Alt.Health

Brewed Awakening
Ayahuasca’s not a party drug; enlist a guide to probe its secrets

Elizabeth Bromstein


If you’ve read the beats, you likely know about the hallucinogenic concoction ayahuasca. Weirdly, I didn’t. Until a few weeks ago, I couldn’t even spell it, but with local interest in the mind-bending brew reviving, I figure it’s time to clue in.

Ayahuasca (aka hoasca, yagé, caapi and daime) is traditionally made from the boiled bark and stems of Banisteriopsis caapi combined with the leaves of Psychotria viridis.

Together they produce the psychoactive compound dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. (Possession of this is illegal in Canada and carries a three-year sentence.)

The tea is at the centre of shamanic practices in the Amazon basin and is used by some religious groups in Brazil. Some claim it has myriad spiritual and health benefits, but it is also said to be dangerous and potentially fatal. Even enthusiasts stress you should never, ever try it on your own without the guidance of an expert.

This is a serious, serious trip, folks. Like, not a recreational drug.

What the experts say

“I was involved in a biomedical investigation of ayahuasca use in Brazil’s União do Vegetal [a Christian sect based on ayahuasca]. Many of the members had had problems with alcoholism, drug abuse and domestic violence and were able to stop their destructive behaviour. They all felt this was due to the tea, in conjunction with the supportive social environment. We found a change in the profile of serotonin transporters, which were altered in a long-term way, indicating the drug may have a persistent antidepressant effect. We found extensive literature linking deficits in these serotonin transporters to alcoholism and certain kinds of depression. Ayahuasca may reverse these deficits. We didn’t find evidence of acute toxicity. These people were not impaired cognitively and scored better than non-users.”

DENNIS McKENNA, professor, Center for Spirituality and Healing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

“I’ve collaborated with Brazilian researchers, and some of the studies show people’s personalities overall get better integrated, but whether this is an effect of the brew or the social network effect is hard to discern. The downside is it can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. As with any hallucinogen, people panic and have “bad trips.” People who are latently psychotic can be pushed over the edge. It can’t be taken with a number of prescription drugs.”

RICK STRASSMAN, professor of psychiatry, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, author, DMT: The Spirit Molecule

“Pure hallucinogens like LSD, ’shrooms and mescaline can trigger a psychotic episode or prompt people to put themselves in dangerous situations, but as a general rule they’re relatively physically safe. But this brew can have a lot of purgative effects (vomiting, diarrhea), which can lead to severe dehydration that can cause seizures and be potentially fatal. The brew contains DMT and an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor, used in antidepressants since the 1950s). There are some very interesting areas for study. The problem is that when drugs are on the list of prohibited substances, they are hard to study.”

WENDE WOOD, psychiatric pharmacist, CAMH, Toronto

“The ayahuasca ceremony is an intimate night gathering that includes music and chanting performed by a trained shaman, an important, if not essential, intermediary or go-between. What seems to be happening is awareness on a quantum level not typically experienced in a person’s lifetime. Yet the experience for many is familiar and may be reminiscent of the earliest moments of our life when we first reached this world from a source that is somewhere else. The familiarity nurtures a confidence that we will ultimately return to a source we already know.”

RALPH MILLER, writer and founder, HeartoftheInitiate.com ayahuasca retreats, Bahia, Brazil