Ayahuasca studies & articles

[tregar]

Do you have any favorite Ayahuasca article or book links you would like to share? Please share if you like, love to read. I don't post much, but over the last many months have been reading some interesting studies and books which many of you probably already know about and quote elsewhere. I know that endlessness has in the past discussed some of the studies about acidified brews and THH analysis.

From Article 2 linked to below by Gale Highpine entitled "Unraveling the Mystery of the Origin of Ayahuasca" with which I agree in my own experiences. See specifically the sections entitled "The vine and the leaf" & "listening to the vine".

From section "the vine and the leaf":

The leaves were Ayahuasca’s “helpers,” I was told, and their purpose was to “brighten and clarify” the visions. The vine is like a cave, and the leaf is like a torch you use to see what is inside the cave. The vine is like a book, and the leaf is like the candle you use to read the book.8 The vine is like a snowy television set, and the leaf helps to tune in the picture. There was a subtle attitude that the need for strong leaf was the sign of a beginner: An experienced ayahuasquero could see the visions even in low light.

Ayahuasca vine is not visionary in the same way as DMT. Visions from vine-only brews are shadowy, monochromatic, like silhouettes, or curling smoke, or clouds moving across the night sky. It is because their visions are usually monochromatic that vines are classified by the color of vision they produce: white, black, blue, red (in my experience, dark maroon). Snakes, the most common vision on Ayahuasca, are considered the manifest spirit of the vine.9 Vine visions can be hard to see; in fact, the “visions” may not be visual at all, but auditory or somatic or intuitive. But the vine carries the content of the message, the teaching, and the insight. The leaf helps illuminate the content, but the teachings are credited to the vine. Vine visions are “frequently associated with writing, to a code that is present in visions…or in the ‘books’ where the spirits keep the secrets of the forest.” (Calavia Saez 2011:135). The vine is The Teacher, The Healer, The Guide. The purpose of drinking Ayahuasca is to receive the message the vine imparts. This is why it is the vine, not the leaf, that is classified by the type of vision it gives. “For them the vine is, in truth, a living guide, a friend, a paternal authority” (Weiskopf 2005:104).

Great study which lists typical amounts of harmala alkaloids in brews, found it very helpful (see page 2):

hxxp://catbull.com/alamut/Bibliothek/various%20alkaloid%20profiles%20in%20aya%20decoction.pdf

http://catbull.com/alamut/Bibliothek/various%20alkaloid%20profiles%20in%20aya%20decoction.pdf

Why the vine is the most important part of real Ayahuasca, vine & leaf broken down:
hxxp://www.ayahuasca.com/ayahuasca-overviews/unraveling-the-mystery-of-the-origin-of-ayahuasca/

Unraveling the Mystery of the Origin of Ayahuasca

For decades, researchers have puzzled over the mystery of the origin of Ayahuasca, especially the question of how the synergy was discovered between the the two components of the brew: the vine (Ba…

www.ayahuasca.com

The Therapeutic use of Ayahuasca:
hxxps://books.google.com/books?id=h0_ABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA117&lpg=PA117&dq=ayahuasca+withdrawal+maoi&source=bl&ots=UNtHYpZ8CZ&sig=h2-6WU6IDR2pd5qzgyGasyuEYPs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NcgJVYe-E8TYggSJv4SQBA&ved=0CEMQ6AEwBTgK#v=onepage&q=ayahuasca%20withdrawal%20maoi&f=false

The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca

This book presents a series of perspectives on the therapeutic potential of the ritual and clinical use of the Amazonian hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca in the treatment and management of various diseases and ailments, especially its role in psychological well-being and substance dependence...

books.google.com

The Internationalization of Ayahuasca:
hxxps://books.google.com/books?id=49i8-CzmY_oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=beatriz+the+internationalization+of+ayahuasca&hl=en&sa=X&ei=EJMqVaWlA4m_ggSploKYAQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=beatriz%20the%20internationalization%20of%20ayahuasca&f=false

The Internationalization of Ayahuasca

This is a fascinating compilation of medical, psychological and sociological papers on the spread of ayahuasca use...in Brazil and in several European countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands), as well as the USA....highly recommended for serious students of this subject. - Ralph...

books.google.com

"Antipodes of the Mind" by Benny Shanon is his 500pg book on his over 165 Ayahuasca experiences to date & interviews with hundreds of others, A+++ highly recommended despite it's high cost, it took him over 5 to 7 years to write.

Just my little rant below on the possible importance of incorporating traditional caapi + psychotria vs. rue + psychotria:

Caapi contains significant amounts of tetrahydroharmine, and even upwards of 50% to 70% when brewed in specific acidified ways, see study by Callaway on page 2 & 3 above for levels of thh to harmine given in the chart on page 2....whereas there is only 1% or less of THH in rue....why is this important? please see my theory below. However, it may be entirely possible to brew rue in such a way as to convert it's harmaline content into THH as well, so long as the toxic alkaloids are gotten rid of first.

DMT is not a 5-HT1a agonist, it hits all the other receptors real hard though. This is why DMT requires a 5-HT1a agonist like caapi which has THH in it...this way it will then act similar to all the other natural oral entheogens like cactus and Hofman's miracle (which also are very strong 5-ht1a agonist), causing meaningful spiritual, other worldly, akashic record, all manner of meaningful visuals and visions, even the geometrics make since on caapi + dmt, as they progress into repeating rows of flowers, animals, historical scenes, scenes from the future, all manner of great knowledge and spiritual insights to eternity.

5-HT1a receptors make up over 80% of brain receptors according to Dr. Nichols, they must be targetted to shut down serotonin signals in the brain, so that increased and expanded awareness is then made possible, only the combination of DMT with caapi which contains nearly as much thh as it does harmine will this then be made possible. Rue + DMT just does not quite do this...whereas caapi + dmt is very like cactus or hoffman's miracle, a true 6 to 8 hour experience of immense beauty, introspection & spirituality. DMT imho was meant to be used orally with a 5-ht1a agonist, this is why "smoked DMT" will never equal the same experience as Ayahuasca imho, it must shut down 80% of the brain's serotonin signals to be transported to "the other world" of eternal spiritual teachings & visions, this can only be done imho by using caapi which often has much THH as it does harmine, sometimes very much more depending upon the method of brewing the caapi, usually long boils in acidic solution for long periods turn a brew into one with 50% to sometimes as much as 60% or more thh, ie known as "the force" by Shamans.

The study above in link #1 from catbull on pages 2 and 3 display this unusually high ratio of Thh to harmine in the decoctions from the Santo Daime, UDV, native Shuar Indians, etc. The chart illustrates over 28 brews analyzed for harmine, THH & harmaline content. My personal opinion is that much of the harmaline is being converted into THH so that none remains, the Shamans of the Santo Daime & Shuar Indians appear to be some of the best of this method of brewing, as the analysis of many of their brews show more THH than harmine, with zero amounts of harmaline, apparently they have learned over time how to construct brews this way with long periods of boiling in acidic water.

From the chart in entries #22-#25 on page 2 of Callaway study, it is apparent to me that the Leaders of the Santo Daime have mastered the art of converting the harmaline in the caapi brews to THH, with zero harmaline left, very fascinating. The table on page 3 of the study found an overall combined average of just as much harmine as THH in all the caapi brewed decoctions.

Thomas S. Ray, Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome (2010):

Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome

We currently understand the mental effects of psychedelics to be caused by agonism or partial agonism of 5-HT2A (and possibly 5-HT2C) receptors, and we understand that psychedelic drugs, especially phenylalkylamines, are fairly selective for these two receptors. This manuscript is a reference...

journals.plos.org

hxxp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009019

Breadth of Receptor Binding, 4.00=max, 0.00=min

LSD: 5ht1a = 3.73, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.88, mescaline = 3.61
LSD: 5ht1b = 4.00, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.19, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: 5ht1d = 3.70, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 3.40, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: 5ht1e = 2.62, DMT: = 3.28, psilocin = 3.03, mescaline = 3.16
LSD: 5ht2a = 3.54, DMT: = 2.58, psilocin = 2.14, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: 5ht2b = 3.11, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 4.00, mescaline = 3.97
LSD: 5ht2c = 3.11, DMT: = 3.42, psilocin = 2.52, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: 5ht5a = 3.64, DMT: = 3.16, psilocin = 2.83, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: -5ht6 = 3.75, DMT: = 3.35, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: -5ht7 = 3.77, DMT: = 4.00, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: ---D1 = 2.34, DMT: = 3.51, psilocin = 3.37, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: -A-2A = 2.93, DMT: = 2.75, psilocin = 1.36, mescaline = 2.92
LSD: -A-2B = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.57, mescaline = 0.00
LSD: -A-2C = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.03, mescaline = 4.00

Theory expanded: notice above how all the great classic oral entheogens target the 5-Ht1a receptors in the brain (make up over 80% of brain 5-ht receptors), DMT lacks this important activity which is still needed, but which is made up for by the THH in caapi, which is a very strong 5-ht1a agonist. The two work hand in hand, caapi + admixture then. Dr. Nichols saids that targetting the 5-ht1a receptors in the brain shut down serotonin signals, or "the filters", as Aldous Huxley postulates; shutting down the brain's daily filters help to transport one to Other Worldly Spiritual realms. The reason I think DMT lacks this important 5-ht1a agonist activity is because it is too busy targetting all the other receptors in the brain with great strength (this is apparent from the chart)...it can only do so much, hence it's need for the Caapi to complete itself.

 

[dreamer042]

This is quite an interesting theory. :thumb_up:

The THH thing is interesting, but I don't think it's exactly as straightforward as proposed here. It is true that analysis of traditional caapi brews do tend to show rather high amounts of THH and this undoubtedly effects the subjective experience. However, if you look at our own analysis of various caapi vines before they are brewed, you will see that the relative amounts of THH in the vine itself are rather low. This suggests, as you mentioned, that the creation of THH in the brew is the result of harmaline reduction via prolonged boiling. This being the case, with rue containing substantially moar harmaline than caapi, theoretically a prolonged boil on rue should create much higher levels of THH than those found in caapi. Generally people tend to only boil rue for a short time, and as we well know, traditional caapi brews are boiled for extensive periods. So I do agree with you on the role of THH in caapi and how it is created in caapi brews, but I think it's pertinent to do some further research before discounting the potential of rue in this regard. Also just to nitpick, the Vasicine and Vasicinone in rue are only toxic if you happen to be a tumor or a fetus. They actually have some healthy respiratory and antioxidant effects.

The possible role of the 5ht1a receptors is very interesting, and thank you for the nice paper on the receptor binding profiles. I stumbled across a paper suggesting that 5-MEO-DMT is essentially a 5ht1a receptor agonist, which lends further credence to your theory. I'm going to assume you are familiar with the psilocybin fMRI study and the role of the default mode network in psychedelic/meditative/hypnotic experiences and the comparisons of that network to Huxley's "reducing valve". It is interesting to note that modulation of the DMN has been linked to the 5ht1a receptors. Actually the further I look into your theory the moar support I am finding...

I do have a couple critiques though.

We are well aware pure dimethyltryptamine when smoalked or injected does in fact create fully immersive otherworldly experiences often touted to be extremely spiritual/healing/teaching by users. Typically these kinds of "breakthrough" experiences are achieved moar readily and smoothly via dosing pure dimethyltryptamine than using ayahausca/psilocybin/LSD/mescaline. So I think it's a fallacy to claim experiences with these other medicines are somehow moar meaningful/spiritual/insightful than those encountered via pure DMT. They certainly are longer lasting which allows for better exploration/integration, but that is generally attributed to metabolism rather than specific receptor activity.

I also think it's a bit too reductionist to attribute such profound psychological effects to any one receptor. It's important to keep in the mind the complexity of the biochemical balance of the brain and nervous system. Also, let's not forget the density of serotonin receptors in the stomach and the possible involvement of the sigma receptors in these states, just to name a couple of the many other factors worth taking into account.

In regards to some of my favorite studies I often like to point to the the Grob et al study on long term ayahausca use in the Diame. I also like this moar recent Santos et al study on the effects of ayahuasca on anxiety, panic, and hopelessness. Lastly I also like to tout around this Silveira et al study on ayahausca use in adolescents. As far as books, I really enjoyed The Cosmic Serpent and think it has a lot of really fascinating connections and ideas. Though there is one spot where I think Jeremy missed the mark a bit, he tries to make some strong connections between ayahausca and tobacco based on DMT and nicotine that I feel were a bit suprious as he overlooked the super obvious connection that is harmalas, right track wrong compounds imo. Other than that small critique, it's an excellent book and highly worth the read for anyone that hasn't yet encountered it.

 

[universecannon]

Interesting thread

I agree with the quote at the top of the OP on the role of the vine/leaf

Short on time but side note: Has anyone done a long boil on rue and then had it analyzed to see if there was abnormally high levels of THH? That would be very interesting considering it's harmaline content, as dreamer said.

Do you have any favorite Ayahuasca article or book links you would like to share? Please share if you like, love to read. I don't post much, but over the last many months have been reading some interesting studies and books which many of you probably already know about and quote elsewhere. I know that endlessness has in the past discussed some of the studies about acidified brews and THH analysis.

You might want to browse this thread as well if you haven't yet 8)

Scientific Articles on DMT/Ayahuasca/Psychedelics - DMT Discussion - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

 

[tregar]

Thanks dreamer042 for the info on 5-meo-dmt being a strong 5-ht1a agonist as well, I have read the great book by the author who has taken 5-meo-dmt for many years as well ("Tryptamine Palace" by James Oroc, 5-meo-dmt & the Sonoran Desert Toad), and in each one of his reports he remarks on the extreme spiritual nature of the trips, in fact those trips he saids converted him from a strict atheist to a believer in Divinity, ie the God head he remarks in the book. I have read the studies you list and have the book "The Cosmic Serpent" as well, thanks for linking!

This is exactly the theoretical point I touch on above as well, great find! I do agree that it is unwise to attribute any emotional data with any one receptor; just there are several papers by Dr. Nichols stating the importance of 5-ht1a being a target of all the important natural oral entheogens, and as 5-ht1a make up over 80% of all brain 5-ht receptors, they seem to have a major part to play, that's basically my only thought. I have studied receptor data for many years, and have noticed that basically all of the man-made so called entheogens lack significant strength at the 5-ht1a or have zero effect at the 5-ht1a receptors. The man-made synthetic 25i-nbome for example has zero effect at the 5-ht1a receptors, as do most of the rest of the man-made synthetics. These natural made entheogens seem to be "specific keys" created by a higher power that unlock the full potential of a person, and any bit of man-made tweaking with them renders them much less than perfect in their ability to unlock the doors imho.

Thanks universecannon for the endlessness master Ayahuasca study link, much appreciated! had not seen that one, will keep me busy reading for weeks.

Here is a revised chart with 5-meo-dmt listed:

Thomas S. Ray, Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome (2010):

Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome

We currently understand the mental effects of psychedelics to be caused by agonism or partial agonism of 5-HT2A (and possibly 5-HT2C) receptors, and we understand that psychedelic drugs, especially phenylalkylamines, are fairly selective for these two receptors. This manuscript is a reference...

journals.plos.org

hxxp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009019

Breadth of Receptor Binding, 4.00=max, 0.00=min

LSD: 5ht1a = 3.73, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.88, mescaline = 3.61, 5-meo-DMT: = 4.00 (make up >80% of brain 5-ht)
LSD: 5ht1b = 4.00, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.19, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.41
LSD: 5ht1d = 3.70, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 3.40, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 3.48
LSD: 5ht1e = 2.62, DMT: = 3.28, psilocin = 3.03, mescaline = 3.16, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.72
LSD: 5ht2a = 3.54, DMT: = 2.58, psilocin = 2.14, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.98
LSD: 5ht2b = 3.11, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 4.00, mescaline = 3.97, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.69
LSD: 5ht2c = 3.11, DMT: = 3.42, psilocin = 2.52, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.55
LSD: 5ht5a = 3.64, DMT: = 3.16, psilocin = 2.83, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.84
LSD: -5ht6 = 3.75, DMT: = 3.35, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.73
LSD: -5ht7 = 3.77, DMT: = 4.00, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 3.69
LSD: ---D1 = 2.34, DMT: = 3.51, psilocin = 3.37, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.38
LSD: -A-2A = 2.93, DMT: = 2.75, psilocin = 1.36, mescaline = 2.92, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.00
LSD: -A-2B = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.57, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.86
LSD: -A-2C = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.03, mescaline = 4.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.57

Subjectively, as we go thru day to day daily life, "give us this day our daily filters" so that we will not be overwhelmed by the perception of the way things would appear to an un-filtered mind, or "Mind at Large" as Aldous Huxley describes it in "Doors of Perception" as "infinite or eternal". Entheogens that target the 5-ht1a receptors in the brain, do precisely this, shutting down serotonin signals in the brain. 5-ht1a receptors in the brain make up more than 80% of brain 5-ht according to Dr. Nichols, this is a very important attribute of all the natural oral entheogens as can be seen by the charts above.

I've looked at the data on the majority of all the man-made so called entheogens and they all lack this all-important 5-ht1a targetting quality, either totally lacking it, or it is very weak at best, unlike the natural's which target these 5-ht1a receptors heavily.

My only point is that when psychotria is taken with caapi, it is fully activated in that caapi does the all important work of shutting down 5-ht1a, allowing psychotria to light up the all important teaching, healing, historic, present & future visions from the caapi...information & teachings that would otherwise not make it to the mind with the daily filters in place imho, filters that allow us to go about our day to day lives of work, etc. However, many rare mystics can access this plane of reality naturally without entheogens, but they are few and far between.

 

[tregar]

Translation of 2005 Callaway study linked to above, pg2, typical 100ml amount:

tetrahydroharmine---harmaline---harmine-Source--entry#
------------------------------------------------------
183mg---------------9mg---------172mg--UDV-----------1 thh > harmine
210mg---------------8mg----------97mg--UDV-----------2 thh > harmine
174mg---------------70mg---------87mg--UDV-----------3 thh > harmine
179mg---------------8mg----------98mg--UDV-----------5 thh > harmine
194mg---------------8mg---------238mg--UDV-----------6
127mg---------------5mg---------158mg--UDV-----------7
120mg---------------4mg----------45mg--UDV-----------8 thh > harmine
123mg---------------4mg---------158mg--UDV-----------9
181mg---------------23mg--------196mg--UDV----------14 near 1:1 ratio
163mg---------------30mg--------180mg--UDV----------18 near 1:1 ratio
147mg---------------0mg---------183mg--UDV----------20
168mg---------------0mg---------198mg--Santo Daime--22 near 1:1 ratio
238mg---------------6mg---------216mg--Shuar Indian-25 thh > harmine
184mg---------------6mg---------226mg--Shuar Indian-26
153mg---------------6mg---------117mg--Shuar Indian-27
125mg---------------2mg---------145mg--Shuar Indian-28
163mg---------------0mg---------180mg--Shuar Indian-29 near 1:1 ratio

On page 3 of the study, Callaway averaged all 29 entries & found an average 1:1 ratio of thh to harmine.

Subjectively, music sounds quite beautiful with caapi having good levels of thh, living things shine as if lit by an inner light, as if created anew on the first day of creation, geometrics progress into visions of all things past, present, and future, time is eternal, direct access to the Akashic record, where all knowledge, information and wisdom is stored on a spiritual plane with no such thing as "time", so past, present, and future access is available for healing, teaching & divine inspiration. Visions are "perfect" in the sense that they are Platonic "ideals" with no faults, pristine and lit as if dripping with diamonds and rare jewels, sparkling perfection.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Subjectively, music sounds quite beautiful with caapi high in thh...

It seems you are attributing myriads of effects to "caapi high in THH"...pretty much every effect you listed if I understand what you are saying.

How can you know this? How do you know whether your caapi (or resulting brew) is high in THH? Are you doing quantitative analysis? What threshold are you qualifying as "high"?

Your subjective experiences are fine to share, but it seems like a bit of a stretch to make some of these claims.

 

[rOm]

Hah ! I find music quite beautiful with most mind altering susbtance already being harmaline harmine, THH, ibogaine, n,n-DMT, psilocybin ...

 

[Redguard]

Translation of 2005 Callaway study linked to above, pg2, typical 100ml amount:

tetrahydroharmine---harmaline---harmine-Source--entry#
------------------------------------------------------
183mg---------------9mg---------172mg--UDV-----------1 thh > harmine
210mg---------------8mg----------97mg--UDV-----------2 thh > harmine
174mg---------------70mg---------87mg--UDV-----------3 thh > harmine
179mg---------------8mg----------98mg--UDV-----------5 thh > harmine
194mg---------------8mg---------238mg--UDV-----------6
127mg---------------5mg---------158mg--UDV-----------7
120mg---------------4mg----------45mg--UDV-----------8 thh > harmine
123mg---------------4mg---------158mg--UDV-----------9
181mg---------------23mg--------196mg--UDV----------14 near 1:1 ratio
163mg---------------30mg--------180mg--UDV----------18 near 1:1 ratio
147mg---------------0mg---------183mg--UDV----------20
168mg---------------0mg---------198mg--Santo Daime--22 near 1:1 ratio
238mg---------------6mg---------216mg--Shuar Indian-25 thh > harmine
184mg---------------6mg---------226mg--Shuar Indian-26
153mg---------------6mg---------117mg--Shuar Indian-27
125mg---------------2mg---------145mg--Shuar Indian-28
163mg---------------0mg---------180mg--Shuar Indian-29 near 1:1 ratio

On page 3 of the study, Callaway averaged all 29 entries & found an average 1:1 ratio of thh to harmine.

Subjectively, music sounds quite beautiful with caapi high in thh, living things shine as if lit by an inner light, as if created anew on the first day of creation, geometrics progress into visions of all things past, present, and future, time is eternal, direct access to the Akashic record, where all knowledge, information and wisdom is stored on a spiritual plane with no such thing as "time", so past, present, and future access is available for healing, teaching & divine inspiration. Visions are "perfect" in the sense that they are Platonic "ideals" with no faults, pristine and lit as if dripping with diamonds and rare jewels, sparkling perfection.

Caapi decoctions that are high in THH are easy to discern as THH has a half-life of 10 hours or around 660 minutes, so the effects are long lasting, which is why I take the brew early in the morning. While the harmine and harmaline has long worn off, the THH keeps going strong with it's interesting healing, sound, vision, & entheogenic properties.

I really need to get into my caapi more often! I take it these effects were from a caapi only brew?

 

[tregar]

MAPS - Volume 3 Number 4 Winter 1992-93 - Use of Ayahuasca in Brazil

hxxp://www.maps.org/news-letters/v03n4/03429aya.html

There are several types of ritual. In the "official works," the community will dance for up to 12 hours in a specific formation and rhythm to generate an energy current, with the Daime being drunk several times during the night. In the healing rituals, the participants generally sit around the altar and one or more people are the recipients of the healing. The deeper cause of the illness is often revealed during the work, in a vision which is called a "miracao." The making of the Daime is also done in a ritual called the "feitio" in which the vine and the leaf are cooked together into a tea. It is said that the vine gives the "strength" and the leaf gives the "light" or the capacity for visions.

 

[SnozzleBerry]

Subjectively, music sounds quite beautiful with caapi high in thh...

It seems you are attributing myriads of effects to "caapi high in THH"...pretty much every effect you listed if I understand what you are saying.

How can you know this? How do you know whether your caapi (or resulting brew) is high in THH? Are you doing quantitative analysis? What threshold are you qualifying as "high"?

Your subjective experiences are fine to share, but it seems like a bit of a stretch to make some of these claims.

 

[a1pha]

Is this study floating around somewhere? Apologies if so!

"Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in
patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report"

 

[dreamer042]

Nice one a1pha!

Thanks for that. :thumb_up:

 

[tregar]

No qualitative analysis other than intuition so disregard everything I say.

 

[universecannon]

Harmine and harmaline can have effects lasting way longer than 5.5 hours. I've had them last over 12 before.

From what I understand the Shuar referring to caapi itself as 'The Force', not THH specifically. Where did you learn that?

 

[tregar]

Metzner refers to "the Force" as thh in the book "Ayahuasca" by Ralph Metzner, see section on alkaloid content of the vine, before halfway point of the book.

Highly recommended recent books about Ayahuasca & related:

1) Shannon, Benny "Antipodes of the Mind" (474pg book covering a decade of author's 165 Ayahuasca sessions & interviews with hundreds of others, this book is so good I've worn it thin A+++)

The Antipodes of the Mind

This is a pioneering cognitive psychological study of Ayahuasca, a plant-based Amazonian psychotropic brew. Benny Shanon presents a comprehensive charting of the various facets of the special state of mind induced by Ayahuasca, and analyzes them from a cognitive psychological perspective. He...

books.google.com

hxxp://books.google.com/books/about/The_Antipodes_of_the_Mind.html?id=D33mngEACAAJ

2) Wright, Tony (2014) "Return to the Brain of Eden: Restoring the Connection between Neurochemistry and Consciousness" (excellent book on MAO inhibitors diet & evolution)

Return to the Brain of Eden

An exploration of our fall from the pinnacle of human evolution 200,000 years ago and how we can begin our return • Explores recent neurological and psychological research on the brain and the role of plant biochemistry in human brain expansion • Explains how humanity’s prehistoric diet change...

books.google.com

hxxp://books.google.com/books/about/Return_to_the_Brain_of_Eden.html?id=PsWSAwAAQBAJ

Fruit for Thought: ‘Return to the Brain of Eden’ Book Review | Reality Sandwich

The news of our retarded left brain at the helm is the morbidly entertaining part of the thesis. Indeed, it may seem obvious to keen observers of human calamity, but the authors look deep into the past for some real answers.

realitysandwich.com

hxxp://realitysandwich.com/220103/fruit-for-thought-return-to-the-brain-of-eden-book-review/

3) Buhner, Stephen (2014) "Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Beyond the Doors of Perception into the Dreaming of Earth" (excellent book of 576 pages concerning the sacredness of all living systems & the Gaian mind)

Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm

A manual for opening the doors of perception and directly engaging the intelligence of the Natural World • Provides exercises to directly perceive and interact with the complex, living, self-organizing being that is Gaia • Reveals that every life form on Earth is highly intelligent and...

books.google.com

hxxp://books.google.com/books/about/Plant_Intelligence_and_the_Imaginal_Real.html?id=uQsgnwEACAAJ

4) Hancock, Graham (April 2015) "The Divine Spark: A Graham Hancock Reader: Psychedelics, Consciousness, and the Birth of Civilization" (excellent collection of essays, similar to the "Entheogens & the future of Religion" series), Graham's book before this "Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind" (2006) was also a masterpiece...which came out a few years after Benny shannon's forever classic "Antipodes of the Mind".

The Divine Spark: A Graham Hancock Reader

"I suspect the real breakthroughs in our understanding of consciousness are going to come from an entirely different direction. That direction, controversially, has to do with psychedelics--which, as many of the contributors to The Divine Spark argue, offer spectacular potential for the...

books.google.com

hxxp://books.google.com/books/about/The_Divine_Spark_A_Graham_Hancock_Reader.html?id=cHDkBgAAQBAJ

5) Slattery, Diana (Jan 2015) "Xenolinguistics: Psychedelics, Language, and the Evolution of Consciousness" (a first-person ethnographic account of the psychonautic landscape)

view some of it here:

Xenolinguistics

Are language and consciousness co-evolving? Can psychedelic experience cast light on this topic? In the Western world, we stand at the dawn of the psychedelic age with advances in neuroscience; a proliferation of new psychoactive substances, both legal and illegal; the anthropology of ayahuasca...

books.google.com

hxxps://books.google.com/books?id=QgcDBAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=books+google+%22Xenolinguistics:+Psychedelics,+Language,+and+the+Evolution+of+Consciousness&hl=en&sa=X&ei=C2pGVdDrFpGwogSNiIHgBQ&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=books%20google%20%22Xenolinguistics%3A%20Psychedelics%2C%20Language%2C%20and%20the%20Evolution%20of%20Consciousness&f=false

 

[tregar]

2010: important new info on MAO-A & MAO-B properties of THH:

THH inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO)-A and MAO-B with much weaker potency (IC50s = 74 nM and >100 μM, respectively) compared to the companion harmala alkaloids also found in B. caapi:

THH (IC50s = 74 nM and >100 uM, respectively)
harmaline (IC50s = 2.5 nM and 25 μM, respectively) and
harmine (IC50s = 2 nM and 20 μM, respectively).1,2.

1) Samoylenko, V & Rahman, M.M. J Ethnopharmacol 127(2) 357-367 (2010)
2) Wang, Y. Samoylenko J Ethnopharmacol 128(3) 661-671 (2010)

Also, Harmine is about 100 times more potent at binding to DNA than harmaline is, see wikipedia entry for "harmine". This has important implications according to Mckenna in his book "The Invisible Landscape". If there are messages and an eternal interactive spiritual teacher built into our "Junk DNA" which scientist know nothing about, yet makes up most of our DNA [see Graham Hancock, "Supernatural, Ancient Teachers of Mankind"], then harmine may have an important part to play in accessing this information.

Harmine has half life of 1-3 hours
Harmaline has half life of 3-9 hours
THH has half life of 11 hours

THH is a very strong 5-HT1A agonist (and according to Dr. Nichols, 5-HT1a receptors make up over 80% of total brain 5-ht), DMT lacks this important 5-HT1a agonizing effect which it gains back when THH is incorporated into a brew with it. DMT is too "busy" stimulating the rest of the brain's 20% of 5-HT with great strength, it can't do everything which is why I think the two are helpers to each other. According to Dr. Nichols, when 5-ht1a receptors are agonized in the brain, serotonin siganls are blocked or shut down, and imho, this then allows access to hidden dimensions:

IMHO, the spirit world where time and space is nonexistent, yet all knowledge from past, present, and future is kept, ie. the Akashic record or "zero point field" (see string theory metaphysics) or the episode of Ancient Aliens dealing entitled "Prophets and Prophecies" for more information on this topic 1/2 way thru the episode.

Benny Shanon in his book "Antipodes of the Mind" charts and categorizes all the various things seen in visions in his book, in which have seen as well, imho, this knowledge does indeed come from a hidden dimension or reality outside of ourselves, which we can "tune into" under the right conditions, some rare mystics can do this naturally.

 

[dreamer042]

THH is a very strong 5-HT1A agonist (and according to Dr. Nichols, 5-HT1a receptors make up over 80% of total brain 5-ht), DMT lacks this important 5-HT1a agonizing effect which it gains back when THH is incorporated into a brew with it. DMT is too "busy" stimulating the rest of the brain's 20% of 5-HT with great strength, it can't do everything which is why I think the two are helpers to each other. According to Dr. Nichols, when 5-ht1a receptors are agonized in the brain, serotonin siganls are blocked or shut down, and imho, this then allows access to hidden dimensions

But DMT gives access to hidden dimensions/visionary realms/spiritual experiences all by itself. What do you perceive the difference to be with ayahuasca? How exactly would you define the subjective effect of this 5ht1 receptor agonism? Is caapi + oral DMT doing something profoundly different than rue + oral DMT?

 

[tregar]

If you have ever taken very large doses of mescaline or LSD, then you will know exactly what a 5-ht1a incorporated entheogenic spiritual experience is like, as Ayahuasca is no different. I've included what can be seen on a typical large dose of caapi with just a hint of psychotria added (10 to 15g of good Hawaiian leaf) to light up the visions of the caapi below, From the book "Antipodes of the Mind" & "Supernatural, the ancient teachers of mankind" from Graham Hancock below, there is a lesson and story and theme to each session, it is like attending a University each time you take it, it progresses in stages in session, Ayahuasca can be referred to as "the original tree of knowledge" as Benny refers to it in his book, perfect description imho.

Another example: just a month ago, I took a very large brewed dose of caapi, lay down and closed me eyes with no admixture, I saw in monochrome color a chalkboard full of scientific discoveries and mathematical equations, and for the next hour with closed eyes in darkness with still shades over my eyes continued to see dream like visions of far away places, people and historical events, all in perfect detail, extraordinarily beautiful and perfect & precise, this is all without anything added. If I had wanted to see the same visions only in color and brightly lit up, I would have added a small amount of psychotria brew. The kinds of things I was shown I have never seen in my dreams before, they were unrelated to my daily day to day life and were fantastic and other worldly in their beauty and precision, yet all the visions seen that morning were related to life here on this Earth and how we humans & animals fit into it.

I litter my posts with references and other people's experiences and studies as that is how I conduct my own research, learn as much as you can from others before forming your own hypothesis and opinions, while incorporating your own experiences to form a conclusion:

Thomas S. Ray, Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome (2010):

Psychedelics and the Human Receptorome

We currently understand the mental effects of psychedelics to be caused by agonism or partial agonism of 5-HT2A (and possibly 5-HT2C) receptors, and we understand that psychedelic drugs, especially phenylalkylamines, are fairly selective for these two receptors. This manuscript is a reference...

journals.plos.org

hxxp://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0009019

Breadth of Receptor Binding, 4.00=max, 0.00=min

LSD: 5ht1a = 3.73, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.88, mescaline = 3.61, 5-meo-DMT: = 4.00 (make up >80% of brain 5-ht)
LSD: 5ht1b = 4.00, DMT: = 0.00, psilocin = 2.19, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.41
LSD: 5ht1d = 3.70, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 3.40, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 3.48
LSD: 5ht1e = 2.62, DMT: = 3.28, psilocin = 3.03, mescaline = 3.16, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.72
LSD: 5ht2a = 3.54, DMT: = 2.58, psilocin = 2.14, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.98
LSD: 5ht2b = 3.11, DMT: = 3.91, psilocin = 4.00, mescaline = 3.97, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.69
LSD: 5ht2c = 3.11, DMT: = 3.42, psilocin = 2.52, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.55
LSD: 5ht5a = 3.64, DMT: = 3.16, psilocin = 2.83, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.84
LSD: -5ht6 = 3.75, DMT: = 3.35, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.73
LSD: -5ht7 = 3.77, DMT: = 4.00, psilocin = 2.82, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 3.69
LSD: ---D1 = 2.34, DMT: = 3.51, psilocin = 3.37, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 2.38
LSD: -A-2A = 2.93, DMT: = 2.75, psilocin = 1.36, mescaline = 2.92, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.00
LSD: -A-2B = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.57, mescaline = 0.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 0.86
LSD: -A-2C = 0.00, DMT: = 3.53, psilocin = 1.03, mescaline = 4.00, 5-meo-DMT: = 1.57

Graham Hancock, "Supernatural", pg 428:

My experience with smoked DMT was qualitatively different from the realms and beings ayahuasca introduced me to. For whereas the ayahuasca worlds seemed rich, luxurious, and abundant in the transformations of organic and supernatural life, DMT brought me to a world--or to some aspect of a world--that appeared from the outset to be highly artificial, constructed, inorganic, and in essence technological.

Graham Hancock, "Supernatural", pg 50
On another night the ayahuasca visions begin very differently, After an initial bout of geometry and ladders I find myself inside a building--a huge structure a bit like the ancient Egyptian temple of Edfu at its entrance but opening out into something quite other. Fantastic architecture on an extraordinary scale. I have a computercam point of view and can fly around, zoom in or zoom out anywhere. I fly up into a vast dome, examine the patterns of nested curves that decorate its ceiling.

Graham Hancock, "Supernatural", pg 56
27 January: The visions begin with 20 minutes of geometry; then suddenly I find myself looking, at very close range, into a shockingly "alien" face, grey in colour, with a wide domed forehead and a narrow pointed chin--heart-shaped like the faces of the "light-beings" I'd encountered a few days earlier. It's eyes are multi-segmented like those of a fly. Frankly, it's the sort of image you'd expect to see adorning some far fetched X-files expose, and since aliens and ETs have never been interests of mine, I'm really puzzled to experience such a hallucination.

A short while later, out of a background of shifting geometrical patterns, a beautiful Egyptian goddess appears, I see only her head and headdress clearly. She's in full regalia. Then she vanishes as abruptly and mysteriously as she arrived.

Graham Hancock, "Supernatural", pg 64
The Udv session runs from 9pm until about 1:20am. I drink my brew at 9:20 pm and am having good visions by 9:45. The first hour after drinking --until 10:20--passes in what feels, subjectively, like an instant.

My visions are familiar and positive--perhaps more brightly lit, less "darkness visible" than before. What I remember clearly are large snakes (again!), light-coloured boas, huge, coiling around each other and around branches. I also get pyramid shapes built around a lattice or framework of some kind.

But the best part of the evening is when the same Egyptian goddess whom I saw in Peru reappears--this time on the left side of my visual field. At first she is concealed, in shadow. I look closely and see a slender female figure holding a dark blue mask in front of her face--one of those masks on a stick. Then she removes the mask and I see her face clearly in the instant before she vanishes once more. She glows the colour of molten gold.

Kusel (his very first Ayahuasca session in the jungle) "Antipodes of the mind", pg 18:

The first visual experience was like fireworks. Then a continuously creating power produced a wealth of simple and elaborate flat patterns in colour. There were patterns that consisted of twining repeats, and others geometrically organized with rectangles or squares that were like Maya designs or those decorations which the Chama Indians paint on their thin, ringing pottery.

The visions were in constant flux. First, intermittently, then successively, the flat patterns gave way to deep-brown, purple or green depths, like dimly lighted caves in which the walls were too far away to be perceived.

At times snake-like stems of plants were growing profusely in the depths, at others these were covered with arrangements of myriads or lights that like dewdrops or gems adorned them. Now and then brilliant light illuminated the scene as though by photographic flash, showing wide landscapes with trees placed at regular intervals or just empty plains. A big ship with many flags appeared in one of these flashes, a merry-go-round with people dressed in highly coloured garments in another.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the dark walls of the jungle covered with jewels as if a net of lights had been thrown over it. Upon closing my eyes again, I could renew the procession of slick, well-lighted images.

The color scheme became a harmony of dark brown and greens. Naked dancers appeared turning slowly in spiral movements. Spots of brassy lights played on their bodies which gave them the texture of polished stones. Their faces were inclined and hidden in deep shadows.

Their coming into existence in the centre of the vision coincided with the rhythm of the song, and they advanced forward to the sides, turning slowly. I longed to see their faces. At last the whole field of vision was taken up by a single dancer with inclined face covered by a raised arm. As my desire to see the face became unendurable, it appeared suddenly in full close-up with closed eyes. I know that when the extraordinary face opened then, I experienced a satisfaction of a kind I had never known. It was the visual solution of a personal riddle.

Shanon:

Often, the things I saw under the intoxication impressed me as being so real that the conclusion seemed to be unavoidable: truly existing other realities are being revealed. Believing that this is the case is very common with drinkers of Ayahuasca. Both during the course of the intoxication and afterwards the question repeatedly forces itself: Does this really exist? Over and over again I have heard people express the same feelings of puzzlement and intrigue: Where do all the wondrous things revealed in the visions come from? What do they mean? The things seen with Ayahuasca often strike people as so different from anything they have seen or known that they cannot be the products of their own intellect. Universally, drinkers of Ayahuasca feel that these things are too fantastic to be merely the products of the imaginative power of their own mind. If a supernatural realm, the term usually employed is "the astral" exists in any sense, many further questions ensue. What is the relationship between this realm and the physical world? What is the relationship between it and the human mind, between it and the brain? Does the supernatural or transpersonal consist of only one realm or many?

Many Ayahuasca visions lead one to an appreciation of the Divine and of the sacred dimension of being. A Shaman told me that "at first Ayahuasca shows you this world, then later on it shows you other worlds."

Especially impressive are visions that may be likened to visits to galleries or museums. As already mentioned in the previous chapter, once I found myself shown an exhibition displaying the works of an entire culture. Various works of art and artefacts were displayed. They were all of a style that resembled nothing that I had ever seen before in my life. What was striking was that the different objects on display all defined one coherent style. Similar visions were reported to me by several other persons.

One of my most experienced informants told me that some of the most impressive Ayahuasca sessions he has had involved his being transferred to other realms which apparently pertained to a different dimension. In these realms, the laws of physics were different from those that hold true here in this world. He encountered there beings totally different from those inhabiting planet Earth. They were flat and they proposed that he stay with them and learn the mysteries of the universe. The requirement was, however, that he lose his materiality. My friend declined and opted to return to this world. The vision with the mathematical formulae reported by a South American man and mentioned in the previous chapter is another example of a vision whose theme was the mysteries of the universe.

An effect that borders between the sensory and the interpretative is that of beautification. With Ayahuasca, music sounds immensely beautiful. One's perception of minute aspects of the music is heightened and it often sounds--literally--heavenly.

 

[tregar]

Shanon, Benny Antipodes of the Mind:
The first example consists of a "real-time" verbatim report of what I saw in one session in which I partook of Ayahuasca by myself. I spoke aloud describing what I was seeing and notes were taken by the person who watched me, the entire sequence lasted about 40 minutes:

A golden crystal chalice.

Flowers. In the flowers there are birds and insects and the birds go up and up.

A wheel is turning and there is a rod that is turning round and round. From it, a fire ignites.

An old man holds a taper and from it the fire climbs up and up.

A futuristic city.

A Chinese king is sitting and turning his parasol. Now he is in his study. In the background, birds are kissing one another.

A great hall--like an animated movie.

There is a code here--like that of Morse or the genetic code. The code is constituted by many, many dots, the density between which varies. All this is a language calling to be deciphered.

There is something that pushes up and up. It is like a mountain train. All the time it goes up and up.

A car from the 1920s, Delightfully magnificent. From it emerge light and flowers. Advancing with this light, we pass along gold-plated walls and come out through a staircase made out of gold and ivory. The steps go up and down and reach a theatre.

Up in the heavens there is a woman escorted by a man. In the woman's hand there is a torch that swirls. Lights come out of it in the form of flags and the flags turn into hats full of gems. The gems are sparkling.

A scene in Europe in the 16th or perhaps the 18th century. Knights are riding. They are mounted upon magic motorcycles full of colours and light. All is like a cartoon and enchanted. It is all part of a big procession. There are also small dwarfs there. Two of them are holding a banner with the insignia of the sovereign.

An Indian is smoking a big pipe. Through an old telescope, a man is peering into the far reaches of the universe. A view of the planet Earth turning round and round.

Beautiful gardens like Versailles and the Tuilleries.

There are ballerinas there. Like a cabaret. Their thighs are exposed. One woman gets to the balustrade and is watching the audience.

The Indian is smiling. The message is that "all of these are the expressions of the same source, a source of bounty and grace."

In a Kings' reception hall. There are chalices full of wine. Long processions of carriages proceed further and further. Slowly, all the time, the horsemen are pushing forward. In the hall, the seats are made out of silver. There is a feast. A big pot is placed in the middle. A fruit salad is offered in goblets of finely polished, very clear glass. Slowly, the chef pours some sort of syrup or gooey topping. The sauce covers the fruit and then it ascends upwards.

An elephant lifts up its trunk high and looks far, far forward. Up there are birds and they are looking in my direction. There are flowers, and butterflies are flying from flower to flower. All are washed in the light of the sun.

Women are dancing. Carriages come one after the other and the wine flows. An officer approaches a carriage and salutes. The footman bows and opens the carriage's door. The Queen is stepping out.

 

[tregar]

Shanon, Benny Antipodes of the Mind:
The second example was provided by a young man who partook of Ayahuasca in private sessions conducted in Europe:

Animals. Those seen most frequently were serpents, felines, and birds. Some of the serpents were ornate, like Chinese dragons; the felines included tigers and black pumas; the birds included parrots, peacocks, and toucans. Also seen were a galloping horse, dragons, monsters of all sorts, and evil beasts; with some of the latter blood was associated.

Many human persons were seen. Amongs these were Indians and a sensuous Caribbean dancer.

A person present in the session appeared to have the face of a gorilla with the beak of a bird.

Palaces and mansions. Amongst the buildings seen were skyscrapers and pyramids. Also seen were interior decorations of buildings. These were very exquisitely ornamented; many were gilded.

Cities. Many different ones were seen; some had futuristic architecture.

Landscapes. These included forests, open deserts, river scenes, and scenes under water.

Associated with the latter were corals and "tornadoes of fish." Overall, the landscapes had an ambience of serenity and silence.

Especially frequent were disembodied eyes; many of these pertained to big cats. Other items
noted: an Indian in a boat, and old woman turning white and transforming into a young girl,
cars of the 1950's that were colourfully painted in a style which was "rather kitsch", streams of gold.

With open eyes, the trees outside looked like goddesses.