Page 37 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper March/April 2018 Edition

Ayahuasca: The Dark Side and Dangers 37

Ayahuasca: The Dark Side

and Dangers

Continued from Page 35

There are two churches in the U.S. that can
currently provide ayahuasca tea during
ceremonies, which are the UDV and Santo
Daime. With the growing popularity of
ayahuasca, people have even started brewing
their own at home.
The traditional version of brewed
ayahuasca includes two plants. The first is B.
caapi and the second is P. viridis. The B. caapi
vine contains MAOIs which is why people feel
sick when they drink it, but the presence of the
MAOIs is important. This ingredient prevents
the DMT, which is the active ingredient in P.
viridis from breaking down in your stomach.
When you look at ayahuasca and DMT,
you see that DMT is just a compound found in
my different kinds of plants, and it replicates the
action of serotonin.
of the tea include increased heart rate, dizziness, pressure. It can potentially be fatal as well.
You can take DMT without brewing it in
agitation, increased blood pressure, dilated
an ayahuasca tea, as mentioned above.
pupils, chest pain, and in high doses, severe side Other potentially deadly risks associated with
If you were to smoke DMT or inject on
effects like seizures. ayahuasca and DMT include seizures,
its own, it would be a different experience.
DMT intoxication can also lead to respiratory arrest, and coma. In people who
Many people who take DMT without brewing it
hypertension. have pre-existing mental disorders like
in ayahuasca tea say they feel like they’re in
schizophrenia, there can also be severe side
space or seeing aliens.
Psychological Ayahuasca Effects effects when using ayahuasca.
So why does the experience of DMT last
longer when it’s consumed as a tea? The reason
is probably because of the fact that drinking Along with the physical ayahuasca effects, Is Ayahuasca Addictive?
DMT via ayahuasca tea allows it to absorb many of the effects of using this substance are
through the lining of your stomach. This keeps psychological. As with other psychedelic drugs, The actual drug DMT itself isn’t currently
it from reaching your brain as fast as it would if when you use ayahuasca you will experience known to have a potential for physical addiction
you were to smoke it as an example, and it hallucinations, and while people often see them or dependence, but what can happen is a
changes the overall experience. as spiritual or healing experiences, it’s psychological craving. This is something that’s
important to realize there’s no way to predict seen with other hallucinogens as well. While the
how you will react and what your experience chemical makeup of DMT might not lead to
Ayahuasca Effects—What You Need to
will be like. This is the problem with so many addiction, people often become psychologically
Know About the Side Effects
hallucinogens that people don’t take into addicted to the experience of using a drug like
account. DMT or drinking ayahuasca tea. They may want
The use of ayahuasca has become increasingly
It doesn’t matter how many stories to continue recreating the feelings and
popular in modern, western societies to the
you’ve read about the profound experience of experiences they had when taking the
point that it seems like drinking this ancient tea
ayahuasca and DMT because you may have a substance, which can lead them to use it
is becoming a pastime of people in cities like
different experience. continuously.
San Francisco and New York.
Some people say they felt intense People may want to escape their reality
People tend always to feel like natural
anxiety, paranoia, and fear, and it could bring up or have a connection with other people that can
equates with safe, and they’ve heard so many
past traumas and be very unsettling for many come from the circumstances surrounding
anecdotal stories about the healing ayahuasca people. These are some of the emotions that ayahuasca.
effects, but are there side effects? What should
therapists feel could link the use of ayahuasca to To date, there haven’t been any
you know about the potential side effects of
having psychiatric value, but if you’re not in a significant studies regarding the use of DMT
using ayahuasca?
safe environment with people who are trained in therapeutically, and there’s just limited
the use of the substance, it can be very scientific and medical research overall when it
Physical Ayahuasca Effects dangerous. It can become a scary experience comes to ayahuasca effects.
that many people aren’t prepared for.
First and foremost, one of the most prominent The psychological ayahuasca side It’s important that people realize with limited
ayahuasca side effects is vomiting, and diarrhea effects can stick around for up to weeks research and information, unregulated use and
may also occur. There are people who welcome following someone taking the drug. the risks that come with hallucinogens in
this side effect, feeling as it’s cleansing and general that the use of ayahuasca isn’t
allows them to purge the negative from their Serious Ayahuasca Effects something recommended. There are so many
lives. In reality, it can be incredibly unknown variables, from what happens when
uncomfortable, and it can also lead to further you’re using the drug, to the potential long-term
It’s also important to realize that another
complications like dehydration. effects.
potential risk with the use of ayahuasca, and
There are people who have described the more specifically DMT, is serotonin syndrome.
vomit as coming in buckets and as “pure hell” For More Information On The Recovery
Serotonin syndrome is most likely to occur in
when it comes to ayahuasca, and for some Village, visit:
people who are taking antidepressants while
people who take this substance it can happen www.recoveryvillage.com
they also take DMT, and this occurs when your
very soon after ingesting it, and for others, it can
body builds up too much serotonin. Symptoms
happen in the midst of the hallucinations. or Call 24 / 7 / 365 Toll Free
of serotonin syndrome can lead to headache,
Other side effects of ayahuasca that stem 844.240.8421
disorientation, agitation and high blood
primarily from the use of the DMT component 100% Confidential