I’ve never taken a pill at a party. And yet, I found myself deep in the Colombian jungle drinking a psychoactive liquid, under the supervision of a shaman who spoke a language I did not understand.
During my month-long stay in Colombia, I did not join the thousands of backpackers who let themselves be carried away by the country’s most famous product: cocaine. But they did sell me on the idea of ayahuasca.I was intrigued by the fact that for centuries indigenous South American societies had used this “master plant” in regular rituals.
Ayahuasca, also known as yagé, is a mixture of two plants – the ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsiscaapi) and a shrub called chacruna (Psychotriaviridis), which contains the hallucinogen dimethyltryptamine (DMT).
In many countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, DMT is illegal.The British government warns that the consumption of yagé can have serious implications for someone with mental health problems, since the hallucinogen can be responsible for triggering disorders in those predisposed, although unaware of it.
But in South America ayahuasca is an integral part of some tribal societies. In 2008, the Peruvian government recognized this drink as “one of the basic pillars of the identity of the Amazonian peoples.”
The consumption of the “master plant” or “sage” “constitutes the door to the spiritual world and its secrets, which is why Amazonian medicine has been structured around the ayahuasca ceremony.”
Based on scientific evidence, the clinical benefits of yagé are limited, although those who defend this drink say that it is increasingly popular as a tool to treat post-traumatic stress disorders, depression and addictions.
“Most people seek ayahuasca with good intentions – they are not thrill-seeking but are seriously curious – or they have specific problems such as depression,” explains Professor Dennis McKenna, a botanist at the University of Minnesota in the United States.
“Those seeking thrills throw it away after several vomiting sessions,” adds the expert, who is a member of the Heffter Research Institute on psychedelic substances. “It’s not enjoyable or fun. It puts your body through a physical and emotional wringer.”
Pure curiosity
Certainly, when I ventured to participate in the midnight ceremony at a shaman’s farm with four other “gringos,” I was not looking for a party. In fact, from what I’d heard, there wasn’t much going on with you. I was just curious about the ritual.
What I found was a Colombian community that meets every week to take the master plant with the local shaman as part of a learning and healing process.Although we were a group, it was an individual experience. After drinking the disgusting bitter mixture, we found our own space in the farm, lying on mattresses or watching the fire.
Some people vomited from time to time, others cried, and some slept. Most remained silent, with only the background sound of some musicians and the occasional singing of the shaman.
I spent a few hours in a state of consciousness but as if it were a dream. I didn’t get sick, but for a while I felt physically uncomfortable and disoriented. I expected at most to see an explosion of colors, but I was surprised to experience powerful and meaningful visions of memories from my childhood.After a few hours the effect wore off and I was left with a feeling of peace and happiness.
It is a ceremonial learning process that is becoming increasingly popular around the world, with people exploring their personal development through hallucinogenic introspective nature, according to the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Service and Research ( ICEERS, for its acronym in English).
Last year, career coach Jeremy Behrmann spent several weeks taking ayahuasca in Colombia as part of research for his book Breakaway, which helps people design gap years.
“I took ayahuasca with the fourth generation of shaman to explore their ability to offer ‘visions’ that could give my readers more clarity of their vocational calling,” he notes.
“Many of the travelers I met took it because they were told it had similar effects to drugs like LSD, which is often used recreationally. In my experience, people should only look for the medicine and well-trained shamans to perform the ceremony.” with the intention of having a spiritual blow”.Behrmann adds that his experience was incredibly eye-opening, “but basically very challenging.”
Question of confidence
In fact, botanist McKenna warns that not all shamans are well trained.The Peruvian jungle city of Iquitos, for example, may be the epicenter of retreat centers, although according to the professor it is also the “old west” of yagé. There, tourists can buy glasses of ayahuasca on the street, with no way of knowing who prepared it.
Although overdoses are rare, some less scrupulous locals mix it with “disgusting concoctions” that have toé, another psychoactive plant. McKenna explains that this can leave people in a more vulnerable and confused state, and is often done for evil reasons (to steal or sexually abuse).
“After starting the ceremony, participants are restrained for four to six hours, so it is important to trust and be in a safe place,” says Joshua Wickerham, chief advisor of the Ethnobotany Stewardship Council (ESC).
Ayahuasca is only legal in Peru as part of a spiritual ceremony, it is not supposed to be drunk without supervision.In Colombia, although there is little government oversight, a shamans’ guild is being organized to ensure good practice.
A responsible shaman should check what medications people take before giving the drink, Wickerham clarifies, and will know about possible reactions they may have with other drugs, such as antidepressants.Basically, my experience was positive, but there is a risk, and people should worry about choosing who they take yagé with.
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