Q: “Are Ayahuasca retreats legal in the U.S.?”
A: Retreat centers in the U.S. generally feel as though they have a legal right to use sacred plant medicines in the form of religious freedom, and at least 2 organizations have fought drawn-out legal battles and eventually had that right affirmed by the courts.
However, this doesn’t seem to have resulted in any sort of policy changes within the government, so it remains a sort of murky area where facilities may well have to fight in court to have their rights affirmed as well, with no guarantee of winning. In the meantime, at least a couple retreat centers do operate within the U.S. and have done so for at least a couple years. So you’re welcome to check out their reputations here on AyaAdvisors.
Q: “Can you take Ayahuasca with an SSRI?”
A: Most retreat centers will say “no” out an abundance of caution because SSRI’s ‘trick’ your body into reusing serotonin as opposed to actually creating more, and because Ayahuasca can stimulate the production of more serotonin, you could potentially overload your system (‘serotonin syndrome’). That said and in all practicality, we’re not aware of a single instance of this actually happening. In fact, it can be dangerous to suddenly stop taking an SSRI, and if you’re taking one and decide to stop for the sake of participating in plant medicine ceremonies, it’s best to work with your doctor to slowly taper it off.
Q: “What are the effects of Ayahuasca?”
A: The effects vary from person to person, and can be influenced by your unique body chemistry, as well as your adherence (or lack thereof) to the special diet (often called a ‘dieta’) in the weeks or months leading up to your ceremonies.
In general though, one can expect to experience immersive visual and/or auditory experiences (generally with your eyes closed, but not necessarily). This place one goes to in their head is often referred to as the ‘Spirit World’, and some theorize that the medicine unlocks your brain’s natural ability to access some other dimension. In this space, participants commonly report encountering what is referred to as the plant spirit of Ayahuasca, which for many people is simply a voice in their head that they can converse with and receive life advice from, though some people report seeing visual representations of the plant spirit. Volumes could be said about the various experiences that can happen in this space, but that’s the gist of it.
Q: “Is Ayahuasca dangerous?”
A: Everything has at least a small amount of danger, such as water. If you drink too much of it, you’ll die. But the amount of Ayahuasca that would be needed in order for it to be lethal – though science hasn’t even found an exact number, that we’re aware of – would be WAY beyond the ability for anyone to do accidentally (as in gallons).
That said, if one is predisposed to schizophrenia, for example, then having a mind-altering, psychedelic experience may trigger a mental health episode.
Also, there have been deaths reported as a result of drinking a strong tobacco tea – not actually Ayahuasca, but rather a precursor to the ceremony – which some shamans recommend and have used for many years. Yet somehow, there has been at least one tragic incident that we’re aware of where a person lost their life because of it, and as such, IF tobacco tea is recommendation as a way to purge your system before a ceremony, this should be taken into careful consideration and discussed beforehand.
That said, the tobacco tea doesn’t seem to be common practice any more, and we at AyaAdvisors welcome you to research the reputation of any retreat center you’re considering attending to ensure your safety.
Q: “Do Ayahuasca retreats offer other psychedelic plant medicines?”
A: Another equally powerful plant medicine that’s often offered by retreat centers is called ‘San Pedro’ (or more traditionally ‘Huachuma’), which is a cactus that’s in the same family as Peyote. And it has been used in sacred ceremonies by natives in South America in much the same way Peyote has been used by natives in North America. It has it’s own plant spirit which is sometimes lovingly referred to as ‘Grandfather San Pedro’ because he can provide warm, gentle, and even jovial advice, but he can also provide a verbal swift kick in the ass, if need be.