Welcome to Ayahuasca Info
This website is dedicated to a magical potion from the Amazon basin which is known as ayahuasca. Here you can find information on the different ingredients that are used to make this brew, the way it's used by indigenous people, and what you can expect when you take it yourself.
Traditionally this beverage contains a combination of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of the Psychotria viridis (or alternatively the Diplopterys cabrerana). It has now been determined what the active components of these ingredients are, and some people have used plants from other parts of the world to make similar herbal potions. You can read about this in the botany and chemistry pages.
The most important active component in ayahuasca as far as its visionary qualities are concerned is a substance called DMT (dimethyltryptamine). DMT has a powerful effect on consciousness that is difficult to describe in words. It's described by many as "spiritual", and is characterized by detailed, very bright and colourful visions. Indigenous people say that during their trance, which lasts approximately four hours, they enter the world of the spirits and communicate with them, while psychologists consider DMT to be one of the hallucinogens, or psychedelics: "substances which make the soul visible."
We invite you to explore this site, read the interviews and prepare yourself well before you decide to try this powerful potion yourself. In case you are completely new to ayahuasca, we recommend you start by reading the introduction.
News
June 29, 2009Review: The Jaguar that Roams the Mind: An Amazonian Plant Spirit Odyssey
We have published a new review of the above book by Robert Tindall, whom we already interviewed half a year ago.
June 25, 2009
Erowid review: Ayahuasca Religions: A Comprehensive Bibliography & Critical Essays
Erowid has published a review of the book 'Ayahuasca Religions: A Comprehensive Bibliography & Critical Essays'.
June 22, 2009
Ayahuasca documentary Metamorphosis wins ‘Best Cinematography’ award
Filmmaker Keith Aronowitz has won the Best Cinematography award for his film ‘Metamorphosis’ at the Breckenridge Festival of Film.
The film will also exclusively screen at the 5th international amazonian shamanism conference, in Iquitos, Peru. Aronowitz will be doing a presentation as well.
The Metamorphosis DVD (2 Disc Edition) is now available for purchase on the Metamorphosis website.
To read previous articles on ayahuasca go to the news page.
New experiences
January 27, 2009Ayahuasca versus my ego
"The two trips about which I am posting occurred on consecutive nights in ayahuasca healing ceremonies in the Peruvian Amazon. I participated in 5 ceremonies in total and am sharing what transpired on the second and third of these. After emerging from my first ceremony with only positive experiences akin to those I had experienced with other hallucinogens, I became cocky about my seeming invulnerability to having bad trips. This is what ensued."
To read this and other reports, visit our experience section.
Special announcement
"The Tiger Meets The Jaguar"Psychoactivity will organize two seminars in Nepal. Both seminar weeks are dedicated to the world-wide shamanic heritage. The colombian shaman Kajuyali Tsamani and his son will be representing the jaguar of the Amazon, exchanging sacred knowledge with the sherpa, kirati and tamang shamans from Nepal. All shamans will be joining in eachother's ceremonies. Among the presenters there will also be Christian Raetsch, Claudia Mueller-Ebeling, Arno Adelaars, and Mohan Rai, the founder of the Shamanic Studies and Research Centre in Kathmandu. Kajuyali Tsamani will conduct one Ayahuasca ceremony each seminar.
You can read more about the seminars here.