Post: What Is Ayahuasca?

What Is Ayahuasca?

Written by Shishira Sreenivas What Is Ayahuasca?

What’s an Ayahuasca Retreat?

How Does Ayahuasca Work?

What Does the Research Say About Ayahuasca?

8 min read

Ayahuasca (pronounced eye -ah-wah-ska) is a plant-based psychedelic drug. It’s usually brewed into a tea or a concentrated liquid to drink. It can also be smoked. Other names include huasca, yagé, kamarampi, huni, brew, and ayahuasca tea.

When you use it, it can alter your ability to think, blur your sense of time, and heighten your emotions. You might also hallucinate , which is seeing or hearing things that don’t exist.

Ayahuasca plant Ayahuasca actually contains a mixture of plants. Most often, it’s made with the ayahuasca vine ( Banisteriopsis caapi ) and chacruna shrub ( Psychotria viridis). The word ayahuasca translates to “vine of the soul” in the Quechua language spoken by indigenous peoples in South America. Ayahuasca is made from a mixture of plants that are brewed into a tea or concentrated liquid. (Photo Credit: Eskymaks/Dreamstime) What’s an Ayahuasca Retreat? For more than 1,000 years, indigenous populations from Peru, Ecuador, and other countries along the Amazon basin have used ayahuasca for medicinal, spiritual, and ceremonial purposes.But today, many people from all over the world travel to South America, Central America, and elsewhere to use it in hopes of “spiritual cleansing” for personal, spiritual, and emotional growth. At an ayahuasca retreat, you take ayahuasca under the supervision of a spiritual practitioner, shaman, or other guide. Retreats can last anywhere from one to several days.These retreats may also offer treatment with other traditional plant remedies as well as services like vapor or smoke baths, poultices, and massages. What to expect at an ayahuasca ceremony At an ayahuasca ceremony, you’ll likely gather in a group in a ceremonial space to drink ayahuasca tea. This usually happens at night, sometimes around a fire. The shaman or leader guides the group through an experience that may involve intense emotions and hallucinations. These effects can last several hours. Vomiting is a common side effect.These ceremonies focus on spirituality and healing. They often feature […]

What Is Ayahuasca?