What is Ayahuasca?
Ecuador is the home of Ayahuasca, the magical and healing brew of many names. The Kichwa (Quichua) call it ayawaska (the vine of the spirits, vine of the ancestors, or bitter vine), the Shuar call it natem and the Secoya and Cofán call it yahé. Ayahuasca is prepared by boiling the plant material from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and complementary plants such as chalipanga (Diplopterys cabrerana).
Ayahuasca has been utilized for millenia by shamans and traditional healers of numerous tribes in Ecuador, including the Kichwa, Secoya, Siona, Cofán, Shuar, Achuar, Waorani and others. Being a natural medicine, well-prepared Ayahuasca brew is non-addictive and can be utilized for treating many illnesses and diseases. It is very effective in the treatment of psychosomatic disorders. It is also a powerful anti-depressant.
The scientific explanation of the pharmacological activity of Ayahuasca is that the effect is dependent on a synergistic interaction between the alkaloids in the plants. Banisteriopsis caapi contains ß-carboline alkaloids, which are potent MAO-A inhibitors. The other plant contains the potent psychoactive agent N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is not orally active when ingested by itself, but can be rendered orally active in the presence of a peripheral MAO inhibitor. This this interaction is the basis of the psychotropic action of Ayahuasca as seen from the viewpoint of the modern chemistry.
The shamans, on the other hand, say that Ayahuasca is a sacred plant which has its own spirit and intelligence. Ayahuasca can be used in order to see and manipulate with spirits, in order to bring healing and attract luck, to see remote things, to see into the past and the future and to gain understanding of the universe and our role in it.
Please note that the information on this website is not meant to recommend the use of Ayahuasca to anybody. Ayahuasca is not for everybody and the decision to drink it is your own decision. Our purpose is just to inform about the use of Ayahuasca in Ecuador. We are responsible for the organizers that we have mentioned on this site.
