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Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is an ancient Indian plant medicine. It is considered a religious sacrament by the indigenous people of the Amazon. The Shamans of the Amazon have used this medicine since thousands of years for healing rituals and divinatory purposes.

In the Amazon there is an incredible rich ecosystem. All plants and trees are believed to possess spirits or "mothers". Some have a stronger spirit, some have a weaker spirit. Particularly important are the plants with a "strong spirit". These specific plants are also known as "teacher plants". By combining some specific teacher plants the medicinal brew Ayahuasca is gained.

The name Ayahuasca means something like 'vine of the soul' or 'vine of the dead'. 'Aya' means ghost, dead one, ancestor or soul, 'huasca' means vine or liana.

The most important teacher plant used in Ayahuasca is the tropical vine Banisteriopsis caapi. The second important teacher plant which is used is Psychotria viridis (Chacruna).

Banisteriopsis caapi
The large vine Banisteriopsis caapi is considered as one of the "Master teacher plants". This vine forms the basis of the medicine Ayahuasca. Both the plant and the medicine prepared from it are called Ayahuasca in most of the Amazon. In nature the Banisteriopsis caapi can only be found in Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia (the Amazon basin). This giant vine with long and woody stems is one of the most sacred ethnobotanicals from South America.

Banisteriopsis caapi contains a high concentration of alkaloids. The main alkaloids are harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine. The leaves, stems and bark are all active, but for Ayahuasca mainly the stems and bark are used. The alkaloids in the vine function as a very potent MAO-inhibitor.

Psychotria viridis
Psychotria viridis grows primarily in the deep forests of the Amazon lowlands. Because of extensive cultivation it can be found these days from Colombia to Bolivia and into eastern Brazil. In full-grown shape Psychotria viridis can become a green tropical tree or shrub with leaves that can be as big as 25 cm. in length. The color of the leaves vary from light to dark green with a shiny upper side.

The leaves of the Psychotria viridis contain several alkaloids, but the main active compound is N,N-DMT. It appears that the leaves contain the highest amount of N,N-DMT in the early morning. This is the reason why the leaves of the Psychotria viridis should always be picked at this moment of the day.

Although Banisteriopsis caapi, mixed with Psychotria viridis, always forms the basis; there are no strict Ayahuasca recipes. Each shaman uses its own recipe and ads towards own insight other plants to the brew (for example tobacco, yopo, datura, clavo huasca and brugmansia).

The main psychoactive effect of Ayahuasca is caused by the mix of harmine and harmaline alkaloids with N,N-DMT. The harmine and harmaline alkaloids in Banisteriopsis caapi function as a very potent MAO-inhibitor. N,N-DMT is normally, when ingested, immediately broken down by so-called monoamino oxidase enzymes in the body, before they can enter the brain. When MAO-inhibitors are ingested they will start to bind to these monoamine oxidase enzymes, which causes them to dysfunction. The dysfunction of these enzymes makes that the N,N-DMT can enter the brain before the enzymes can break it down. This ensures a consciousness-expanding effect for a few hours.

Ayahuasca analogs

The traditional combination of Ayahuasca is Banisteriopsis caapi mixed with Psychotria viridis. But the psychoactive effects of the traditional Ayahuasca can be imitated with other plants containing the same constituents. There grow a lot of plants and trees on this planet containing these MAO-inhibitors or N,N-DMT. When other plants with these constituents are used, the same effect of the traditional Ayahuasca can be reached. Non-traditional combinations, but with the same effect, are called Ayahuasca analogs.

Sometimes used as alternative MAO-inhibitor: Peganum harmala
Alternative sources used for N,N-DMT: Diplopterys cabrerana, Mimosa hostilis, Desmanthus illinoensis, Phalaris arundinaceae, Anadenanthera peregrina (bark).

From the plants above Diplopterys cabrerana deserves some extra attention. This tropical vine, also known as Chaliponga, is not that much known in the western world, but in the Amazon it has a very large reputation. The leaves of this vine contain a very high level of N,N-DMT, several times more then the leaves from the Psychotria viridis plant. This makes that this vine is probably more used then Psychotria viridis by shamans today.

Picture from the (amazing) book: "Ayahuasca Visions", from Luis Eduardo Luna and Pablo Amaringo.
Vision 13: In connection with healers in time and space.