AYAHUASCA

Ayahuasca: translation

Literally, “vine of the dead” in Quechua; also known asyagéand cognates in various indigenousAmazonianlanguages. A blend of extracts of the Banisteriopsis vine andPsychotria virdisor a similar (DMT-containing) plant from which avomit- and visioninducing drink is brewed and ingested by shamans andhealersin many cultures and religious complexes (including some forms ofChristianity). For example,vegetalistas(plant-inspired shamans such asPablo Amaringo), who are justly famous for the elaborate and colorful paintings that represent some of the resulting visions, treat the vine as a powerfulother-than-human personand teacher.Marlene Dobkin de Riosdemonstrates that ayahuasca is not used as a curative agent, amedicinein the Western sense, but “gives the healer entry into the culturally important area of disease causality, enabling him to identify the nature of theillnessfrom which a person is suffering, and then to deflect or neutralize the evil magic which is deemed responsible for illness.” She has also commented critically on the rise of “ayahuascatourism” conducted by “common drug dealers” rather than “authentic ayahuasca healers,” in which Western tourists (includingpsychonautsand others interested in “entheogens”) are charged for drug experiences disguised as “advanced shamanic training.” Dobkin de Rios’s background in medical anthropology and psychotherapy provide her with tools for judging the psychotic results of much of this tourism.

Benny Shanonhas systematically charted the phenomenology of the ayahuasca experience and characterized it from a cognitive psychological perspective as well as discussing philosophical ramifications. Principally, he characterizes the effects of ayahuasca as manifestations of unusual enhancement of cognitive functioning, creativity, and intuition.

Ayahuasca is central not only to traditional indigenous practices but also toSanto Daimeand the União do Vegetal that have spread from Brazil to many other countries. These groups were preceded or are paralleled as ayahuasca enthusiasts and missionaries byWilliamBurroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Wade Davies, and Dennis andTerenceMcKenna. The psychoactive ingredients of ayahuasca and many other plants were first scientifically analyzed in the 1930s byRichard Schultes.