Page 33 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper March/April 2018 Edition

Ayahuasca: The Dark Side and Dangers 33

Ayahuasca: The Dark Side

and Dangers

The Recovery Village
www.therecoveryvillage.com

There is an unfortunate misconception that
natural means safe, and that’s not necessarily
true. The following provides an overview of one
natural but not necessarily safe psychoactive
substance called ayahuasca, which is made from
the bani stereopsis caapi vine, and other
ingredients.
This is a plant native to the Amazon
region, and it’s a psychoactive drug because it
can create altered states of consciousness. When
someone takes ayahuasca, the effects can vary
pretty dramatically from one person to the next,
and one experience to the next. For example,
some people can use ayahuasca and just find that
it’s a little stimulating, while other people report
having extreme visions.
The primary ingredient of ayahuasca,
which is taken as a tea, is a vine. The vine is also
called ayahuasca, and it means vine of the soul
or vine with a soul. These teas also have other So why do people use ayahuasca and what is it use of this tea can decrease activity in certain
ingredients, such as the chacruna plant, which about this substance that has captivated people areas of the brain. These areas, when they’re
for so many centuries? overactive, are associated with conditions like
also has a psychedelic substance called DMT.
It’s used to create a psychedelic anxiety and social phobia as well as depression,
While the tea is named after the vine element it’s
experience, like other hallucinogens. In so it stands to reason that this is why people feel
made with, it’s the DMT that creates the
traditional cultures, it’s often used by shamans like consuming ayahuasca might be beneficial
experience so many people associated with the
or medicine men to open up communication for these disorders. The DMT component of
use of ayahuasca.
with nature. These spiritual leaders also use it to ayahuasca is also related to proteins that help
The name of this root and tea substance
determine what’s causing someone to be sick at with memory and the regeneration of neurons.
comes from the Quechua language, spoken in
places like Ecuador, Bolivia, and Peru. There are the spiritual level. In some religious ceremonies Often some of the people that are most
also different names for the brew based on including in Brazil, ayahuasca is taken by likely to use ayahuasca are working through a
everyone who participates in the ceremony, and substance abuse problem or addiction,
different groups of people. For example, in Peru,
they sing and chant as they drift into a trance. alcoholism, or depression. Some people who are
the Sharanahua people call it shori.
In contemporary Western society, there recovering addicts or who have experienced
is an interest in ayahuasca by people who are trauma in their life say that the use of ayahuasca
The History of Ayahuasca
intrigued by the use of mind-altering substances tea has helped them work through theses
to overcome fears and explore the capabilities of situations and heal themselves, although this is,
It’s difficult to know exactly when people
their mind. of course, subjective and difficult to measure.
started using ayahuasca, but the first records of
People also often become interest in
people from Europe encountering it come from
ayahuasca after hearing anecdotal stories of Is Ayahuasca Legal?
the 16th century. There were missionaries from
people who have used it to heal a variety of
Spain and Portugal who went to South America
problems including addiction and depression. Of You may be wondering is ayahuasca legal,
and found that the indigenous people there were
course, this isn’t the only psychedelic that’s been particularly given its similarities to psychedelic
using ayahuasca. These missionaries described
used for that purpose. drugs that definitely aren’t legal in the U.S. First
it as the work of the devil, obviously sparking
controversy on its use between different there is the DMT component of ayahuasca tea,
cultures. How Does Ayahuasca Work? without which the substance wouldn’t have the
same effects. DMT is illegal pretty much
It was written about throughout
People are often interested not just in the stories universally around the world, but the actual
following centuries, but it became more widely
and myths surrounding ayahuasca, but also in plant sources of it aren’t. This has led a lot of
talked about in the 1950s when writer William
understanding how this mysterious tea works on people to purchase plants that contain DMT
Burroughs sought it out when traveling through
the brain. online, which is not technically illegal in most
South American. He was hoping he could find a
First, it’s important to understand that places. The exception only occurs in a few
cure for opiate addiction. Then, ayahuasca was
ayahuasca vine on its own doesn’t necessarily countries like France, where they have outlawed
written about in the book True Hallucinations by
the McKenna brothers. have psychoactive characteristics, but when it’s all plants used to make ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca has long had its roots in combined with the Psychotria Viridis plant to In 1971 DMT became illegal in the U.S.
create a tea, there is a psychedelic effect. This under the Convention on Psychotropic
religious ceremonies. For example, in Brazil, it’s
tea contains DMT, which is something with a Substances. DMT is classified in the U.S. as a
used even in modern religious concepts. The
structure similar to serotonin. DMT will be Schedule I drug. This would mean in technical
Santo Daime is one example of a religious
discussed more below. standards DMT is illegal. Therefore ayahuasca
movement that integrates the use of ayahuasca.
Within about a half hour after consuming is indirectly illegal. The ayahuasca brews using
In more recent years ayahuasca has been
ayahuasca tea, people experience something that DMT are illegal in the U.S., but there is work by
written about by writers like Wade Davis and
they describe as hallucinations. People who certain religious organizations to challenge this.
Martin Goodman. It was even mentioned by
radio personality Robin Quivers and was have used it don’t feel like it’s the same as a trip They’re using arguments similar to what
they might get with LSD, however, and they happened with the Native American Church and
featured on an episode of Law & Order: SVU.
describe it as more emotional and spiritual, as the use of peyote.
opposed to being recreational.
Why Do People Use Ayahuasca?
There have been brain scans showing the (Continued on Page 35)