What is ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is an emotionally demanding therapeutic process involving the psychedelic compound N,N‑dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Taken as a small drink, it is combined with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor to make it orally active and therapeutically effective. The experience typically unfolds as a vivid, dream-like emotional journey. Each guided session lasts four to five hours, enabling individuals to revisit and reframe trauma from a new perspective.

Profound change

The power of plants

Ayahuasca is not a recreational experience, but a structured and supported process. Clinical studies show that ayahuasca promotes neuroplasticity – supporting lasting psychological change through enhanced emotional processing, insight, and cognitive flexibility.

Unique therapeutic action

  • Rapidly surfaces and resolves deep trauma

  • Induces a profound, dream-like emotional experience

  • Enables perspective shifts not accessible through conventional treatments

In structured therapeutic settings, it has shown efficacy in:

  • Treatment-resistant depression

  • PTSD and trauma resolution

  • Addiction recovery through behavioural insight

  • Enhancing neuroplasticity and emotional regulation

Ayahuasca is prepared by brewing two plants native to the western Amazon: Banisteriopsis caapi, which contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), and Psychotria viridis, which contains DMT. The MAOI enables DMT to remain active in the body when taken orally, resulting in a prolonged therapeutic experience.

Once active, ayahuasca appears to reduce activity in the brain’s default mode network – associated with self-critical thinking and rigid thought patterns – whilst increasing connectivity between regions related to memory, emotion and sensory processing. This facilitates deep introspection and cognitive flexibility.

Centuries of expertise

Ayahuasca originates from the western Amazon rainforest where it has been used safely for centuries.

Its home is with the Shipibo people along the Marañón and Ucayali rivers, which meet to form the Amazon river proper. The area includes the cities of Iquitos and Pucallpa in Peru.

Set and setting

Mindset, environment and integration

The success of psychedelic therapy relies on preparation, setting, and post-session integration. A thoughtful and supported environment helps ensure positive outcomes:

  • Preparation: Involves a clean diet, rest, and intention-setting to help participants enter the experience with clarity and focus.

  • Facilitation: Skilled guides ensure physical and emotional safety, offering calm reassurance and guidance when the experience becomes intense.

  • Integration: Reflecting on the experience through discussion or therapeutic support is essential for translating insights into lasting benefit.

Minimise risk

Ayahuasca has a strong safety profile in structured environments. The DMT it contains is non-addictive and naturally produced in the human body. Unlike conventional treatments that manage symptoms over time, ayahuasca sessions aim to uncover and resolve the root of emotional distress.

Potential risks can be effectively managed with appropriate screening and support:

  • Participants must not co-administer other medications such as SSRIs as this can lead to serotonin syndrome.

  • Those with cardiovascular issues should confirm suitability in advance.

  • While physiologically safe, ayahuasca is unsuitable for individuals with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, as the intensity of the experience may be destabilising.

5‑MeO‑DMT

A structurally related compound with fast-acting effects. Administered by inhalation or vaporisation, the experience lasts 10 to 40 minutes and is often described as transformative, with a marked shift in self-perception and emotional release. It shows promising results for mental health, especially when used in professionally guided settings.

Psilocybin

The active compound in magic mushrooms, is metabolised into psilocin, 4‑hydroxy‑N,N‑dimethyltryptamine (4‑HO‑DMT) and produces sustained improvements in depression, anxiety and end-of-life distress. Its effects begin within 20 minutes of ingestion and last four to six hours.

DMT-based psychedelics

These substances – ayahuasca, 5‑MeO‑DMT, and psilocybin – share common neurobiological mechanisms and therapeutic potential. Each supports the creation of new mental pathways, offering a deeply introspective and regenerative process. When delivered responsibly in a therapeutic setting, they represent a meaningful advance in mental health care.