Ayahuasca

[[File:Antollila 18.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Preparation of ayahuasca]]
{{new age}}'''Ayahuasca''' (a.k.a. '''yagé''') is a hallucinogenic and entheogenic concoction used ceremonially in certain native [[Peru]]vian and [[Brazil]]ian religions. The use of ayahuasca was first described outside of South American communities in the 1950s by ethnobotanist Richard Evans Schultes.<ref name=vanityfair>[http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2011/12/amazon-201112 Magnificent Visions] by Ted Mann (November 11, 2011) ''Vanity Fair''.</ref>

Users of ayahuasca describe having "profound life-changing [[Spirituality|spiritual]] experiences," and "a sense of inner peace and acceptance of self, others, and the world."<ref>[https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ayahuasca_effects.shtml Ayahuasca Effects] ''The Vaults of Erowid''.</ref> However, it also makes you vomit and shit, and basically feel terrible. At first you're afraid you're going to die, then you're afraid you're ''not'' going to die. In recent years, people from other countries have been traveling to [[South America]] to have such an experience. This is ayahuasca tourism. Some [[shaman]]s charge a whole heap of money for their goods and services.

==Pharmacology==
The active ingredient is {{wpl|N,N-Dimethyltryptamine|''N,N''-dimethyltriptamine}} ('''DMT'''),<ref>[http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/dmt/dmt_basics.shtml DMT Basics] ''The Vaults of Erowid''.</ref> which is a Schedule I substance in the USA ("drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse").<ref>[https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling Drug Scheduling] ''United States Drug Enforcement Administration''.</ref><ref>[https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/dmt.pdf 'N,N''-Dimethyltriptamine (DMT)] (March 2025) ''United States Drug Enforcement Administration''.</ref> DMT, also known as "the spirit molecule", is normally metabolized in the stomach by monoamine oxidase (MAO), and so never reaches the bloodstream; but those cunning shamans long ago discovered that a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) prevents first pass metabolism of DMT, which in turn allows the full effect of the DMT to be felt. As luck would have it, DMT is plentiful in shrubs of the ''Psychotria'' genus, and MAOI can be found in jungle vines of the Malpighiaceae family (e.g., ''Banisteriopsis caapi''). Let the party begin.

==History==
The use of psychoactive plants is known to have occurred in South America thousands of years ago, specifically [[coca]].<ref>"Early Holocene coca chewing in northern Peru" by Tom D. Dillehay et al. (2010) ''Antiquity'' 84(326). doi:10.1017/S0003598X00067004.</ref><ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-11878241 Coca leaves first chewed 8,000 years ago, says research] by Jason Palmer (2 December 2010) ''BBC News''.</ref> The ancient use of ayahuasca has been claimed, seemingly without evidence.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/magazine/2020/09/21/psychedelic-medicine-will-it-be-accessible-to-all/ Who Will Benefit From Psychedelic Medicine? These substances are being touted as a game-changing intervention for mental health. But it’s not clear if their promise will be accessible to all.] by Whitney Joiner (September 21, 2020) ''The Washington Post''.</ref> However linguistic and folkloric evidence among indigenous South Americans indicates that its use is less than 500 years old,<ref>[https://chacruna.net/is-ayahuasca-possibly-less-than-five-hundred-years-old/ Is Ayahuasca Possibly Less than Five Hundred Years Old?] by Bernd Brabec de Mori (June 18, 2020) ''Chacruna''.</ref> and possibly only about 50 years according to anthropologist Bernd Brabec de Mori.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/may/01/the-ancient-psychedelics-myth-people-tell-tourists-the-stories-they-think-are-interesting-for-them The ancient psychedelics myth: ‘People tell tourists the stories they think are interesting for them’] by Manvir Singh (1 May 2025 00.00 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> William Burroughs in his 1963 book {{wpl|The Yage Letters|''The Yage Letters''|,}} described using yage (another name for ayahuasca) in 1953, marking its use as being older than {{age|1953}} years.<ref name=yage/>

In recent years, ayahuasca use has been increasingly the subject of so-called "spiritual tourism" from non-indigenous populations.<ref name=vanityfair/> The claim of ancient usage has also been used in its promotion to tourists.<ref>[https://templeofthewayoflight.org/information/ayahuasca-shamanism/ Ayahuasca Shamanism] ''The Temple of the Way of Light''.</ref>

==Alleged benefits and known dangers==
Claimed benefits are roughly the same as for [[LSD]] and other [[Psychedelic drug|psychedelic hallucinogens]] &mdash; namely, that it produces experiences described as being "spiritual" or "life-changing" in nature. The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) has also conducted a preliminary observational study suggesting that ayahuasca may be helpful for treating certain aspects of [[addiction]].<ref>[http://www.maps.org/research-archive/ayahuasca/Thomas_et_al_CDAR.pdf Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada] by Gerald Thomas et al. (2013) ''Current Drug Abuse Reviews'' 6(1):30-42. doi:10.2174/15733998113099990003.</ref> 

Complications include [[death]], cardiac arrhythmia caused by the harmala alkaloids, and acute [[psychosis]].<ref>[http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-dark-side-of-ayahuasca-20130215 The Dark Side of Ayahuasca] by Kelly Hearn (Dec 4, 2017 6:27 PM EST) ''Men's Journal''.</ref> Some of the deaths attributed to ayahuasca may have been misattributed or in some cases caused indirectly (e.g., [[suicide]]<ref name=edwards/>).<ref>[https://www.iceers.org/examining-deaths-ayahuasca/ Examining the Deaths Misattributed to Ayahuasca] by Carlos Suárez Álvarez (21 August 2023) ''ICEERS''.</ref> Documented social dangers include [[rape]] of female ayahuasca users and, obviously, daylight robbery of the rich by the [[poor]]. There have been reports of other hallucinogens being mixed in (usually plants that contain scopolamine), to give the ''turistas'' "that extra buzz". 

As the harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca mixture are MAOIs, they strongly potentiate {{wpl|Monoamine oxidase inhibitor#Interactions|many prescription drugs|.}} Specifically, they allow serotonin re-uptake inhibitors to generate far greater levels of extracellular serotonin, which may cause {{wpl|serotonin syndrome}} or death in extreme cases. Participants are advised not to take drugs unless they're sure they do not interact with MAOIs.

Ayahuasca tourism [[cultural appropriation|exploits and distorts indigenous knowledge]], and is associated with illegal hunting practices, including jaguar hunting to provide souvenirs made of jaguar parts to tourists.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/17/ayahuasca-tourism-indigenous-peoples-environment-pyschedelics-biodiversity-ecuador ‘Ayahuasca tourism’ is a blight on Indigenous peoples and our environment] by Nina Gualinga & Eli Virkina (17 Jun 2025 09.02 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2025/jun/17/waska-the-cost-of-spiritual-healing-in-the-amazon Waska: the cost of spiritual healing in the Amazon] (17/06/2025) ''The Guardian''.</ref><ref>[https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.126 The ayahuasca tourism boom: An undervalued demand driver for jaguar body parts?] by Alexander Braczkowski et al. (2019) ''Conservation Science and Practice'' 1(12):e126. doi:10.1111/csp2.126.</ref>

==Where to find it==
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* Iquitos, Peru<ref>[http://www.bluemorphotours.com/ ''Blue Morpho'']</ref>
* Varillal, Peru<ref>[https://www.cayashobo.com/ ''Caya Shobo'']</ref>
* Department of Loreto, Peru <ref>[https://templeofthewayoflight.org/ ''The Temple of the Way of Light'']</ref>
*Pullcalpa, Peru<ref>[http://www.heroic-adventures.com/ayahuasca-retreats/ Ayahuasca Retreats] (2021) ''Heroic Adventures''.</ref>
* Aburrá Valley, [[Colombia]]<ref>[https://ayahuasca-retreat.com/ ''Ayahuasca Retreat'']</ref>
* Mocoa, Colombia — But beware, if you die they won't give a shit.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140504013412/http://news.yahoo.com/colombian-shaman-no-remorse-uk-teens-death-200450727.html Colombian shaman has no remorse in UK teen's death] by Joshua Goodman & Marko Alvarez (May 2, 2014 7:32 AM) ''Yahoo News'' (archived from May 4, 2014).</ref>
*[[Kentucky]], [[United States of America]]<ref>[http://www.heroic-adventures.com/ayahuasca-ceremonies-usa/ Aya Quest Native American Church] ''Heroic Adventures''.</ref>
*[[Costa Rica]], Peru, Ecuador<ref>[http://www.heroic-adventures.com/ayahuasca-retreats/ Retreat Directory] ''Heroic Adventures''.</ref>
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==Celebrity ayahuasca tourists==
{{main|Appeal to celebrity}}
[[File:Ayahuasca techbro.jpg|thumb|right|300px|A cruel mistress…]]
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* William S. Burroughs<ref name=yage>''The Yage Letters'' by William S. Burroughs (2001). City Lights Publishers. ISBN 0872860043.</ref>
* [[Terence McKenna]]
* Paul Simon<ref>[https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/paul-simon-song-ayahuasca-trip/ ‘Spirit Voices’: Paul Simon’s bizarre ayahuasca trip] by Tom Taylor (2 January 2025 19:32) ''Far Out Magazine''.</ref>
* Sting{{efn|"There is a certain amount of dread attached to taking it&nbsp;– you have a hallucinogenic trip that really deals with death and your mortality. So it's quite an ordeal. It's not something you're going to score and have a great time on."<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/qa-sting-185275/ Q&A: Sting. Rolling Stone interviews former Police frontman] by Jancee Dunn (February 5, 1998) ''Rolling Stone''.</ref>}}
* Tori Amos<ref>[https://www.yessaid.com/talk/talk-drugs.html Tori talks about drugs] ''Toriphoria''.</ref>
* Robin Quivers<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSM8Zqpe_Lc Robin Quivers Recounts Her Experience Taking Ayahuasca] ''The Howard Stern Show'' (Apr 25, 2019) ''YouTube''.</ref>
* [[Graham Hancock]] — his [[TED Talks|TEDx]] ayahuasca talk was [[censored]] by TEDx.<ref>[[http://ayahuascarecipe.org/ayahuasca-experience-war-on-consciousness Ayahuasca Experience and the War on Consciousness] ''Ayahuasca Recipes''.</ref>
* Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly<ref>[https://www.thecut.com/2021/07/megan-fox-mgk-ayahuasca-hell.html Megan Fox Didn’t Have a Great Time Doing Ayahuasca] by Mia Mercado (July 14, 2021) ''The Cut, Vox Media''.</ref>
* Aaron Rodgers<ref>[https://www.vanityfair.com/style/story/aaron-rodgers-ayahuasca-documentary Aaron Rodgers Fully Trips Out in a Mind-Bending New Ayahuasca Doc] by Kase Wickman (December 17, 2024) ''Vanity Fair''.</ref>
*Will Smith<ref>''Will'' by Will Smith (2021) Penguin Press. ISBN 1984877925.</ref>
* Techbros who think it will make them better techbros<ref>[https://www.businessinsider.com/entrepreneurs-awakening-ayahuasca-2016-11 Silicon Valley's new craze is flying to Peru to take a psychedelic you can't legally get in America] by Melia Robinson (Dec 6, 2016, 8:36 AM PST) ''Business Insider''.</ref>
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==The cult of ayahuasca==
{{main|Cult}}
[[Argentinian]] entrepreneur Alberto José Varela {{lived||2023}} ran an ayahuasca business called Inner Mastery based in [[Spain]] from 2013 onward. In 2008 Varela went to prison for 14 months for 14 months for "crimes against public health" in an incident where police found 40 kg of ayahuasca and found children and adults watching a [[porn]] film together.<ref name=edwards/><ref>[https://www.abc.es/espana/abci-desmantelada-chalet-rozas-asociacion-organizaba-fiestas-yaje-200901050300-912262782458_noticia.html?ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.es%2Fespana%2Fabci-desmantelada-chalet-rozas-asociacion-organizaba-fiestas-yaje-200901050300-912262782458_noticia.html Desmantelada en un chalet de Las Rozas una asociación que organizaba fiestas con «yajé»] (05/01/2009) ''ABC España''.</ref> Varela falsely claimed to promote his business that an indigenous community in Colombia had authorized him to administer ayahuasca.<ref name=edwards>[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jul/03/people-pay-to-be-told-lies-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-worlds-first-ayahuasca-multinational ‘People pay to be told lies’: the rise and fall of the world’s first ayahuasca multinational] by Sam Edwards (3 Jul 2025 00.00 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> In 2015, more than 100 academics, including anthropologists, signed a letter that claimed Inner Mastery had taken advantage of the "ignorance, [[credulity]], [[good faith]] and vulnerability of many people"<ref name=edwards/> ("…ignorancia, credulidad, buena fe, y de la vulnerabilidad de muchas personas.")<ref>[https://albertovarelayyo.blogspot.com/2015/09/la-carta-de-los-cien-el-mundo-academico_2.html La Carta de los Cien: El Mundo Académico se Vuelca en Apoyo a los Cofanes y Contra la Practicas de Ayahuasca Internacional] (August 2015) ''Varela y Yo (Blogspot)''.</ref> Before Varela's 2008 arrest, he had developed his own form of psychotherapy cobbled together from other therapies. Varela was domineering and confrontational as part of the therapy and frequently told people to break up with their partners as part of the therapy. Though Varela became rich from the business, his employees frequently went into debt and were overworked and underpaid and poorly trained. Workers and participants were at times put under unsanitary conditions during therapy.<ref name=edwards/>

In July 2023, Varela and 17 of his employees were arrested and have faced criminal charges of "criminal conspiracy, crimes against public health and practising medicine without a licence." Varela died in December 2023 from a brain [[tumor]]. Inner Mastery have continued after his Varela's death and the arrests, and still offers ayahuasca.<ref>[https://innermastery.es/garantia-de-calidad/ Garantía de calidad] ''Inner Mastery''.</ref>

==External links==
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*{{wpa|Legal status of ayahuasca by country}}
*[https://www.erowid.org/chemicals/ayahuasca/ "Erowid Ayahuasca Vault" (retrieved October 2015)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140903104401/http://www.rockmaceguitars.com/ayahuasca-retreats-shamans-dmt/ ''Think Twice Before Bringing Ayahuasca Back to the US After Your Retreat'' (retrieved August 2014)] 
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1754537/ ''Stepping Into the Fire'' &mdash; documentary, mainly about the Shimbre Shamanic Center]
* [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2202459/Kyle-Joseph-Nolan-death-Peruvian-shaman-confesses-buried-body-U-S-teen-spiritual-retreat.html Kyle Nolan story from '''Mail Online''' 12 Sept 2012 (retrieved August 2013).] Nolan died from ayahuasca in 2012 having paid $1200 for the experience.
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbs9mVtHIYQ 50-min documentary ''Shamans of the Amazon'' by Dean Jefferys]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20051126032625/http://www.shamansoftheamazon.com/index_content.html Web site promoting the film.]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxdm4WBAgg4 New-Age proponent Taylor Marie talking about how ayahuasca changed her life.]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hrwl9z9smw#t=198 Taylor again, this time with clean hair, talking about how ayahuasca tourism has somewhat corrupted the "pure" experience.]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140116011151/http://ayaadvisor.org/ Ayaadvisor.org &mdash; an ayahuasca resource in the English language]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150322184519/http://forums.ayahuasca.com/index.php Online aya forums]
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vqj76HNRoQ 5-min Video about the ''Gringo Shaman of the Amazon'']
*[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-14/grieving-parents-issue-warning-on-ayahuasca-danger/8345808 Ayahuasca: Grieving parents issue warning to backpackers after son's death on jungle drug retreat]
*[http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/how-ayahuasca-retreat-claimed-the-life-of-a-24yo-kiwi-tourist/8350338 How an ayahuasca retreat claimed the life of a 24yo Kiwi tourist in the Amazon]
*[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/29/peru-double-murders-ayahuasca-tourism-sebastian-woodroffe Peru's brutal murders renew focus on tourist boom for hallucinogenic brew]
*[https://spiritvineretreats.com/ Ayahuasca Retreats in Brazil with Yoga and Workshops for Spiritual Development]
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==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
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[[Category:Drink]]
[[Category:Drugs]]
[[Category:Herbal medicine]]
[[Category:Native Americans]]
[[Category:New Age]]
[[Category:Peru]]
[[Category:Plants]]
[[Category:Toxins]]

Categories: Brazil, Drink, Drugs, Herbal medicine, Native Americans, New Age, Peru, Plants, Toxins