Psychoactive
medicinal plants from the
Amazonian Rain Forest
The
preparation generically called Ayahuasca
is extracted mainly from the plants Banisteriopsi Caapi and
Psycotria
Viridis, and is widely used throughout the Amazon basin by Indian tribes
and shamans, for healing and spiritual development.
Among
the tribes of northeast Brazil,
the plants used for this extraction is Mimosa Hostilis,
Mimosa
Verrucosa and Passiflora of the same content as the Psychotria Viridis and Banisteriopsi Caapi.
Plutarco
Naranjo mentions that the
"oldest
known object related to the use of Ayahuasca, is a ceremonial cup,
hewn
out of stone, with engraved ornamentation, which has been found in the
area of the Pastaza culture, Amazonian Ecuador),
forming
part of the collection of the Ethnological Museum of the Central University
(Quito).
This
culture covers the period 500B.C. to 50 A.D.(Naranjo, P 983)."
Under
a diverse variety of names:
ne'pe,
xono, date'm, kamarampi, pilde, natema, yage', caa-pi, mihi, iona,
mii,
nixi, pae, etc. tribes widely separated from one another manifest an intimate
knowledge of Ayahuasca use.
How
could people of those times draw the connection
between
the properties of the banisteriopsi caapi and the psychotria Viridis?
In
the early 1920's, this indigenous tradition
touched
the white man, and several churches were founded in Brazil, among
them the Santo Daime,
Uniao
do Vegetal, Barquinha and others.
Chemically,
the
compounds in Ayahusca of current interest have an indole structure in common
and
influence the actions of the central nervous system (CNS).
Most
striking are their chemical similarities to the neurotransmitter serotonin
(5-HT).
It
is known to be 5-HT 1A agonist and a 5-HT 2 receptors (Deliganis et al
1991).
The
combination of specific serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs, such as
Prozac) and other antidepressants with Ayahuasca or other
MAO
inhibitors can result in life-threatening situations(Callaway 1994).
In
therapy, Ayahuasca has two primary properties, cathartic and abreactive.
The
cathartic property relates not only on the physical level as a detox and
cleansing agent, but also on a metaphysical level as patients cleanse their
systems of a lifetime's abuse.
The
abreactive property
initiates
regression to the origin of one's problems,
revealing
new insights into development of their hopelessly self-defeating disorder,
allowing the afflicted to free themselves from its influence and to form
new responses to life.
Ayahuasca
illumines transpersonal areas
through
deep focus on perinatal experiences and psychodynamics.
Its
entheogenic property facilitates a bond with spirit and rejuvenating fusion
with the divine within.
The
properties of the Ayahuasca compound
have
been incorporated in the treatment of drug dependency,
through
ritualistic introduction of Ayahuasca compounds along with combinations
of plants including Banisteriopsi Caapi, Psycotria Viridis,
Peganum
Harmala and Mimosa Hostilis.
Among
this effort's goals
are
the expansion of today's cultural awareness through an enhanced exploration
of different belief systems
and
the establishment of a firm scientific and educational foundation to sustain
a
life lived through a new consciousness.
I
believe that Ayahuasca
embodies
bold potential in conjunction with behavioral therapy techniques in the
treatment of drug addiction, depression and many other disorders.
With
Ayahuasca,
the
many clinical needs within the different stages of treatment are satisfied,
while honoring the essential dynamics of spiritual search.
