Definition
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive brew traditionally used by Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin for spiritual, therapeutic, and divinatory purposes. The brew is typically made by combining the bark of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (which contains MAO inhibitors) with leaves from the Psychotria viridis shrub (which contains DMT, a powerful psychedelic compound). When ingested, ayahuasca produces intense visionary experiences, emotional catharsis, and physical purging (vomiting and diarrhea are considered part of the “cleansing” process). Traditional use is guided by a shaman or curandero in ritual ceremonies that can last 4–8 hours. In the 21st century, ayahuasca has become a global phenomenon: “ayahuasca tourism” has exploded in Peru, Brazil, and Colombia, with thousands of Westerners traveling to participate in ceremonies. The brew has also attracted scientific interest for its potential therapeutic effects on depression, PTSD, and addiction. However, its use carries risks: psychological distress (“bad trips”), dangerous interactions with certain medications, and the exploitation of Indigenous knowledge by commercial operators. In most countries, DMT is a controlled substance, though ayahuasca occupies a legal gray area in some jurisdictions when used for religious purposes.
Why It Matters
Ayahuasca is the internet’s favorite drug to have an opinion about without having tried it. The online discourse is vast and divided: wellness influencers promote it as a “plant medicine” that cures trauma; skeptics dismiss it as colonial extraction dressed in spiritual language; scientists cautiously study its neurochemical effects; and former participants share horror stories of psychological damage and exploitation. The internet’s relationship with ayahuasca is defined by its exoticization: for Western users, the brew represents something ancient, authentic, and spiritually superior to pharmaceutical interventions. This framing ignores the complex reality: Indigenous communities have used ayahuasca for centuries, but the global ayahuasca economy often excludes these communities from its profits. The brew also matters because it sits at the intersection of multiple internet subcultures: the psychedelic community (which debates its legality and dosage), the wellness community (which sells it as self-care), the anthropology community (which debates cultural appropriation), and the conspiracy community (which claims it opens portals to other dimensions). Ayahuasca is not just a drug. It is a Rorschach test. And the internet sees whatever it wants to see. Usually itself. Tripping.
Example
“She flew to Peru in 2019. The retreat cost $2,000. The shaman was white. The ceremony was in English. The ayahuasca tasted like earth and regret. She vomited. She saw geometric patterns. She cried. She felt healed. She posted about it. The replies were ‘so brave’ and ‘cultural appropriation much?’ and ‘did you actually talk to any Indigenous people?’ She had not. She had talked to the white shaman. Who had learned from another white shaman. Who had learned from a book. The healing was real. The context was fake. The fake was the healing. The healing was the fake. She did not know the difference. She drank again. The pattern continued. Geometric. Regretful. Expensive. That was ayahuasca. Not a medicine. A mirror. A mirror that showed the drinker what they wanted to see. And the drinker always wanted to see themselves. Transformed. Ancient. Special.”
Related Terms
- DMT — The psychedelic compound in ayahuasca that produces visionary experiences
- Shamanism — The spiritual practice traditionally associated with ayahuasca ceremonies
- Ayahuasca Tourism — The commercial industry of Westerners traveling to the Amazon for ceremonies
- Cultural Appropriation — The criticism that Western ayahuasca use exploits Indigenous knowledge without consent or benefit
- Plant Medicine — The wellness framing of ayahuasca as a natural healing substance