ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is a South American psychoactive decoction prepared from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-containing plant, used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco basins as part of traditional medicine and shamanism. The word ayahuasca, originating from Quechuan languages spoken in the Andes, refers both to the B. caapi vine and the psychoactive brew made from it, with its name meaning 'spirit rope' or 'liana of the soul'.

Although often portrayed as ancient, ayahuasca likely spread across the western Amazon only within the past few centuries; the first clear written accounts appear in the 17th century. The specific ritual use of ayahuasca was widespread among Indigenous groups by the 19th century. Ayahuasca is traditionally prepared by macerating and boiling B. caapi with other plants like Psychotria viridis during a ritualistic, multi-day process. Ayahuasca has been used in diverse South American cultures for spiritual, social, and medicinal purposes, often guided by shamans in ceremonial contexts involving specific dietary and ritual practices, with the Shipibo-Konibo people playing a significant historical and cultural role in its use. Originally confined to regions of Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, ayahuasca became widespread in Brazil, expanding widely by the mid-20th century through syncretic religions in Brazil. In the late 20th century, ayahuasca use expanded beyond South America to Europe, North America, and elsewhere, leading to legal cases, non-religious adaptations, and the development of ayahuasca analogues (i.e., variants) using local or synthetic ingredients.