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Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

bbc.co.uk

21–30 of 161 posts

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#21
post #5

I don't have any evidence of this but I stronly suspect that doing regular meditation will reduce the chance of bad trips or atleast let you deal with them much better. I'm saying this in case someone decides to experiment with DMT or other halucinogens, you should seriously consider trying meditation as a prerequisite.

Anything specific practices you recommend? I'm not interested in ayahuasca, but meditation has been on my list for a while now.

a lot of apps are helpful to get you started, but a general example of meditation is being comfortable in good posture while focusing on deep, slow, and calm breaths.

The main goal of meditation is to think of absolutely nothing, and focus in the present.

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#22
post #19
post #9

Ayahuasca is a South American brew consisting of two plants one consisting of a MAOI and another of DMT (the exact plant genus differs). DMT without a MAOI gets broken down by the blood brain barrier, so its not efficient without the MAOI. The MAOI however puts dietary restrictions before the drug is being administered, and also makes the drug last vastly longer. Without the MAOI, the DMT wouldn't last long (IIRC eve…

My only DMT experience lasted about 15 minutes, and that was plenty.

Just dipped your toes in the psychonaut pool then? :P

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#23

WOW. I really enjoy whenever psychedelics hit the mainstream. I'm sitting on the fence regarding psychedelic coming out: blog.mostlydoing.com/2016/04/7-reasons-why-you-dont-psychedelic.html Those who know know, default legal system is still unadvantageous towards drug users.

I was hoping to gain some insight from the link, but it's just immature and condescending...

I have really grown to resent that tone and it's become very popular in a lot of opinion writing on the web. Seeing it from a psychedelic advocate is not doing his cause any favours.

EDIT: Noticed that you wrote that, so to clarify what I'm saying: Your tone implies that it's absurd for somebody to have an opinion contrary to your own. It's not a healthy contribution to anything.

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#24
post #9

Ayahuasca is a South American brew consisting of two plants one consisting of a MAOI and another of DMT (the exact plant genus differs). DMT without a MAOI gets broken down by the blood brain barrier, so its not efficient without the MAOI. The MAOI however puts dietary restrictions before the drug is being administered, and also makes the drug last vastly longer. Without the MAOI, the DMT wouldn't last long (IIRC eve…

[deleted]

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#25

> Could psychedelic drug ayahuasca have health benefits? Certainly, anecdotally I kicked a very strong 20 year coffee and sugar habit after doing a 3-day retreat in Latin America this past winter. Just happened naturally, oh, I don't need this daily coffee and sugar fix anymore. On the flip side, as the article mentions, the psychedlic tourism industry as a whole doesn't have formal safe guards in place for when the…

Can confirm, addictions to sugar, caffeine, alcohol and cannabis evaporated during my trip and did not return for many weeks. I had never felt so peaceful and balanced in my life. Whereas previously I was trying to escape chaos with substances, now consuming substances would only serve unbalance me.

I felt like, wow, this is what a human being is supposed to feel like! When you face what is within you, and process it, it no longer burdens you. Psychedelics seem to facilitate this process.

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anything specific practices you recommend? I'm not interested in ayahuasca, but meditation has been on my list for a while now.

a lot of apps are helpful to get you started, but a general example of meditation is being comfortable in good posture while focusing on deep, slow, and calm breaths. The main goal of meditation is to think of absolutely nothing, and focus in the present.

I always have heard the goal of meditation is not to 'think of nothing' but if a thought enters your mind observe it and let it pass. By 'trying to not think of anything' you are actually thinking of doing just that.

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#29
post #19
post #9

Ayahuasca is a South American brew consisting of two plants one consisting of a MAOI and another of DMT (the exact plant genus differs). DMT without a MAOI gets broken down by the blood brain barrier, so its not efficient without the MAOI. The MAOI however puts dietary restrictions before the drug is being administered, and also makes the drug last vastly longer. Without the MAOI, the DMT wouldn't last long (IIRC eve…

My only DMT experience lasted about 15 minutes, and that was plenty.

Yes, SWIM took DMT and loved it but finds the idea of Ayahuasca very frightening indeed.

Re: Could ayahuasca have health benefits?

#30
post #27

As a practitioner of traditional amazonian spiritual tradition, I and my family drink Ayahuasca on a regular basis and find it to be invaluable, our first line of defense for disease both physical and spiritual.

Did you pick up this tradition through family or did seek out this practice and learn it?
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