AYAHUASCA: POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECTS - ARTE - 2025

The ayahuasca is a Quechua name tea has been consumed for thousands of years in South America, as part of a sacramental ritual. It is made up of a combination of plants found in the Amazon, specifically Banisteriopsis caapi and leaves of the shrub Psychotria viridis.

The most common effects of ayahuasca are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, altered state of consciousness, physical, psychological and emotional discomfort, death, psychiatric disorders, reduction of voluntary movements and others that I will explain below.

Ayahuasca is considered one of the most powerful hallucinogens in the world. People who have ingested it, claim to feel spiritual revelations and a greater awareness of themselves and the universe that they describe as a before and after in their life.

However, it is still a substance that produces negative consequences for the body such as nausea and vomiting. In addition to the possible dangerous effects, they are still under study, what this drug may have on the nervous system and that they seem to alter it functionally and structurally.

How does ayahuasca work?

Its active principle is a natural substance called DMT or N-dimethyltryptamine, which is what causes hallucinogenic effects and is found in Psychotria viridis.

Normally this substance is destroyed in the digestive system thanks to the enzyme monoamine oxidase (MAO), which omits its effects. That is why the second plant (Banisteriopsis caapi) is added, which inhibits said enzyme and consists of β-carboline alkaloids.

In this way, DMT can reach the brain by acting as an agonist for serotonin 5-HT2A receptors.

Effects of ayahuasca

1- Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea

When ayahuasca is consumed, the effects can last up to 10 hours. Shortly after consumption, the symptoms presented are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. However, in other people vomiting can occur during hallucinations and abdominal discomfort may appear that lasts for hours.

People who give ayahuasca a spiritual meaning, declare that the vomiting and diarrhea phase are related to a release of energy and negative emotions accumulated in the person. They think of it as "cleansing the soul."

2- Altered state of consciousness

After the first phase, an altered state of consciousness appears that is characterized by hallucinations, strong introspection, intense positive emotions, high acceptance of oneself and the universe, feelings of gratitude, and the evocation of personal memories together with a great emotional activation.

This is how the symptoms are described in an example described by Kirby Surprise of a person who tried ayahuasca:

3- Physical, psychological and emotional discomfort

Despite all the positive consequences that are indicated, its consumption can also cause significant psychological and emotional discomfort of a temporary nature. For example, depersonalization, anxiety, fear and paranoia can occur.

Other symptoms that may be negative include heavy sweating, tremors, increased blood pressure, and increased heart rate. These effects are associated with DMT poisoning, in addition to causing hypertension, dilated pupils, agitation, lack of muscle coordination, and dizziness.

However, ayahuasca or DMT has not been shown to cause addiction by itself. In addition, there are several studies that have not found long-term negative effects in people who ingest ayahuasca frequently.

4- Death

Yes, there have been cases of death from its consumption. It seems that there are individuals who present a physical state that may be incompatible with the drug, such as those who already have heart problems. This is dangerous because ayahuasca increases the heart rate and blood pressure.

You can also be life-threatening if you take other medications (such as antidepressants), as they can interact with the drug, increasing and making its effects dangerous.

5- Psychiatric disorders

It triggers psychiatric disorders if the person is prone to them. There is a consensus in recognizing that each person is different, and therefore each substance is going to affect you in a certain way.

If the individual is predisposed to present a psychiatric disorder due to a family history, for example, the consumption of ayahuasca (as occurs with other drugs) can trigger the appearance of the disorder. Therefore, people with psychiatric problems or more likely to have them should not consume these substances.

6- Reduction of voluntary movements

Ayahuasca increases dopamine and serotonin levels in certain brain regions. This causes the pleasure centers to be activated while other regions decrease their activity.

For example, one of the consequences is that the release of acetylcholine (ACH) drops. This results in difficulties in the voluntary mobility of the musculature, causing the muscles to relax.

7- Produces structural changes in the brain

In a study by Bouso (2015) it is suggested that, despite the growing knowledge in the field of the neural mechanisms of the effects of these drugs, the impact of their long-term use remains unclear. Serotonin receptor agonists (5HTs) appear to alter transcription factors related to synaptic plasticity.

That is, drugs such as ayahuasca can produce structural changes in the brain. Specifically, in the study that we have mentioned, images were obtained through Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brains of 22 habitual ayahuasca users and 22 non-users.

The goal was to measure the thickness of the cerebral cortex in both groups and buy them. Subjects taking ayahuasca were found to have significantly thinner posterior cingulate cortex than controls, a structure associated with attention, emotions, and memories.

It was also related to the intensity and time of consumption, scores in religiosity and spirituality; Thus, a more intense and prolonged consumption in time by a subject with high levels of spirituality was related to less thickness of this brain area.

8- Various neuropsychological consequences

An important effect of this drug is that it increases blood flow in prefrontal brain regions just after consumption.

However, in the study by Bouso et al. (2013) indicate that, despite these effects, no cognitive deficits have previously been found in long-term ayahuasca users.

These authors studied the consequences of ingesting this drug on neuropsychological performance, mainly on executive functions (those in charge of mental control, planning, inhibition and decision-making) and on working memory (the one that allows us to carry out a task to the end successfully by remembering all its elements).

11 habitual users of ayahuasca and 13 occasional users were evaluated with different neuropsychological tests, before and after ingesting it.

The results indicated that working memory worsened, while the reaction times to stimuli were shorter (they reacted faster), maintaining this even after taking ayahuasca.

In another test, curiously, significant problems were found in conflict resolution in the most occasional users, while those who had consumed it for a longer time throughout their lives had a better performance.

The authors comment that there are probably compensatory or neuromodulatory effects associated with long-term ayahuasca intake, that is, the brain changes through prolonged use of the drug.

9- Open your mind

Ayahuasca modulates emotional processing by acting in 3 different areas of the brain:

- The neocortex: it is the area responsible for sensory perception, motor functions, language and conscious thought. It allows us to reason and carry out decision-making processes. With the use of the drug, this area becomes hyperactive.

- The amygdala: this structure participates in memories and emotional regulation, connecting with sensory structures. It also associates old learnings with new experiences that are coming, so it is not surprising that its functioning is altered when ayahuasca is ingested.

- The insula: it is responsible for connecting emotional impulses with decision-making.

It seems that ayahuasca in these structures opens new perspectives beyond previous learning, disconnecting previous emotional memories and receiving new ones. This can cause new connections to be established and ideas and experiences different from what we normally have.

In short, it seems that the information that reaches our mind is experienced without filters or critical thinking, making the consumer more open to suggestion.

Therapeutic effects

Charles Grob in 1993 carried out the first study of the effects of ayahuasca in humans through the Hoasca Project. They compared indigenous adolescents who consumed ayahuasca sacramentally twice a month, with urban adolescents who did not take it.

The study found that the first group scored up to 7 times lower than the other group on substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, body image disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, this may be due to other differences and not be a direct cause of the use of ayahuasca.

In another study (Pic-Taylor, 2015), this time with rats, it was observed that ayahuasca can have antidepressant effects. Neuronal activation and level of toxicity in the nuclei of the dorsal raphe, amygdala and hippocampal formation were investigated.

The effects found were: increased neuronal activity in serotonergic brain areas, decreased locomotion of female rats both in the open field and in labyrinths, and more activation in a forced swimming test. In other words, the rats that had received ayahuasca swam much faster (we emphasize that water is very aversive for rats).

In a 2016 study by Dominguez Clavé et al., It is indicated that there is ample evidence that ayahuasca may be useful for treating addictions, depression and anxiety, as well as disorders related to impulse control and trauma.

They argue that it appears to enhance self-acceptance, safely exposing the subject to their own emotions. However, they add that more research is needed in this area because the results are not entirely definitive.

Many other authors defend the therapeutic role of ayahuasca in the resolution of trauma, since they indicate that the drug encourages the assimilation of experiences and acceptance of all kinds of memories.

It seems that a complex mechanism recalls traumatic memories while the individual is in a pleasant and calm subjective state, so that they can be overcome.

conclusion

It is important that we conclude that the extent of the effects of this substance is not yet known and more research has yet to be developed.

It seems that ayahuasca arouses a lot of curiosity in people wanting to experience new sensations, increasing tourism in places where its consumption is more widespread and legalized.

In the case of Spain, the importation / acquisition of the material with which ayahuasca is made is legal. The dilemma resides in DMT, one of the substances in ayahuasca that is totally prohibited from marketing.

In other countries where they are governed by the agreements of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), their consumption is legal.

There is also a whole network of organizations that profit from the consumers of this substance, giving it a religious and spiritual meaning. For this reason, it can be normal to find documents that extol the qualities of ayahuasca while others highlight its harmful effects.

Ultimately, more studies are needed; It is interesting to continue evaluating its possible therapeutic effects.

References

1. Ayahuasca. (sf). Retrieved on June 14, 2016, from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org
2. Domínguez-Clavé, E., Soler, J., Elices, M., Pascual, JC, Álvarez, E., de la Fuente Revenga, M., &… Riba, J. (2016). Research report: Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential.
3. Hurd, R. (June 18, 2015). Ayahuasca side effects.
4. Kase, A. (June 3, 2015). This Is How Ayahuasca Heals Your Brain. Retrieved from Reset.me.
5. Pic-Taylor, A., da Motta, LG, de Morais, JA, Junior, WM, Santos, AA, Campos, LA, &… Caldas, ED (2015). Behavioral and neurotoxic effects of ayahuasca infusion (Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis) in female Wistar rat.
6. Surprise, K. (March 28, 2008). Ayahuasca.