Written by: Srijal Ulak - 21117, Grade XII
Posted on: 05 August, 2020
Ayahuasca is a strongly hallucinogenic brew made from the leaves of the Psychotria Viridis shrub along with the stalks of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, though other plants and ingredients can be added as well. Banisteriopsis caapi, also referred to as ayahuasca, jagube, caapi or yagé, maybe a South American liana of the Malpighiaceae. It is one half of ayahuasca, a decoction with a long history of its entheogenic use and its status as a “plant teacher” among the indigenous peoples of the Amazon rainforest. Ayahuasca isn’t illegal in many parts of the world even though it contains This drink was used for spiritual and religious purposes by ancient Amazonian tribes and is still used as a sacred beverage by some religious communities in Brazil and North America. The main ingredients of Ayahuasca — Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria Viridis — both have hallucinogenic properties. And contains N-dimethyltryptamine(DMT). DMT is a powerful hallucinogenic chemical. It’s strongly recommended that Ayahuasca only be taken when supervised by an experienced shaman, as those who take it needs to be looked after carefully, as an Ayahuasca trip leads to an altered state of consciousness that lasts for many hours. After consuming the Ayahuasca, most people start to feel its effects within 20–60 minutes. The effects are dose-dependent, and the trip can last 2–6 hours.
People react to Ayahuasca differently. Some experience euphoria and a feeling of enlightenment, while others go through severe anxiety and panic. It’s not uncommon for those taking Ayahuasca to experience both positive and negative effects from the brew. Typical effects include visual hallucinations, euphoria, paranoia, and vomiting. Ayahuasca may Benefit the health particularly brain health, which may improve psychological well-being, may help treat addiction, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). But as everything it also has side effects like it can interact with many medications and may worsen some medical conditions. It is used during certain religious rituals. It is also used as a medicine. Ayahuasca is employed for suicide prevention, depression, anxiety, panic, and symptoms associated with trauma. It is also used to control impulses, for sleep problems, pain, cancer, and to help people addicted to drugs and alcohol quit using them. It has been the focus of religious institutions for thousands of years and countless a number of peoples have died as a result of their beliefs about the divine. Unfortunately, these are often buried under mountains of tenet and misinterpretation. Ayahuasca shows something entirely different The plant medicine shows unequivocally there is a divinity in nature and is within human beings. The sensation of plant connecting to the body to the ground through some sort of cosmic lifeline. It takes the body and merges into the earth. All life is connected through the soil. It provides the nutrients and energy that all living things need to grow and it is our connection to all other beings. To understand how do we fit in with the natural world we must observe how the earth recycles itself and distributes energy among its inhabitants. Believing that all things can be broken down into their component pieces and that all life can be understood by looking at chemical reactions. In spite of these chemical reactions, there is a vital energies force that drives all life and links one organism to another. Many religions would refer to such a connection as the “soul” but often focus on the connection between individual human beings, and a divine figure that is external to our physical bodies. The connection that we have to all other creatures on the planet is equally important. Indeed, under the influence of ayahuasca, it shows clearly there is no distinction between these two. Our connection to nature is our connection to the divine. Ayahuasca also highlights sensitivity to sound, taste, and smell and gives a renewed sense of the energy that we consume when we eat plants and animals. It showed me that this process is both material and spiritual and that it is our responsibility to interact with other plants and animals in a way that respects their life and ours. If we look closely and critically at many religions we can find at least an acknowledgment of this connection among many doctrines, but it is not always a focal point of religious doctrine because of the cultural tendency in many places to see ourselves as separate from nature.
I would not claim to understand the divine any more than anyone else and I know that my life will be continued being a realization and culmination of practicing this connection that exists between all things in nature. Ayahuasca provides a very tangible, unforgettable view of this divine connection. Every time you take Ayahuasca, it results in a different experience. Over time, using ayahuasca may result in psychosis, frequent flashbacks, and hallucinations. These symptoms may occur for months or even years after using the drug. This condition is known as persistent psychosis.
