Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive plant medicine used for thousands of years by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon in South America. There are different species of plants that work in combination to form the brew among different tribespeople, but for the most part the combination consists of a vine called Banisteriopsis caapi and a shrub called chacruna, or Psychotria viridis.

Generally and widely known as a ‘teacher plant,’ some people consider Ayahuasca to be a ‘portal’ to higher levels of consciousness, or ‘God’ consciousness. This is why many people class this ancient plant medicine as an ‘Entheogen’ – ‘entheo’ coming from the old Greek word for ‘God,’ and ‘gen’ signifying ‘generate’ or ‘generation.’ It is very common for those who ingest ayahuasca to undergo many deep and expansive ‘lessons’ surrounding their life, their culture, wounds, traumas, purpose, and more.

Since ayahuasca has grown exponentially in popularity over the past decade, so has the multitude of other plant medicines and ‘teacher plants’ from the array of indigenous cultures around the world who use them. However, there is no mistaking that ayahuasca is the most widely and fervently revered.

Messed Up After Ayahuasca Ceremony?

The interwebs is teeming with miracle stories about how the psychotropic plant brew called ayahuasca can heal and cure just about any ailment. I’ve been drinking this medicine and leading ceremonies for 12 years, and can attest to the validity of these dramatic and beautiful relays. But anything that has the power to cure PTSD…

Over the past decade, increasing numbers of Westerners have flocked to the Amazon for an experience of an ancient and potent hallucinogenic tea: ayahuasca. Used by the indigenous peoples of the region both a cure-all tonic as well as a sacrament for important spiritual, social and cultural events, ayahuasca has been popularized as a mind-blowing,…

Anyone who has experienced lucid dreams and plant medicine ceremonies will notice the similarities and differences between the dream state, and shamanic visions. You can have a lot of similar experiences in each state, though those experiences tend to feel much stronger in the visionary state. But the dreamstate and visionary state has key distinctions,…

Depression is a common mental disorder that currently affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Long-lasting depression, with moderate to severe intensity, can become a serious health condition that not only impacts an individual’s ability to function in day-to-day life, it can also result in suicide. According to the World Health Organization, nearly 800,000 people…

ayahuasa ceremony preparation guidelines

Ayahuasca is a powerful plant medicine long considered sacred by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. It is a hallucinogenic tea that is made typically from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (commonly called ayahuasca) and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis shrub (commonly known as chacruna), although it might also be made with the leaves of…

Let me guess…You drank ayahuasca, had a life-changing experience, and now you want to be an ayahuasca shaman… so that you too can wake people up. You develop a plan to bring back medicine from the jungle and / or bring people down to Peru. You tell everyone you meet about your earth-shattering ayahuasca experience,…

The first step to taking the plunge into an Ayahuasca ceremony is acknowledging the internal calling. Somewhere, somehow, the awareness of this medicine and the immense benefits crosses into your consciousness, and the Spidey senses within you say – I have to try that. And so the hunt begins to find your perfect ceremony home.…

Ayahuasca Treats PTSD I was having a great discussion with Julie Megler, a board-certified nurse practitioner, and one of team members of ERIE – (Entheogenic Research, Integration, and Education based in San Francisco), on whether ayahuasca can truly be used to treat PTSD for war veterans. Julie has been studying the potential use of ayahuasca…

Ayahuasca is one of the strongest, wildly potent psychotropic substances in the multiverse. She can catapult any brave soul who gobbles down her tea into a tirade of terror so intensely convincing, death can feel like a blessing. There are a bazillion tales of massive breakdowns caused by Ayahuasca on the web, and yet many…

The world of shamanism is full of interesting offshoots and fascinating blends of religion, culture, plant medicines, and practices. Unique amalgamations of historical lineages, psychoactive plants, and direct spiritual experience are constantly emerging from the fertile field of practice and life-way that is shamanism. Umbandaime is one of those special cultural syntheses that has resulted…

Ayahuasca

Messed Up After Ayahuasca Ceremony?

The Beginner’s Guide to Ayahuasca Healing

How Lucid Dreaming Can Enhance Your Ayahuasca Visions

Can Ayahuasca Heal Depression?

The Uncensored Guide to Preparing for Ayahuasca Ceremony

So You Want to Be An Ayahuasca Shaman?

How to Choose an Ideal Ayahuasca Shaman, Facilitator or Retreat Center

Can Ayahuasca Really Treat PTSD?

Should You Drink Ayahuasca Alone?

Umbandaime – Ayahuasca Meets Afro-Brazilian Mediumship