Delve into the fascinating ancient tradition of ayahuasca -

You've probably heard of ayahuasca by now. And you've probably heard some misconception about it along the way. This South American sacred brew is an ancient, powerful, and traditional tool that has been used by dozens and dozens of different peoples who have depended on it for medicinal and spiritual reasons. 

Click through the gallery and delve into this often misunderstood tradition.

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Names - Most commonly known in the Western world as ayahuasca, the brew is also known as iowaska, yagé, and daime, among other names.

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What it is - Ayahuasca is a brew made out of two plants: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the Psychotria viridis leaf.

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Origin - The brew is used as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies by at least 75 different indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin throughout the regions of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.

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Meaning - Ayahuasca is the hispanicized spelling of a Quechua word, a language spoken in  Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia.

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Meaning - Aya means spirit, soul, corpse, or dead body, and waska means rope, woody vine, or liana.

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Meaning -

So "ayahuasca" has been taken to mean "liana of the dead" or "liana of the soul."

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Effects - B. caapi contains alkaloids that act as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, or anti-depressants.

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Effects - Also present in ayahuasca is the shrub Psychotria viridis, which contains the brew's primary psychoactive compound, dimethyltryptamine.

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History - The use of ayahuasca has been well established as predating the Columbian era.

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History - But others believe that its usage dates all the way back to the primitive inhabitants of South America.

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History -

That's because a ceremonial cup, believed to be at least 2,500 years old, was found in Ecuador containing traces of ayahuasca.

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Uses - The use of this psychotropic tea is in medicine, religious ceremonies, and rites of passage.

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Uses - In an indigenous context, ayahuasca was primarily used by the shamans of the Amazon region for healing and divinatory purposes.

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Ceremonies - Through ayahuasca ceremonies, the shamans use the tea as a diagnostic tool to discover the roots of illnesses in their patients.

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Ceremonies -

For centuries, these cultures have believed that the tea provides access to the human psyche.

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Combination of two plants -

How the shamans began to mix the vine and the leaf of the two different plants remains a mystery. On their own, the plants are relatively inert.

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Effects - Those who drink the brew report perceptual hallucinations, which generally peak at about one and a half hours after ingesting, and last about four hours.

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Effects -

The hallucinations are said to come and go in waves, and do not happen continuously.

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Effects -

Some users also report enhanced hearing, claiming that sounds become more clear and distinct.

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Effects -

Users also report gaining new insight into personal concerns.

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Effects -

Normal emotions, like happiness, sadness, or anger, are also said to intensify when under the influence.

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Effects -

Many users have likened the experience to the sensation of dreaming.

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In Brazil -

In Brazil, the practice and use of ayahuasca, or daime, has been combined with Christian and Afro-Brazilian religious beliefs, giving rise to the Santo Daime, the União do Vegetal, the Barquinha, and other spiritual movements.

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Santo Daime -

Among those, Santo Daime is the most well-known. The syncretic religion was founded in the 1930s by Raimundo Irineu Serra (pictured).

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Mainstream -

The rise of these new spiritual movements has contributed to the spread of ayahuasca throughout South American societies, and beyond.

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Mainstream -

Ayahuasca saw a surge in interest in the late 1960s and 1970s with the psychedelic revolution.

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Ayahuasca retreats -

Retreats have started to pop up where people outside the traditional lifestyle can attempt to receive the healing benefits of the sacred brew.

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Legality -

Ayahuasca’s legal status is complicated. It contains DMT, which is an internationally prohibited drug. However, the preparation is considered sacred in many countries, so exceptions exist.

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Legality -

Ayahuasca is legal in Brazil and Peru, which are the countries with the largest number of retreats. In the US, two religious groups (the UDV and Santo Daime) have been given approval to use ayahuasca.

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