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72-432: The Amahuaca are one group of indigenous Amazonians in which shamans are known to use ayahuasca in ritual ceremonies, typically for the purpose of entering the realm of spirits and deceased relatives or ancestors. The use of this drug is not recreational, but rather spiritual. The Amahuaca, like many neighboring tribes in southwestern Amazonia, speak a Panoan language. Since the group established contact with Westerners in

144-840: A Panoan language spoken by approximately 26,000 people in Peru and Brazil. This language is commonly sung by the shaman in the form of a chant, called an Icaro , during the Ayahuasca ritual as a way to establish a "balance of energy" during the ritual to help protect and guide the user during their experience. Traditional ayahuasca brews are usually made with Banisteriopsis caapi as an MAOI , while dimethyltryptamine sources and other admixtures vary from region to region. There are several varieties of caapi , often known as different "colors", with varying effects, potencies, and uses. DMT admixtures: Other common admixtures: Common admixtures with their associated ceremonial values and spirits: In

216-401: A "devilish potion" cooked from bitter herbs and lianas (called ayaguasca ) and its rituals: "[...] In other nations, they set aside an entire night for divination. For this purpose, they select the most capable house in the vicinity because many people are expected to attend the event. The diviner hangs his bed in the middle and places an infernal potion, known as ayahuasca, by his side, which

288-418: A Landscape: People and Places ), and NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers . Sections of Banisteriopsis caapi vine are macerated and boiled alone or with leaves from any of a number of other plants, including Psychotria viridis ( chacruna ), Diplopterys cabrerana (also known as chaliponga and chacropanga ), and Mimosa tenuiflora , among other ingredients which can vary greatly from one shaman to

360-715: A bitter liana used for precognition and sorcery. All these reports were written in context of Jesuit missions in South America, specially the Mainas missions , in Latin and sent only to Rome, so their audience wasn't very large and they were promptly lost in the archives. For this reason, ayahuasca didn't receive interest for the entire subsequent century. In academic discourse, the initial mention of ayahuasca dates back to Manuel Villavicencio 's 1848 book, " Geografía de la República del Ecuador. " This work vividly delineates

432-633: A reversible way similar to moclobemide (an antidepressant that does not require dietary restrictions). Dietary restrictions are not used by the highly urban Brazilian ayahuasca church União do Vegetal , suggesting the risk is much lower than perceived and probably non-existent. Shamans , curanderos and experienced users of ayahuasca advise against consuming ayahuasca when not in the presence of one or several well-trained shamans. In some areas, there are purported brujos (Spanish for " witches ") who masquerade as real shamans and who entice tourists to drink ayahuasca in their presence. Shamans believe one of

504-552: A social category formed by people with mixture of European and native ancestry, who were an important part of the economy and culture of the region. According to Peter Gow, the ayahuasca shamanism (the use of ayahuasca by a trained shaman to diagnose and cure illnesses) was developed by these mestizos in the processes of colonial transformation. The Amazon rubber cycles (1879–1912 and 1945–1945) sped up these transformations, due to slavery, genocide and brutality against indigenous populations and large migratory movements, specially from

576-472: A substitute for the ayahuasca vine, and the DMT-rich Mimosa hostilis is used in place of chacruna . Australia has several indigenous plants which are popular among modern ayahuasqueros there, such as various DMT-rich species of Acacia . The name "ayahuasca" specifically refers to a botanical decoction that contains Banisteriopsis caapi . A synthetic version, known as pharmahuasca ,

648-609: A variety of B. caapi . COICA argued the patent was invalid because Miller's variety had been previously described in the University of Michigan Herbarium , and was therefore neither new nor distinct. The patent was overturned in 1999; however, in 2001, the United States Patent Office reinstated the patent because the law at the time the patent was granted did not allow a third party such as COICA standing to object. The Miller patent expired in 2003. B. caapi

720-686: A word that originates from the Quechuan languages , which are spoken in the Andean states of Ecuador , Bolivia , Peru , and Colombia . Speakers of Quechuan languages who use modern Quechuan orthography spell it ayawaska . The word refers both to the liana Banisteriopsis caapi , and to the brew prepared from it. In the Quechua languages, aya means "spirit, soul", or "corpse, dead body", and waska means "rope" or "woody vine", " liana ". The word ayahuasca has been variously translated as "liana of

792-548: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This Brazil -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ayahuasca Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive beverage, traditionally used by Indigenous cultures and folk healers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins for spiritual ceremonies, divination , and healing a variety of psychosomatic complaints. Originally restricted to areas of Peru , Brazil , Colombia and Ecuador , in

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864-499: Is a combination of an appropriate MAOI and typically DMT. In this usage, the DMT is generally considered the main psychoactive active ingredient, while the MAOI merely preserves the psychoactivity of orally ingested DMT, which would otherwise be destroyed in the gut before it could be absorbed in the body. In contrast, traditionally among Amazonian tribes, the B. Caapi vine is considered to be

936-512: Is an important precedent. Since then groups that are not affiliated to the Santo Daime have used ayahuasca, and a number of different "styles" have been developed, including non-religious approaches. In modern Europe and North America, ayahuasca analogs are often prepared using non-traditional plants which contain the same alkaloids. For example, seeds of the Syrian rue plant can be used as

1008-574: Is consumed socially among friends, in order to learn more about the natural environment, and even in order to visit friends and family who are far away. Nonetheless, people who work with ayahuasca in non-traditional contexts often align themselves with the philosophies and cosmologies associated with ayahuasca shamanism , as practiced among Indigenous peoples like the Urarina of the Peruvian Amazon . Dietary taboos are often associated with

1080-866: Is no unequivocal evidence of this date referring directly to ayahuasca. Banisteriopsis caapi use is suggested from a pouch containing carved snuffing trays, bone spatulas and other paraphernalia with traces of harmine and DMT , discovered in a cave in southwestern Bolivia in 2008, and chemical traces of harmine in the hair of two mummies found in northern Chile. Both cases are linked to Tiwanaku people, circa 900 CE. There are several reports of oral and nasal use of Anadenanthera spp. (rich in bufotenin ) ritualistically and therapeutically during labor and infancy, and researchers suggest that addition of Banisteriopsis spp. to catalyze its psychoactivity emerged later, due to contact between different groups of Amazon and Altiplano . Despite claims by numerous anthropologists and ethnologists, such as Plutarco Naranjo, regarding

1152-446: Is particularly effective at altering one's senses. They prepare a brew from bitter vines or herbs, which, when boiled sufficiently, must become quite potent. Since it's so strong at altering one's judgment in small quantities, the precaution is not excessive, and it fits into two small pots. The witch doctor drinks a very small amount each time and knows well how many times he can sample the brew without losing his senses to properly conduct

1224-453: Is rich with harmala alkaloids , such as harmine , harmaline and tetrahydroharmine (THH), which can act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOi). This halts the liver and gastrointestinal metabolism of DMT, allowing it to reach the systemic circulation and the brain, where it activates 5-HT 1A/2A/2C receptors in frontal and paralimbic areas. Ayahuasca is the hispanicized spelling (i.e., spelled according to Spanish orthography) of

1296-538: Is suspected of triggering psychosis in people with a predisposition to the condition, and there is a lack of safety information for Ayahuasca's possible effects on pregnancy and breastfeeding. People who have consumed ayahuasca report having mystical experiences and spiritual revelations regarding their purpose on earth, the true nature of the universe , and deep insight into how to be the best person they possibly can. Many people also report therapeutic effects, especially around depression and personal traumas. This

1368-531: Is usually accompanied with purging which include vomiting and diarrhea, which is believed to release built-up emotions and negative energy . It is believed that the Shipibo-Konibo are among the earliest practitioners of Ayahuasca ceremonies, with their connection to the brew and ceremonies surrounding it dating back centuries, perhaps a millennium. Some members of the Shipibo community have taken to

1440-515: Is viewed by many as a spiritual awakening and what is often described as a near-death experience or rebirth. It is often reported that individuals feel they gain access to higher spiritual dimensions and make contact with various spiritual or extra-dimensional beings who can act as guides or healers. The experiences that people have while under the influence of ayahuasca are also culturally influenced. Westerners typically describe experiences with psychological terms like " ego death " and understand

1512-551: The Amsterdam Santo Daime community). Bogers and Fijneman were charged with distributing a controlled substance (DMT); however, the prosecution was unable to prove that the use of ayahuasca by members of the Santo Daime constituted a sufficient threat to public health and order such that it warranted denying their rights to religious freedom under ECHR Article 9 . The 2001 verdict of the Amsterdam district court

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1584-574: The Vaupés River . Subsequently, Spruce uncovered the usage and cultivation of B. caapi among various indigenous groups dispersed across the Amazon and Orinoco basins, like the Guahibo and Sápara . These multifarious encounters, together with Spruce's personal accounts of subjective ayahuasca experiences, were collated in his 1873 work, "Notes of a Botanist On The Amazon and Andes.". By the end of

1656-545: The "spirit" of ayahuasca, the gatekeeper, and guide to the otherworldly realms. Brews similar to ayahuasca may be prepared using several plants not traditionally used in South America: DMT admixtures: MAOI admixtures: Ingesting Ayahuasca can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in the short term. Other short-term side effects include increased blood pressure and tachycardia . Rarer side effects include dyspnea , seizures and serotonin syndrome . Ayahuasca

1728-434: The 18th century, they have been threatened by illegal logging , disease, and loss of territory. During the Amazon rubber boom, Amahuaca tribes were largely exploited by rubber barons like Carlos Fitzcarrald and Carlos Scharff . The Amahuaca are also known as: Amaguaco, Amawaca, Amawáka, Amawaka, Amenguaca, Ameuhaque, Ipitineri, Sayaco, Sayacu, or Yora people. In the early twentieth century they were sometimes referred to as

1800-652: The Brazilian Northeast Region as a workforce for the rubber plantations . The mestizo practices became deeply intertwined with the culture of rubber workers, called caucheros (in Spanish) or seringueiros (in Portuguese). Ayahuasca use with therapeutic goals is the main result of result of this Trans-cultural diffusion , with some practitioners pointing the caucheros as the main responsible for using ayahuasca to cure all sort of ailments of

1872-702: The Controlled Drugs and Substances Act is it stated that natural material containing a scheduled substance is illegal, a position supported by the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board. Caapi, as well as a range of harmala alkaloids, are scheduled in France following a court victory by the Santo Daime religious sect allowing use of the tea due to it not being a chemical extraction and

1944-603: The Huni Kui. As of 2000, approximately 220 Amahuaca spoke the Amahuaca language , a Panoan language . The language is written in the Latin script , and a grammar has been published. From 1963 to 1997, portions of the Bible were translated into Amahuaca. Amahuaca people hunt, fish, farm, and work in the lumber and oil industries or as domestic servants. They harvest and process Brazil nuts . This Peru -related article

2016-532: The Jesuit and Franciscan missions in the region), no matter the linguistic background of the group, with similar language structures between different ícaros that are markedly different from other indigenous songs. Moreover, often the cosmology of ayahuasca often mirrors the Catholicism, with particular similarities in the belief that ayahuasca is thought to be the body of ayahuascamama that is imbibed as part of

2088-685: The McKenna brothers published their experience in the Amazon in True Hallucinations . Dennis McKenna later studied pharmacology, botany , and chemistry of ayahuasca and oo-koo-he , which became the subject of his master's thesis. Richard Evans Schultes allowed Claudio Naranjo to make a special journey by canoe up the Amazon River to study ayahuasca with the South American Indians. He brought back samples of

2160-554: The Peruvian Amazon. In the rainforest, these taboos tend towards the purification of one's self—abstaining from spicy and heavily seasoned foods, excess fat, salt, caffeine, acidic foods (such as citrus) and sex before, after, or during a ceremony. A diet low in foods containing tyramine has been recommended, as the speculative interaction of tyramine and MAOIs could lead to a hypertensive crisis ; however, evidence indicates that harmala alkaloids act only on MAO-A , in

2232-599: The Santo Daime and Barquinha, in Rio Branco and the União do Vegetal (UDV) in Porto Velho , three denominations that, notwithstanding shared characteristics besides ayahuasca utilization, have several particularities regarding its practices, conceptions and processes building social legitimacy and relationships with Brazilian government, media, science and other society stances. Since the latter half of twentieth century,

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2304-690: The United States and Western Europe, and, more incipiently, in Eastern Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Japan. More recently, new phenomena regarding ayahuasca use have evolved and moved to urban centers in North America and Europe, with the emergence of neoshamanic hybrid rituals and spiritual and recreational drug tourism . Also, anecdotal evidence, studies conducted among ayahuasca consumers and clinical trials suggest that ayahuasca has therapeutic potential, especially for

2376-503: The active extract of ayahuasca as telepathine, a name latter used by the Colombian chemist Guillermo Fischer Cárdenas when he isolated the substance in 1932. Contemporaneously, Lewin and Gunn were independently studying the properties of the banisterine, extracted of the B. caapi, and its effects on animal models. Further clinical trials were being conducted, exploring the effects of banisterine on Parkinson's disease. Later it

2448-646: The attention of Western ethnographers in the mid-nineteenth century" The first western references of the ayahuasca beverage dates back to seventeenth century, during the European colonization of the Americas . The earlier report is a letter from Vincente de Valverde to the Holy Office of the Inquisition . Jose Chantre y Herrera still in the seventeenth century, provided the first detailed description of

2520-473: The ayahuasca religious expanded to other parts of Brazil and several countries in the world, notably in the West. Beat writer William S. Burroughs read a paper by Richard Evans Schultes on the subject and while traveling through South America in the early 1950s sought out ayahuasca in the hopes that it could relieve or cure opiate addiction (see The Yage Letters ). Ayahuasca became more widely known when

2592-587: The basins of Madeira , Juruá and Purus River ) within the cauchero/seringueiro cultural complex, resignifying and adapting both the vegetalista and mestizo shamanism to new urban formations, unifying essential elements to building a cosmology for the new emerging cult/faith, merging with elements of folk Catholicism, African-Brazilian religions and Kardecist spiritism. These new cults arise from charismatic leaderships, often messianic and prophetic, who came from rural areas after migration movements, sometimes called ayahuasqueiros , in semi-urban communities across

2664-617: The beverage and published the first scientific description of the effects of its active alkaloids. In recent years, the brew has been popularized by Wade Davis ( One River), English novelist Martin Goodman in I Was Carlos Castaneda , Chilean novelist Isabel Allende , writer Kira Salak , author Jeremy Narby ( The Cosmic Serpent ), author Jay Griffiths ( Wild: An Elemental Journey ), American novelist Steven Peck, radio personality Robin Quivers , , writer Paul Theroux ( Figures in

2736-457: The body, mind and soul , with even some regions using the term Yerba de Cauchero ("rubber-worker herb"). As a result, the ayahuasca shamans in urban areas and mestizo settlements, specially in the regions of Iquitos and Pucallpa (in Peru), became the vegetalistas, folk healers who are said to gain all their knowledge from the plants and the spirits bound to it. So the vegetalist movement

2808-409: The bordes of Brazil, Bolívia and Peru (a region that will later form the state of Acre ). This new configuration os these belief systems is refereed by Goulart as   tradição religiosa ayahuasqueira urbana amazônica ("urban-amazonian ayahuasqueiro religious tradition") or campo ayahuasqueiro brasileiro ("brazilian ayahuasqueiro field") by Labate, emerging as three main structured religions,

2880-611: The brew takes several hours, often taking place over the course of more than one day. After adding the plant material, each separately at this stage, to a large pot of water, it is boiled until the water is reduced by half in volume. The individual brews are then added together and brewed until reduced significantly. This combined brew is what is taken by participants in ayahuasca ceremonies. The uses of ayahuasca in traditional societies in South America vary greatly. Some cultures do use it for shamanic purposes, but in other cases, it

2952-680: The century, other explorers and anthropologists contributed more extensive documentation concerning ayahuasca, notably the Theodor Koch-Grünberg 's documents about Tucano and Arecuna 's rituals and ceremonies, Stradelli 's first-hand reports of ayahuasca rituals and mythology along the Jurupari and Vaupés and Alfred Simson's first description of admixture of several ingredients in the making of ayahuasca in Putumayo region, published in 1886. In 1905, Rafael Zerda Bayón named

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3024-531: The condition. Ayahuasca is a hallucinogen commonly made by the prolonged decoction of the stems of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub, although hundreds of species are used in addition or substitution (See "Preparation" below). P. viridis contains N , N -Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a highly psychedelic substance. Although orally inactive, B. caapi

3096-465: The controlled substance DMT , introduced from the Psychotria viridis component, Gonzales v. O Centro Espirita Beneficente Uniao do Vegetal , was found in favor of the União do Vegetal , a Brazilian religious sect using the tea in their ceremonies and having around 130 members in the United States. In Australia, the harmala alkaloids are scheduled substances, including harmine and harmaline; however,

3168-540: The effects run their course, and the intoxication subsides. After this, they reflect on what their imagination revealed, which occasionally remains with them for delirium. This is what they consider accomplished and propagate as an oracle." Latter reports were produced by Juan Magnin in 1740, describing ayahuasca use as a medicinal plant by the Jivaroan peoples (called ayahuessa ) and by Franz Xaver Veigl in 1768, that reports about several "dangerous plants", including

3240-511: The employment and rituals involving ayahuasca by the Jivaro people. Concurrently, Richard Spruce embarked on an Amazonian expedition in 1852 to collect and classify previously unidentified botanical specimens. During this journey, Spruce encountered and documented Banisteriopsis caapi (at time named Banisteria caapi ) and observed an ayahuasca ceremony among the Tucano community situated along

3312-533: The fact that the plants used were not scheduled. Religious exceptions to narcotics laws are not allowed under French law, effectively making any use or possession of the tea illegal. The caapi vine itself was the subject of a dispute between U.S. entrepreneur Loren Miller and the Coordinating Body of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA). In 1986, Miller obtained a U.S. patent on

3384-447: The following harmala alkaloids : These alkaloids of the beta-carboline class act as monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOIs). The MAOIs allow the primary psychoactive compound, DMT , which is introduced from the other common ingredient in ayahuasca Psychotria viridis , to be orally active. The stems contain 0.11–0.83% beta-carbolines, with harmine and tetrahydroharmine as the major components. Alkaloids are present in all parts of

3456-589: The hallucinations as repressed memories or metaphors of mental states. However, at least in Iquitos , Peru (a center of ayahuasca ceremonies), those from the area describe the experiences more in terms of the actions in the body and understand the visions as reflections of their environment, sometimes including the person who they believe caused their illness, as well as interactions with spirits. Banisteriopsis caapi Banisteriopsis caapi , also known as, caapi , soul vine , yagé ( yage ), or ayahuasca ,

3528-520: The indigenous tribes of South America for hundreds and perhaps even thousands of years, caapi was not identified by westerners until 1851, when Richard Spruce , an English botanist, described it as a new species. He observed how Guahibos , the indigenous people of Llanos (Venezuela), chewed the bark of caapi instead of brewing it as a drink. In the United States, caapi is not specifically regulated. A 2006 Supreme Court decision involving caapi-containing ayahuasca, which also contains other plants containing

3600-524: The last decades, two new important terminologies emerged. Both are commonly used in the Western world in neoshamanic , recreative or pharmaceutical contexts to address ayahuasca-like substances created without the traditional botanical species, due to it being expensive and/or hard to find in these countries. These concepts are surrounded by some controversies involving ethnobotany , patents, commodification and biopiracy : Archaeological evidence of

3672-533: The last three centuries, as it promoted a deep reshape in traditional ways of life in the region. Many indigenous groups moved into the Missions, seeking protection from death and slavery promoted by the Bandeiras , inter-tribal violence, starvation and disease ( smallpox ). This movement resulted in an intense cultural exchange and resulted in the formation of mestizos (in Spanish) or caboclos (in Portuguese),

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3744-655: The late 20th century, the practice of ayahuasca drinking began spreading to Europe, North America and elsewhere. The first ayahuasca churches, affiliated with the Brazilian Santo Daime , were established in the Netherlands . A legal case was filed against two of the Church's leaders, Hans Bogers (one of the original founders of the Dutch Santo Daime community) and Geraldine Fijneman (the head of

3816-557: The latter of which also refers to the psychedelic decoction made with the vine and a plant source of dimethyltryptamine , is a South American liana of the family Malpighiaceae . It is commonly used as an ingredient of ayahuasca , a decoction with a long history of its entheogenic (connecting to spirit) use and holds status as a "plant teacher" among the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest . According to The CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names by Umberto Quattrocchi,

3888-563: The living vine, or other source plants are not scheduled in most states. In the State of Queensland as of March 2008, this distinction is now uncertain. In all states, the dried herb may or may not be considered a scheduled substance, dependent on court rulings. In Canada, harmala is listed under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act as a schedule III substance. The vine and the ayahuasca brew are legal ambiguities, since nowhere in

3960-428: The media to express their views on Ayahuasca entering the mainstream, with some calling it "the commercialization of ayahuasca." Some of them have even expressed their worry regarding the increased popularity, saying "the contemporary 'ayahuasca ceremony' may be understood as a substitute for former cosmogonical rituals that are nowadays not performed anymore." The Shipibo have their own language, called Shipibo ,

4032-503: The middle of the 20th century it became widespread in Brazil in the context of the appearance of syncretic religions that use ayahuasca as a sacrament, like Santo Daime , União do Vegetal and Barquinha , which blend elements of Amazonian Shamanism , Christianity, Kardecist Spiritism , and African-Brazilian religions such as Umbanda , Candomblé and Tambor de Mina , later expanding to several countries across all continents, notably

4104-400: The millennial usage of ayahuasca, compelling evidence substantiating its pre-Columbian consumption is yet to be firmly established. As articulated by Dennis McKenna : "No one can say for certain where the practice may have originated, and about all that can be stated with certainty is that is already spread among numerous indigenous tribes throughout Amazon basin by the time ayahuasca came to

4176-807: The naming of the genus Banisteriopsis was dedicated to John Banister , a 17th-century English clergyman and naturalist. An earlier name for the genus was Banisteria and the plant is sometimes referred to as Banisteria caapi . Other names include Banisteria quitensis , Banisteriopsis inebrians , and Banisteriopsis quitensis . Caapi is a giant vine with characteristic 12–14 mm (0.5–0.6 in) white or pale pink flowers which most commonly appear in January, but are known to bloom infrequently. It resembles Banisteriopsis membranifolia and Banisteriopsis muricata , both of which are related to caapi. The vine can grow up to 30 m (98 ft) in length, twining on other plants for support. Caapi contains

4248-431: The next, both in potency and psychoactive effect, based mainly on the skill of the shaman or brewer, as well as other admixtures sometimes added and the intent of the ceremony. Natural variations in plant alkaloid content and profiles also affect the final concentration of alkaloids in the brew, and the physical act of cooking may also serve to modify the alkaloid profile of harmala alkaloids. The actual preparation of

4320-875: The next. The resulting brew may contain the powerful psychedelic drug dimethyltryptamine and monoamine oxidase inhibiting harmala alkaloids , which are necessary to make the DMT orally active by allowing it (DMT) to be processed by the liver . The traditional making of ayahuasca follows a ritual process that requires the user to pick the lower Chacruna leaf at sunrise, then say a prayer. The vine must be "cleaned meticulously with wooden spoons" and pounded "with wooden mallets until it's fibre." Brews can also be made with plants that do not contain DMT, Psychotria viridis being replaced by plants such as Justicia pectoralis , Brugmansia , or sacred tobacco, also known as mapacho ( Nicotiana rustica ), or sometimes left out with no replacement. This brew varies radically from one batch to

4392-447: The plant. In addition to beta-carbolines, caapi is known to contain proanthocyanidins , epicatechin and procyanidin B2 , which have antioxidant properties. First mention of caapi comes from early Spanish and Portuguese explorers and missionaries who visited South America in the 16th century, describing ayahuasca brews as "diabolic" and dangerous decoctions. Although utilised among

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4464-429: The purposes for this is to steal one's energy and/or power, of which they believe every person has a limited stockpile. The shamans lead the ceremonial consumption of the ayahuasca beverage, in a rite that typically takes place over the entire night. During the ceremony, the effect of the drink lasts for hours. Prior to the ceremony, participants are instructed to abstain from spicy foods, red meat and sex. The ceremony

4536-466: The ritual and lead the choir". Another report produced in 1737 by the missionary Pablo Maroni , describes the use of a psychoactive liana called ayahuasca for divination in the Napo River , Ecuador: "For divination, they use a beverage, some of white datura flowers, which they also call Campana due to its shape, and others from a vine commonly known as Ayahuasca, both highly effective at numbing

4608-495: The ritual, like wine and bread are taken as being the body and blood of Jesus Christ during Christian Eucharist . Brabec de Mori called this “Christian camouflage” and suggested that rather than being a way for disguising the ayahuasca ritual, it suggests that practice evolved entirely within these contexts. Indeed, the colonial processes in Western Amazon are intrinsically related with the development of ayahuasca use in

4680-451: The senses and even at taking one's life if taken in excess. They also occasionally use these substances for the treatment of common illnesses, especially headaches. So, the person who wants to divine drinks the chosen substance with certain rituals, and while deprived of their senses from the mouth downwards, to prevent the strength of the plant from harming them, they remain in this state for many hours and sometimes even two or three days until

4752-453: The soul", "liana of the dead", and "spirit liana". In the cosmovision of its users, the ayahuasca is the vine that allows the spirit to wander detached from the body, entering the spiritual world, otherwise forbidden for the alive. Although ayahuasca is the most widely used term in Peru , Bolivia , Ecuador and Brazil, the brew is known by many names throughout northern South America: In

4824-462: The treatment of substance dependence, anxiety, and mood disorders. Thus, currently, despite continuing to be used in a traditional way, ayahuasca is also consumed recreationally worldwide, and is considered as a potential future treatment in modern medicine. Ayahuasca often causes nausea and vomiting and has a number of rarer more serious possible side effects including breathing difficulties and seizure; it may cause psychosis in those predisposed to

4896-545: The use of ayahuasca, although these seem to be specific to the culture around Iquitos , Peru , a major center of ayahuasca tourism. Ayahuasca retreats or healing centers can also be found in the Sacred Valley of Peru, in areas such as Cusco and Urubamba , where similar dietary preparations can be observed. These retreats often employ members of the Shipibo-Konibo tribe, an indigenous community native to

4968-481: The use of psychoactive plants in northeastern Amazon dates back to 1500–2000 B.C. Anthropomorphic figurines, snuffing trays and pottery vessels, often adorned with mythological figures and sacred animals, offer a glimpse of the pre-Columbian culture regarding use of the sacred plants, their preparation and ritual consumption [citar naranjo 86]. Although several botanical specimens (like tobacco, coca and Anadenanthera spp. ) were identified among these objects, there

5040-471: Was a heterogeneous mixture of Western Amazon ( mestizo shamanic practices and cauchero culture) and Andean elements (shaped by other migratory movements, like those originated from Cuzco through Urubamba Valley and from western Ecuador), influenced by Christian aspects derived from the Jesuit missions, as reflected by the mythology, rituals and moral codes related to vegetalista ayahuasca use. Although mestizo , vegetalista and indigenous ayahuasca use

5112-517: Was found that both telepathine and banisterine are the same substance, identical to a chemical already isolated from Peganum harmala and given the name Harmine . Researchers like Peter Gow and Brabec de Mori argue that ayahuasca use indeed developed alongside the Jesuit missions after the 17th century. By examining the ícaros (ayahuasca-related healing chants), they found that the chants are always sung in Quechua (a lingua franca along

5184-529: Was part a longer tradition, these several configurations of mestizo vegetalismo were not isolated phenomena. In the end of the nineteenth century several messianic/ millennialist cults sparkled across semi-urban areas across the entire Amazon region, merging different elements of indigenous and mestizo folk culture with Catholicism, Spiritism and Protestantism . In this context, the use of ayahuasca will take form of urban, organized non-indigenous religions in outskirts of main cities of northwest of Brazil, (along

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