Ayahuasca has gained tremendous mainstream popularity. From its history with indigenous tribes, to becoming a trend with many young people, this psychedelic is currently booming.
Since an ayahuasca retreat shows real promise for mental shifts, millennials are discovering the drug’s healing powers. But what is this psychedelic all about?
What Is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca has been an integral ingredient for Amazonian tribes as a part of their spiritual and healing rituals for thousands of years.
Traditionally, an experienced healer called a shaman prepares the drink, then takes a person through the ritual. This shaman guides the way through chanting, dancing, and invocation.
Shamans have the highest respect in their tribes. Many believe they possess the ability to use magic to heal, foresee future events, and communicate with spirits.
Ayahuasca “trips” are always under the shaman’s guidance, ensuring everything goes the way it should. This helps with any side effects, which are common due to the drug’s purging properties.
What Makes Ayahuasca A Psychedelic?
The reason ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic is due to its molecular structure.
An active chemical called DMT (dimethyltryptamine) — which, when combined with harmine found in Banisteriopsis caapi, alters the state of the drinker — may induce hallucinations.
How Did It Become Known Outside Amazonian Tribes?
In 1851, Richard Spruce, an English botanist, made a discovery in the upper Rio Negro region of the Brazilian Amazon.
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