Knowledge Tree
Ayahuasca
Also known as: ayahuasca tea
Facts (63)
Sources
Effects of psychedelics on neurogenesis and broader neuroplasticity link.springer.com Dec 19, 2024 23 facts
measurementOral ingestion of ayahuasca at concentrations of 250, 500, and 800 mg/kg in adult rats elevated GABA and 5-HT levels in the hippocampus and reduced glycine and GABA levels in the amygdala in a dose-dependent manner, 40 minutes post-ingestion, according to Castro-Neto et al. (2013).
referenceBeatriz Caiuby Labate and K. Feeney analyzed the regulatory processes surrounding Ayahuasca in Brazil and internationally, noting the implications and challenges involved.
referenceFrecska E, Bokor P, and Winkelman M reviewed the therapeutic potentials of Ayahuasca, specifically its possible effects against various diseases of civilization, in a 2016 article in Frontiers in Pharmacology.
claimBrazil is the only emerging economy with a substantial volume of publications in psychedelic research, which may be attributed to the legal status of ayahuasca consumption for religious practices.
measurementMost Brazilian articles on psychedelic research investigate the ayahuasca concoction or its main components, such as β-carbolines and tryptamines (n = 8).
referenceAyahuasca ingestion causes changes in aminoacidergic and monoaminergic neurotransmission in the hippocampus and amygdala of rats, according to a 2013 study by de Castro-Neto et al. published in the World Journal of Biological Chemistry.
claimThe long duration and common side effects of ayahuasca deter many potential therapeutic applications, despite the brew's effectiveness.
referenceBrito-da-Costa et al. (2020) analyzed the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of Ayahuasca alkaloids, specifically N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), Harmine, Harmaline, and Tetrahydroharmine.
accountAyahuasca is a traditional drink consumed ritualistically by indigenous people in the Amazonian basin.
referenceMorales-García et al. (2017) published a study in Scientific Reports demonstrating that alkaloids from Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro.
measurementOnly the highest dose of 800 mg/kg of ayahuasca reproduced the effect of increased monoamine levels in the hippocampus of adult rats, according to Castro-Neto et al. (2013).
measurementA review of eleven studies on psychoactive tryptamines found that 18% investigated psilocybin, 9% investigated ibogaine, and 73% investigated DMT analogs, including ayahuasca.
referenceBeatriz Caiuby Labate and Clancy Cavnar edited 'Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond', a book published by Oxford University Press examining the cultural and shamanic practices surrounding Ayahuasca.
claimThe ayahuasca brew combines harmala alkaloids with psychoactive tryptamines and produces intense and prolonged intoxication effects.
measurementAyahuasca ingestion increased levels of all monoamines in the amygdala of adult rats, while reducing the rate of serotonin consumption in the amygdala, according to Castro-Neto et al. (2013).
referenceMorales-Garcia et al. (2020) published a study in Translational Psychiatry reporting that N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a compound found in the hallucinogenic tea Ayahuasca, regulates adult neurogenesis both in vitro and in vivo.
claimAyahuasca is a subject of research regarding its pharmacology, neuroscience, and therapeutic potential.
claimAyahuasca demonstrates neuroprotective potential and has been analyzed via untargeted metabolomics for its applicability to Parkinson’s disease.
claimMAO inhibitors (MAOis), which include Harmala alkaloids, are ubiquitous in various forms of ayahuasca prepared by indigenous populations.
referenceA 2020 study by de Oliveira Silveira et al. published in Molecules evaluated the stability of DMT and harmala alkaloids in ayahuasca tea samples.
claimSome versions of the traditional brew ayahuasca do not contain DMT.
referenceMcKenna, Towers, and Abbott (1984) published a study in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology identifying monoamine oxidase inhibitors, specifically tryptamine and β-carboline constituents, within the South American hallucinogenic plant preparation Ayahuasca.
referenceSvobodny G published research on the internationalization of Ayahuasca in 2014.
The Mechanisms of Psychedelic Visionary Experiences - Frontiers frontiersin.org Sep 27, 2017 9 facts
referenceThe paper 'The epistemics of ayahuasca visions' by B. Shanon, published in Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences in 2010, analyzes the nature of knowledge derived from ayahuasca experiences.
referenceRiba et al. (2004) conducted a functional neuroimaging study using low-resolution electromagnetic tomography to measure the effects of the South American psychoactive beverage ayahuasca on regional brain electrical activity in humans.
claimAlonso et al. (2015) assessed changes in the directionality of information flow in the brain provoked by ayahuasca using measures of transfer entropy.
claimPalhano-Fontes et al. (2015) found that the psychedelic state induced by ayahuasca modulates the activity and connectivity of the default mode network in the human brain.
referenceA 2016 review by dos Santos et al. of 25 neuroimaging studies concluded that oral administration of serotonergic psychedelics, including mescaline, psilocybin, and ayahuasca, produces excitatory effects in the frontolateral/frontomedial cortex and medial temporal lobe areas, which are central to cognitive functioning, self-awareness, emotional processing, and memory.
referencePalhano-Fontes et al. (2015) found that ayahuasca consumption causes a significant decrease in activity throughout most parts of the Default Mode Network, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex, precuneus, and medial prefrontal cortex, while also reducing functional connectivity within the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus.
measurementPalhano-Fontes et al. (2015) reported that ayahuasca causes decreased posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) activity, increased medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity, and decreased retrosplenial cortex (RSC) activity.
claimAlonso et al. (2015) found that ayahuasca decreases the influence of frontal brain areas over posterior regions (specifically central, parietal, and occipital regions) while increasing the influence of posterior regions on frontal anterior brain regions.
claimAlonso et al. (2015) found that ayahuasca disrupts the functional connectivity of brain oscillations, specifically modifying the normal coupling between anterior and posterior areas of the brain.
Psychedelics, Sociality, and Human Evolution frontiersin.org 9 facts
referenceThe paper 'Modulatory effects of ayahuasca on personality structure in a traditional framework' was published in the journal Psychopharmacology in 2020.
referencede Araujo et al. (2012) investigated the neural basis of enhanced imagery following ayahuasca ingestion, finding that participants experienced 'seeing with the eyes shut', as published in Human Brain Mapping.
claimKuypers et al. (2016) found that Ayahuasca enhances creative divergent thinking while decreasing conventional convergent thinking.
measurementPatients with treatment-resistant depression (n=20) showed increased agreeableness and decreased neuroticism sustained at a 6-month follow-up after ayahuasca administration, according to Netzband et al. (2020).
accountAmong the Aguaruna people, whose shamans use the psychedelic brew ayahuasca, a shaman may be suspected of and punished for sorcery if the results of a healing session are not forthcoming.
referenceUthaug et al. (2021) conducted a placebo-controlled study on the effects of ayahuasca, set, and setting on the mental health of participants in ayahuasca group retreats.
referenceAyahuasca increases the intensity of recalled images to the same level as natural images, according to a study by de Araujo et al. (2012).
claimA 2016 systematic review of clinical trials published in the previous 25 years found that ayahuasca, psilocybin, and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) demonstrate antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects.
referenceL. Rivier and J. E. Lindgren conducted an ethnobotanical and chemical investigation of Ayahuasca, a South American hallucinogenic drink, in 1972.
the consumption of psychoactive plants in ancient global and ... academia.edu 8 facts
referenceKrippner S and Sulla J authored 'Spiritual content in experimental reports from Ayahuasca sessions', published in NeuroQuantology in 2011.
measurementApproximately 20% of tourists visiting Iquitos, Peru, travel there specifically to participate in Ayahuasca ceremonies.
referenceFébregás JM et al. published 'Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca' in the Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence in 2010, volume 111, pages 257-261.
claimPsychoactive ingredients used in religious rituals include narcotic analgesics (opium), THC (cannabis), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline (peyote), ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga), DMT (Ayahuasca and phalaris species), Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol (Amanita muscaria), thujone (absinthe, Arthemisia absinthium), ephedra, mandragora, star lotus, and Salvia divinorum.
referenceBouso JC et al. conducted a longitudinal study published in PLOS ONE in 2012 titled 'Personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance among ritual users of Ayahuasca'.
claimPsychoactive plants such as Ayahuasca have been integral to spiritual practices since the Neolithic Ages, a practice that contrasts with the modern prohibition of these substances in many regions.
claimAyahuasca has consistently served as the central sacrament among Amazonian cultures.
referenceHighpine G published 'Unraveling the Mystery of the Origin of Ayahuasca' in 2009.
Ancient Roots of Today's Emerging Renaissance in ... link.springer.com 3 facts
referenceLeor Roseman et al. published 'Relational processes in ayahuasca groups of Palestinians and Israelis' in Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2021.
claimArtifacts found in a 1,000-year-old ritual bundle from the pre-Inca Tiwanaku civilization contained traces of benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), bufotenine (an alkaloid in psychedelic snuff), psilocin (the active agent in magic mushrooms), and harmine and dimethyltryptamine (active ingredients in ayahuasca).
claimClassic psychedelics, including psilocybin, LSD, and ayahuasca, exert their primary effects through the serotonin 2A (5-HT2A) receptor, which is heavily expressed throughout the cortex.
history Archives - UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics psychedelics.berkeley.edu 3 facts
accountMembers of the Brazilian ayahuasca religious groups CEFLURIS and ICEFLU, who follow the late Santo Daime leader Padrinho Sebastião, face intense criticism and accusations from other Brazilian ayahuasca religious groups. This conflict is allegedly driven by the CEFLURIS and ICEFLU practice of using cannabis sacramentally alongside ayahuasca in certain rituals.
claimAmazonian Indian and mestizo shamanism historically incorporates the use of various plant species in combination with ayahuasca, some of which have significant psychoactive properties.
claimThe website Kahpi serves as an information hub for ayahuasca, aiming to address misleading information, unreasonable fears, and sensationalist claims by aggregating perspectives from science, medicine, anthropology, ethnobotany, shamanism, and alternative healing networks.
Published Studies — Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and ... hopkinspsychedelic.org 2 facts
referenceA 2019 study by Griffiths, Hurwitz, Davis, Johnson, and Jesse surveyed subjective 'God encounter experiences,' comparing naturally occurring experiences with those occasioned by psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT.
referenceA 2023 mixed-methods case series evaluation published in 'Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy' investigated the use of ayahuasca in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder among military combat veterans.
Neuroimaging in psychedelic drug development: past, present, and ... nature.com Sep 27, 2023 2 facts
claimEvidence of potential neuroplastic effects of psychedelics in humans has been observed in studies involving low-dose LSD and ayahuasca, both of which showed increased serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in active treatment groups.
measurementA single dose of ayahuasca modulates serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels, as observed in a 2019 randomized controlled trial.
[PDF] The Psychedelic Renaissance: a Convergence of Indigenous ... pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu 1 fact
claimPsilocybin, peyote/mescaline, and Ayahuasca are identified as important plant medicines that possess an ancient human history.
Medicinal plants meet modern biodiversity science - OUCI ouci.dntb.gov.ua 1 fact
referencePoliti et al. (Planta Med., 88, 1275) discuss the cultural and pharmacological relevance of the emetic and purging properties of ayahuasca.
What Western medicine can learn from the ancient history of ... - BBC bbc.com Sep 11, 2024 1 fact
accountThe shaman's bag discovered in Bolivia contained a snuffing tube, spatulas for crushing psychoactive seeds, and chemical traces of cocaine, psilocin (an active hallucinogen in magic mushrooms), and the base ingredients of the psychoactive tea ayahuasca.
Hallucinogenic Plants and Their Use in Traditional Societies culturalsurvival.org Feb 19, 2010 1 fact
procedureAyahuasca is prepared by rasping the bark of a forest liana, carefully heating it in water with admixture plants, and boiling the mixture until a thick decoction is obtained.