine alone would be completely legal in the United States.

In Canada, harmaline (contained in the B. caapi vine) is a Schedule III controlled substance, therefore Ayahuasca brews may violate the law

In 2005, France added Banisteriopsiis caapi, Peganum harmala, Psychotria viridis, Diplopterys cabrerana, Mimosa hostilis, Banisteriopsis rusbyana, harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine (THH), haroml, and harmalol to the list of controlled substances.

In Australia, harmala is a controlled substance, but the vine is not.

The Santo Daime church has successfully established its right to use Ayahuasca for spiritual/religious purposes, first in Brazil, and then through legal battles in Netherlands and Spain. In 2006, the US Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of the UDV church right to use Ayahuasca in their services.

Legal issues forum is found at http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=15

Cultivation

Growing these plants will be one of the most rewarding aspects of your experience. Growing the plants yourself helps you develop a relationship with the plants. Using an Ayahuasca brew with plants you grew deepens the experience; the plants will have gotten to know you and this will emerge as a very important aspect in your journeys with Ayahuasca.
Even growing them as companion plants can deepen your experience with the Ayahuasca brew.

The Cultivation forum is found here:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=13

Preparation

A basic preparation for Ayahuasca (Caapi and Chacruna) can be found here:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9588

Prepared Ayahuasca brew can keep its potency in storage almost indefinitely, although its taste may become more unpleasant. The unbrewed plant material loses some potency in the original drying process, but after that remains stable for years.

The Preparation forum is found here:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=2

Safety precautions

Care should be taken with foods (e.g tyramine/protein containing foods) and drugs (e.g SSRI s) that have a contraindication for MAOI’s.

The beta-carbolines present in Banisteriopsis caapi, primarily harmine and tetrahydroharmine, inhibit the enzyme Monoamine Oxidase and reduces the metabolism of serotonin. Due to the MAO-inhibiting action of the vine, otherwise non-orally-active tryptamines such as N-N DMT and 5-MEO DMT from the admixture plants (Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana) can reach receptor sites in the brain, unlocking the entheogenic mareacion.

This MAOI action also makes certain foods and pharmaceuticals hazardous that otherwise would not be.

Lists of foods that should be avoided can be found here:
http://www.ayahuasca.com/?p=10
There are no records of fatalities from eating proscribed foods, but there are numerous reports of severe headaches.

Interaction with pharmaceuticals can be much more dangerous than food interactions.

Many antidepressants (eg, Paxil), tricyclics, heterocyclics, SSRI’s, migraine medication such as sumatriptan (Imitrex) amphetamines, and opiates may also cause serious drug-drug interactions with MAOI’s — even some OTC pharmaceuticals like antihistamines, decongrestants, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, diet pills, and allergy medication can have potentially serious interaction with Ayahuasca.

If you are taking pharmaceuticals, please inform yourself about the potential for MAOI interaction before taking Ayahuasca. If you don’t find an existing thread about your medication on the Information forum, you are encouraged to start one.

Lastly, there is a very rare and idiosyncratic reaction to caffeine and Ayahuasca in a very few individuals. While well under 1% of people have this reaction, it can be life-threatening to those few to combine even a small amount of caffeine with Ayahuasca. There is evidence that this reaction may be linked to a fast metabolism or a history of stimulant abuse. Until you know you are not in this category, be careful combining Ayahuasca with caffeine. A discussion of this may be found here:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=6509
See also
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=6549
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7088

Purification

There is another aspect to diet with Ayahuasca, the spiritual dieta. The dieta has many variations, because it is practiced in many cultures (practically all traditional Ayahuasca cultures have a form of dieta, which is remarkably similar across cultures that are otherwise very dissimilar), and because it has various purposes: being healed, learning how to heal others, and learning how to communicate with plants. A dieta can last any length of time from one day to years. In its essence it involves avoiding strongly flavored food and sexual stimulation. In a western setting, it would undoubtedly include fasting from television and mass media as well. For more threads on dieta, click here:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=7851

The Purge

“When it came, it was earthshaking! ALL the filth, negativity, malice, ill will, and unforgiveness of myself, was loosed from me. Image after image of all life’s unpleasantries, ill will, the dual part of my nature, that evil that is seamlessly woven into the very fabric of much of this world, and pollutes, and deviates us from our true soul/self, it was all gloriously expelled over the course of 20-30 long, glorious, vomit saturated minutes.”

The Purge may be strong or mild, may happen several times in one session or may not happen at all, but it is a central part of the Ayahuasca There are ways to reduce the purge, but if you can learn to accept it and flow with it can actually be very enjoyable. It is a release and purification. If you fight it, it will be more difficult and unpleasant. Give in to it and just go with it. Imagine all of the distractions, discomfort and pain you have within you being released with each purge. Let it flow as it is supposed to. Accept it as part of the experience.

After it is all through you will feel very good, very clean and pure.

The clearer ones system, the better able one is to receive and integrate spiritual energies the knowledge of Ayahuasca. The concept of subtle body phlegm is an important one in Amazonian shamanism. Vegetalistas say that Ayahuasca is needed for cleansing all the flemosidades (phlegm formations) that accumulate in the intestines. The flemosidades are believed to arise from environmental toxins, certain foods, trauma (susto, soul loss), and moral transgressions such as ill will, etc. Analogous to blockages of chi in the meridians, or prana in the nadis, flemosidades disrupt the smooth functioning of the body and mind. Clearing the flemosidades prepares the body to journey deeper into health and wisdom.

Effects

The Ayahuasca potion is a multi-levelled medicine that works on both the soma and psyche. It is very difficult to try to say exactly ‘what’ Ayahuasca does or ‘how’, because it presents a profound mystery to the human psyche.

Since it is for no one person to say what Ayahuasca is and what it does, this forum exists as a means for explorers to exchange information and insight into this profound Medicine.

Safety for the Solitary Drinker

admin — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:08:54 +0000

Introduction

Since the 1980’s, Ayahuasca has become increasing popular in the west. As its popularity grows, it has come under increasing scrutiny from legal and medical authorities. This thread is intended to give tips and suggestions for a safe experience to people who are new to Ayahuasca and drink alone.

Please note that Ayahuasca mixed with the usual admixtures is illegal or of ambiguous legality in many places in the world. It is recommended that individuals check the laws in their locality.
Legal Issues Forum

What plants go into Ayahuasca?

In the Amazon region, the most commonly used combination is Ayahuasca Vine (Banisteriopsis caapi) and Chakruna (Psychotria viridis).

The western psychedelic tradition, on the other hand, has in the past few decades developed the custom of using the word “Ayahuasca” for any combination of MAOI plus DMT — most commonly, Peganum harmala (Syrian Rue) plus Mimosa hostilis.

Banisteriopsis Caapi and Peganum harmala are significantly different both chemically and subjectively.

And because of the toxicity of Peganum harmala (Syrian Rue), with a Harmala-based brew one tries to use the bare minimum necessary to potentiate the DMT effect, which is considered the main event. Too much Rue could cause a toxic overdose.

With the Vine, however, there is no overdose level. Increasing the Vine increases the richness and depth and transformative power of the experience. The Vine is also a wise and caring Presence that can guide and help you through difficult experiences.

The Vine and the Leaf are a “sacred synergy,” a “marriage,” to the Santo Daime church.

Here, and on this forum, the term “Ayahuasca” is used as much Ayahuasca-using groups around the world use it — to mean the brew made from the Ayahuasca Vine and, most commonly, the admixtures Psychotria viridis or Diplopterys cabrerana.

Peganum harmala — a sacred plant to people of South and Central Asia and to Persians in particular, who call is Aspand or Esphand — has its own unique identity and deserves full respect for what and who it is. Mimosa-Harmala brew has its own powers, similar in some ways to Aya but also distinct.

The first thing to understand, in approaching Ayahuasca, is that these plants are beings, and you are entering into a relationship with these beings.

Obtaining the plants — keeping your profile low

Purchasing plants online is a common way to obtain Ayahuasca and it’s admixtures. The plants are legal in many places around the world, but for safety sake, it is recommended that you minimize your public exposure. To accomplish this consider doing the following:

1) Obtain the plants from a vendor that is in your country. This will help you avoid customs inspections.

2) Use money orders and order forms instead of using a credit card.

3) Make sure that the vendor has a privacy policy in place and has a good reputation for honesty and excellent customer service.
Tradewinds Forum

4) Do not order any pre-made Ayahuasca. Importing large amounts of medicine to/from anywhere in the world (especially without a plant importation permit) may attract attention from authorities. Avoid traveling with brewed medicine, especially through airports or other public transportation hubs.

5) Do not distribute any prepared medicine to anyone.

Preparing the medicine

1) Preparing the medicine takes time. Avoid quick preparation methods as much as possible. There are many tecs in the preparations forum:
Preparation FAQ

2) Avoid using advanced techniques (HCL and phosphoric techs) at first, as these methods can produce strong reactions.

3) Do not mix the medicines. Avoid dreaming of ayahuasca with mushrooms, cannabis, or any man made substances. Stick to caapi and one of the usual admixtures.

4) The spiritual energy put into the process of preparation is said to affect the experience. Be attentive to the brew, smudge yourself and the preparation area, inhale the aroma of the brew… charge your brew with your love and gratitude. Do not play television or radio while preparing the brew.

Note: people who are in a long-term relationship with Ayahuasca sometimes report experiencing “olfactory flashbacks” in their daily lives, where the smell of brewing Ayahuasca briefly but vividly returns.

Telling others about it

The experience with Ayahuasca is transformative and naturally, people want to share their experiences with family, friends and coworkers. We know of many people, however, who have lost jobs or had their reputations damaged because they have shared these experiences indiscriminately, as it was viewed as illicit drug use.

Be discreet in sharing this with others.

Preparing yourself for the experience: Physical Safety

Ayahuasca is an MAOI, and, as such, can have interactions with certain foods and medications.

A list of food and drugs that should be avoided for safety reasons can be found in the post below. These foods should be avoided for 24 hours before and after the Ayahuasca journey.

Note that this information is inherited from medical information about pharmaceutical MAOIs. There have been fatal food interactions with pharmaceutical MAOIs, so to avoid lawsuits doctors and pharmaceutical companies issue strongly worded warnings. With Ayahuasca, on the other hand, MAOI interactions with foods are generally not life-threatening — unless you already have dangerously high blood pressure, in which case an MAOI reaction could cause a stroke.

However, an MAOI reaction from Ayahuasca may cause a severe headache (radiating to the front of the head) that may in some cases last for days and be resistant to pain relievers. Other symptoms of MAOI reaction include stiff and/or sore neck, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light, dilated pupils, sweating (sometimes with fever or with cold, clammy skin), chest pain, or heart palpitations.

Another possible consequence of consuming tyramines before drinking Ayahuasca is that that tyramine, as a building block of the amphetamine-like chemical epinephrine, or adrenaline, may exacerbate panic reactions. Anecdotal reports on this forum suggest a correlation between tyramines and panic attack.

Although many people have consumed MAOI-proscribed foods without consequence, anecdotal reports suggest that when MAOI reactions happen, they are often triggered by very small amounts of the proscribed foods. (Aged cheeses, soy sauce, peanut butter, stale nuts, and overripe fruits have all been anecdotally implicated by forum members. On the other hand, bananas, though they appear on some MAOI-proscribed lists, appear to be completely safe as long as they are not at all overripe.)

As a general rule, for 24 hours before and after drinking Ayahuasca, avoid foods that are fermented, aged, cured, pickled, overripe, wilted, past expiration date, or even slightly spoiled; stick to foods that are very fresh.

Fasting at least half a day before an Ayahuasca ceremony and also not drinking much water within a few hours of the ceremony helps minimize the possibility of vomiting prematurely and losing the brew before it takes effect.

Interaction with pharmaceutical medications is a much more serious matter than food interactions. Unlike food interactions, some pharmaceutical interactions can potentially be life-threatening. Pharmaceuticals to be avoided include some OTC pharmaceuticals such as antihistamines, decongestants, and cough medicines, but more dangerous are many antidepressants (including OTCs like St Johns Wort). If you are taking prescription medication (including antibiotics), are subject to high blood pressure, have a heart condition, or are under treatment for any health condition, consult your physician about the use of temporary monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). Medical consultation is especially important if you are taking Prozac, Paxil, Wellbutrin, Effexor, Zoloft or other antidepressants affecting serotonin levels, i.e. serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI). These medications may require a period of up to six weeks to completely clear the system and must be reduced gradually. Some may clear the system in a shorter period of time. But they still require more lengthy abstention than food. For example, be clear of antidepressents for five weeks (35 days) with SSRIs other than fluoxetine (Prozac), 8 weeks (56 days) with the latter. (Caapi itself is an effective anti-depressant. See Threads on Ayahuasca and Depression.)

Also potentially dangerous combined with Ayahuasca are amphetamines and amphetamine-like substances, including MDMA and ephedrine. (There is one death on record of a young man who combined Syrian Rue/Mimosa with cocaine.) Certain herbs, specifically St. Johns Wort, Ephedra, and Kava, can be dangerous with Ayahuasca. Ginseng and Yohimbine also should be avoided if you are taking Ayahuasca.

These substances need to be clear from your system before Ayahuasca is ingested. Some can be cleared in a few days, others need weeks.

An emergency medication that is given in the case of life-threatening MAOI reactions is Procardia, which is a medicine for angina.

Discussion of the safety diet can be found here:
Foods and Meds to Avoid with MAOIs

Preparing yourself for the experience: Spiritual Preparation

In the Amazon, virtually every known Ayahuasca-using culture — including indigenous cultures, mestizo shamans, syncretic churches, and modern drug therapy centers that use Ayahuasca to treat addiction — incorporate some form of the dieta. (The Spanish word dieta is used here to distinguish from the MAOI safety diet.)

Basically, the common denominator of the dieta is flavorless food (no salt or spices, especially hot peppers, onions, and garlic) and no sexual stimulation. And no pork. Most versions also proscribe alcohol, sugar, and fried or fatty foods.

The dieta is not only about food. It also basically includes relative solitude and minimal talking, especially idle chitchat, and, as mentioned, avoiding sexual stimulation. For people in industrialized countries, a modern dieta would definitely include a fast from television, radio, mass media, advertising. etc. (And internet forums? You will have to follow your own guidance on that.)

Energetically, what is aimed for with dieta is a kind of transparency. Spend the day of the journey and the day after the journey in low stress situations. Walk in the woods, meditate, etc.

Nothing bad will happen to you if you don’t follow dieta. Rather, that just limits the good you can receive. But since Ayahuasca is generally a long-term relationship, many solitary drinkers start drinking Ayahuasca first and then find themselves guided to do dieta as time goes on, in order to deepen the relationship. At the very least, diet colors the Ayahuasca experience.

There are many variations on the details of the dieta. They vary not only from culture to culture, but according to the purpose of the dieta — a ceremony, a specific healing, a shamanic apprenticeship. The dieta cleanses the body of “subtle phlegm,” helps you become more sensitive to the Plant’s energies, and makes you more transparent to her healing.

The longer you remain on dieta after an Ayahuasca ceremony, the longer her healing can work.

An introduction to dieta:
Dieta and the Plant World

A more detailed discussion of dieta:
The Spiritual Dieta.

Setting

There are many people who dream in an urban setting or indoors. Dedicated a space in your home to dreaming and meditation. Smudging and energetically clearing the space before dreaming will help you feel safe, handled and ready for the experience. Darkness can help to facilitate the journey. (In the Amazon, ceremonies are traditionally held at night.)

It is suggested that, even if you are dreaming indoors, to have plants with you accompanying you on the journey. Even potted house plants. One of Aya’s traditional roles in the Amazon is to help humans and plants communicate with each other. A plant you live with daily is best.

Sitter

Increasing numbers of people are going to South America to drink Ayahuasca under the guidance of traditionally trained shamans, who may may help you to navigate the difficult psycho-spiritual depths in the realms and assist the healing processes of the Vine. But this is not feasible for everyone.

If you have never drunk Ayahuasca before, and you are drinking alone, you may consider having a sitter. It is not necessary to have a sitter. Ayahuasca is not dangerous. The role of the sitter would simply be to provide support in case of panic.

Assuming that the physical environment is hazard-free, and precautions against food and medication interactions have been followed, there are no physical dangers with Ayahuasca. Ayahuasca (traditional brew with no other additives) has a disaster-free record. There are not even reports of allergic reactions. The Brazilian government did a series of in-depth studies of Ayahuasca use, totalling eight years, and concluded that the greatest physical danger posed by Ayahuasca was of stumbling and falling when one tries to walk.

Nevertheless, a person in a very deep Ayahuasca journey may sometimes believe they are dying, and, especially if they are drinking Ayahuasca alone, this might cause them to panic. So the sitter may be called upon to reassure the person, and to keep reminding them, as often as necessary, that no one has ever died from drinking Ayahuasca (Caapi + Chacruna) brew.

(This does not mean that people who are prone to panic attacks should necessarily avoid Ayahuasca; on the contrary, Ayahuasca has been known to help heal people from panic attacks, by helping them to get a sense of detachment from the experience that enables a better control of the panic reaction.)

The sitter’s main emergency role, then, may be to be calming and reassuring if the person has a panic attack. A hot bath may help if, as common, the panicking person feels cold. Panic attack can be exacerbated by a reaction to food tyramines, so following the safety diet beforehand helps to minimize the chance of panic reaction. Panic attack is more likely with Harmala-based brews than with Vine-based brews; and with Ayahuasca (Vine-based brew) there is, commonly, the sense of a caring Presence, helping and guiding.

These are not “bad trips.” There are no “bad” Ayahuasca experiences, even though things may become difficult and challenging. Ultimately, even the most difficult of Ayahuasca experiences can become part of the larger healing process as it is integrated. So a sitter who is supporting someone through a panic attack should not approach it as “something gone wrong.” Being calm and positive is the best way to be supportive. Exploring the sensation that one is “dying” can be an important part of the Ayahuasca experience. (See “It feels like dying”)

This thread contains a link to a video, in which, from 15:54 to 18:40, one can see a person on Ayahuasca undergoing panic and believing she is dying, and being handled by an experienced sitter who knows this is a normal part of the process:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13996

For information on Ayahuasca and panic:
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=9764
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=97187
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=98203
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=13089

The sitter need not be physically present with the person on Ayahuasca, if that person prefers solitude. It is enough to be nearby and summonable if help is needed. If no in-person sitter is available, arrange with a trusted friend to have them stay near the phone, so that they can talk to you if you begin to panic. (Program their number on speed-dial if possible, because it may be hard to dial the phone.) Have them review these guidelines beforehand.

A second role of the sitter may be physical support, in case the person needs to walk. A person under Ayahuasca is as physically uncoordinated as a drunk. If the person needs to get up to go to the bathroom or get up and walk for another reason, they may require physical assistance.

If you are going to sit for another person, or if you are considering dreaming together with other solitary drinkers, please read

http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?p=2214
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3617
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=3653
http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4178

If a human sitter is not available (or even if they are) it is suggested to have a plant sit with you during the journey.

Special note:

It is best to remain in a sitting or upright position while in an Aya dream (rather than lying down), particularly when alone. There are several reasons for this, but one important safety consideration is that if you fall asleep, it is possible to vomit in one’s sleep, and if you are lying down, there could be danger of suffocation. Leaning against a back support or lying in a hammock are both fine and accepted in Amazonian practice as well.

An Ayahuasca dream is more effective if you are alert and not sleepy, so it is best to be well-rested when undertaking Aya.

The Purge

The Purge is an important, almost legendary, part of the Ayahuasca experience, yet not everyone purges. (See The Purge.)

The Purge usually takes the form of vomiting, but may sometimes take the form of diarrhea. The Purge is a spiritual cleansing and can help to remove deep spiritual and emotional blockages and toxins. Many people purge strongly in their earlier Ayahuasca experiences, and move into deeper spiritual experience as these blockages are removed. Other people experience the reverse: non-purging experiences early on, moving into cleansing purges in later experiences.

The Purge should not be confused with ordinary vomiting to relieve simple gastro-intestinal distress or nausea. If one feels nauseated, one may be tempted to induce vomiting to relieve the nausea, but if one resists the temptation and allows the brew to decide when the Purge should happen, then deep spiritual toxins may be released along with the physical matter.

However, there is a danger of vomiting too early, before the brew is completely absorbed, and losing the effects. This is a simple physical reaction. One should resist vomiting for at least the first half-hour. Nausea can be effectively relieved with Peppermint or Ginger (the Purge may happen later with little or no accompanying nausea). Also, avoiding drinking water or eating for several hours before the journey reduces the possibility of premature vomiting.

If you are dreaming indoors, keep a receptacle nearby for purging. Some people dispose of the purge ceremonially the next day by giving it back to the Earth, and smudging themselves.

Dreaming

Many people create a ceremony before dreaming with Ayahuasca, with prayers for protection and statement of an intention. A ceremony helps to keep the mind grounded and focused. A closing ceremony, the next day gives the dreamer closure as well as a time and place to talk about and express his journey. Closing ceremonies also bring new insights to the experience, in the light of day.

There is a question about how much medicine to drink. There is no real answer because various factors come into play including the strength of the plants, brewing techniques, body weight and emotional state.

Because of this, we suggest the following:

For beginners combine 50g of Caapi and 50g Chacruna/Chaliponga into one drink. Do not drink this all at once. Start with 1/2 of the drink, wait for 45 minutes and add as necessary. Any leftover brew can be stored for you next journey

Following a routine from obtaining the plants, preparing the brew, preparing yourself and creating a ceremony during your experience will maximize the chances for a positive, healing and enlightening experience.

Salud.

Recommended threads to read in preparation for embarking on a relationship with Ayahuasca:

An Introduction to Ayahuasca
“Para Curar, Solamente Para Curar”
Ayahuasca life transformation