We Are Harvesting the Ayahuasca Vine at an Alarming Rate

“The signs that wild ayahuasca is being overexploited for the global market are evident, according to the main players of this industry. “Wild ayahuasca is being depleted.” “There is almost none.” “Over harvested.” “We are worried.” “There is a shortage.” “You don’t find thick ayahuasca anymore.” “In a couple of years there won’t be any there.” Gatherers, intermediaries, processors and exporters based in Iquitos, the capital of the Peruvian jungle, or in the indigenous communities near Pucallpa, the other major production center, are in agreement about the overexploitation of wild ayahuasca…”

Frogs, Brain Noodles and a Lot of Vomit – I Took Ayahuasca and Finally Found Inner Peace

From Metro.co.uk: “I’m drowning in mud, my brain has turned into noodles, and I’ve just tipped a bucket of my own vomit over my head. This is the reality of doing ayahuasca, a transformative hallucinogen. Despite a terrifying trip involving ghosts, broccoli, and frogs, I’m so glad I did it. I’ve finally found inner peace and my life has radically changed. But let’s rewind a bit…”

Ayahuasca, ExperiencesArtful AlchemyJanuary 9, 2020Ayahuasca, Peru, Experiences, Healing, Dieta, DMT, Purging, Visions, Shaman, Tribes, Anxiety, San Pedro

Women Are Leading Amazon Ayahuasca Ceremonies for the First Time

From Vice.com: “Ten years ago, Waxy would not have been allowed anywhere near this ritual. Women were considered too fragile for ceremonies and told to avoid coming into contact with spiritual leaders all together. Waxy and her friends are trying to change that—they pioneered a movement to bolster women's roles in spiritual ceremonies that has now rippled throughout the Amazon…”

Ayahuasca, PoliticalArtful AlchemyNovember 19, 2019South America, Shaman, Tribes, Traditions, Ayahuasca, Ceremonies, Brazil, Amazon

Psychedelic Afterlife: Researchers Determine Which Hallucinogenic ‘Trip’ is Most Similar to the Near-Death Experience

“A new study – “Neurochemical models of near-death experiences: A large-scale study based on the semantic similarity of written reports” – has set out to quantify the possible links by comparing a bunch of NDE accounts (625) with a huge number of ‘trip reports’ (more than 15,000) “spanning experiences with 165 psychoactive substances of ten different pharmacological classes”…”

Does this New Species of Ecuadorian Psychedelic Lichen Contain Psilocybin & DMT?

“A newly discovered species of lichen from Ecuador that contains both tryptamine and psilocybin has recently been discovered, dispelling the belief that the infamous ‘magic mushrooms’ are the only plant species containing this hallucinogenic compound…”

DMTArtful AlchemyFebruary 8, 2019Pharmacology, Plants, Psilocybin, DMT, Psychedelics, Studies, Ecuador, Tribes

Amazon Tribe to Defend Against Mining Companies

These are the Waiapi, an ancient tribe living in Brazil's Amazon rainforest but now fearing invasion by international mining companies. Leading AFP reporters to a tiny settlement of palm-thatched huts hidden in foliage, the tribesmen streaked in red and black dye vow to defend their territory…

PoliticalArtful AlchemyJanuary 8, 2019Brazil, Amazon, Tribes, Walapi

'They're killing us': World's Most Endangered Tribe Cries for Help

Logging companies keen to exploit Brazil's rainforest have been accused by human rights organisations of using gunmen to wipe out the Awá, a tribe of just 355…

Ayahuasca, PoliticalArtful AlchemyDecember 9, 2018Amazon, Ayahuasca, Brazil, Tribes, Human Rights, Awá, Campaigns

Toad Medicine: New Psychedelic Knowledge under Construction?

“The increasing supply and consumption of the so-called “toad medicine” in various parts of the world has led to a series of claims without theoretical, or historical support, and have allowed it to become an important lucrative activity for various stakeholders…”