pelos metodos crus da biologia molecular, sempre esteve disponivel para os xamas e seus seguidores por meio de uma experiencia direta com a sabedoria das plantas aliadas.Tais nocoes sao seguramente especulativas, nao cientificas; no entanto, na condicao de observador do mundo contemporaneo, que vem se envolvendo com a ayahuasca de maneira pessoal e cientifica por tantos anos, cheguei a conclusao que estas especulacoes libertarias continuarao vivas, a despeito do quanto tentemos dessacralizar seu cha, tornando-o uma materia para a quimica, a botanica e a farmacologia. Embora todas essas perspectivas sejam importantes, acredito que nenhuma delas jamais podera explicar o misterio profundo e inquestionavel que ha na ayahuasca.REFERENCIASBarriga-Villalba, A. M. 1925. Yageine. A new alkaloid.Journal ofthe Society of Chemistry and Industry 44:205-207.Beringer, K. 1928. Uber ein neuses, auf das extrapyramidalmotorische System wirkendes Alkaloid (Banisterin). Nervenarzt: 265-75.Callaway, J. C., D. J. McKenna, G. S. Brito, L. P. Raymon, R. E. Poland, E. N. Andrade, E. O. Andrade, e D. C. Mash. 1998. Pharmacology of hoasca alkaloids in healthy humans.Journal ofEthnopharmacology, no prelo.Callaway, J. c., L. P. Raymon, W. L. Hearn, D. J. McKenna, C. S. Grob, G. S. Brito, e D. C.Mash. 1996. Quantitation ofN,N-Dimethyltryptamine and harmala alkaloids in human plasma after oral dosing with Ayahuasca. Journal of Analytical Toxicology 20:492-97.Callaway, J. C., M. M. Airaksinen, D. J. McKenna, G. S. Brito, e C. S. Grob. 1994. Plateletserotonin uptake sites increased in drinkers of ayahuasca. Psychopharmacology.116:385-87.Chen, A. L. e K. K. Chen. 1939. Harmine: the alkaloid of caapi. Quarterly JournalofPharmacy and Pharmacology 12:30-38.Crevaux, J. 1883. Voyages dans lAmerique du Sud. Paris: Librairie Hachette & Cie. Deulofeu, V. (1967). Chemical compounds isolated from Banisteriopsis and related species. Em Ethnopharmacoligal Search for Psychoactive Drugs, ed. D. H. Efron, B. Holmstedt, N. S. Kline. U. S. Public Health Service Publication N.o 1.645. Washington, D. C.: GPO.Der Marderosian, A. H., H. V. Pinkley, eM. F. Dobbins. 1968. Native use and occurrence ofN,N-dimethyltryptamine in the leaves of Banisteriopsis rusbyana. American Journal of Pharmacy 140: 137. Efron, D. H., B.Holmstedt, e N. S. Kline, edicoes. 1967. Ethnopharmacological Search for Psychoactive Drugs. U. S. Public Health Service Publication No 1.645. Washington, D. C.: GPO.Elger, F. 1928. Uber das Vorkommen von Harmin in einer sudamerikanischen Liane (Yage). Helvetica Chemica Acta 11:162.Fisher, C. G. 1923. Estudio sobre el principio activo de Yagi. Tese universitaria. Bogota: Universite Nacional.Fish, M. S., N. M. Johnson, e E. C. Horning. 1955. Piptadenia alkaloids. lndole bases of Piptadenia peregrina (L) Benth and related species. journal of the American Chemical Society 77:5892-95.Grab, C. S., D. J. McKenna, G. S. Brito, E. S. Neves, G. Oberlender, O. L. Saide, E. Labigaline, C. Tacla, C. T. Miranda, R. J. Strassman, e K. B. Boone. 1996. Human psychopharmacology of hoasca, a plant hallucinogen used in ritual context in Brasil.journal of Nervous & Mental Disease 184:86-94.Gunn, J. A. 1935. Relationship between chemical constitution, pharmacological actions, and therapeutic uses in the harmine graup of alkaloids. Arch. Int. Pharmacodyn. 50:379-96. Hashimoto, Y. e K. Kawanish. 1975. New organic bases fram the Amazonian Banisteriopsis caapi. Phytochemistry 14: 1633-35.___ . 1976. New alkaloids fram Banisteriopsis caapi. Phytochemistry