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Disclaimer: Ayahuasca and DMT are potentially illegal substances, and we do not encourage or condone the use of these substances where it is against the law. However, we accept that illegal drug use occurs, and believe that offering responsible harm reduction information is imperative to keeping people safe. For that reason, this guide is designed to ensure the safety of those who decide to use the substance. We do not encourage using this drug outside of a legal or traditional context.
Ayahuasca vs DMT: One is an ancient psychedelic brew that makes you vomit before subjecting you to hours of psychedelic introspection. The other is a chemical found in nature that when smoked, can catapult you into a totally different reality; but only for a few minutes. Both drugs have very different effects, but are actually very similar. So what do we know about these sister psychedelics, ayahuasca and DMT?
AYAHUASCA AND DMT
Ayahuasca has been made by indigenous peoples for hundreds of years in South America. It’s made from several different types of plant, and the ingredients vary from place to place. The brewing process is also variable, with some recipes involving many complex steps lasting several days. The brew is drunk traditionally in healing ceremonies, overseen by a shaman, allowing people to connect with a greater power – the name ‘ayahuasca’ means ‘vine of the dead’, and healing ceremonies often revolve around connecting with primeval forces and ancestors.
Drinking ayahuasca results in a ‘purge’, involving vomiting and sometimes diarrhea. Many believe that this purge is a crucial part of the ayahuasca experience, and must be endured in order to gain the most meaning from the trip. After the purge, a user will find themselves gradually moving to a different reality, with various shifts in perception. They may see figures or deities, revisit past memories, and be shown (quite dramatically) their own inner demons and vices. The experience can last several hours, before perception returns to normal.
Ayahuasca has recently become popular in the modern world. A large number of ayahuasca retreats have appeared in Brazil and Peru, aimed at attracting otherwise uninitiated Westerners to the healing power of the ayahuasca ceremony. A huge array of anecdotal (and scientific) reports suggest that the ayahuasca experience can be used to treat addiction, depression, PTSD and OCD, and can provide people with a therapeutic introspection that can provide a fresh perspective on life. See our Ultimate Guide for more details.
These days, you don’t even have to travel to the Amazon to experience ayahuasca. Two churches in the US can now legally provide ayahuasca to their followers in their ceremonies (the UDV and Santo Daime), and people have even started making their own ayahuasca brews at home.
The traditional ayahuasca brew is made from two plants: B. caapi and P. viridis. The B. caapi vine contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or MAOIs, that cause you to feel sick when you drink ayahuasca. The main job of the MAOIs in ayahuasca is to stop your stomach from breaking down the active ingredient in the P. viridis leaf; dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. When you drink ayahuasca, the MAOIs prevent DMT being broken down in your stomach, allowing it to be absorbed into your body. It’s the DMT in ayahuasca that makes you trip.
DMT is a simple molecule that is found in hundreds of species of plant, and is also thought to be produced in tiny amounts in the brains of mammals – although this is still hotly disputed. Many believe that endogenous DMT (DMT produced naturally in the body) might be involved in spiritual or out-of-body experiences.
DMT works by mimicking the neurotransmitter serotonin. In the brain, DMT activates serotonin receptors, which are mostly found in areas of the brain that are involved in higher cognitive processes such as self-awareness, introspection and emotion.
DMT can be ingested on its own, without being part of an ayahuasca brew, but the effects are very different. When smoked, DMT instantly sends the user into an intense psychedelic trip. DMT can also be injected intravenously, although this is less common. Users often report the feeling of being violently catapulted into space, and seeing intense visions of magnificent otherworldly beings, beautiful patterns, and bizarre landscapes. The experience only lasts a few minutes, before the user rapidly returns to reality.
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