Ayahuasca and Plant Medicine Ceremonies: Where to Find the Full Guides

Where the full guides are

Ayahuasca and other plant medicine ceremonies are covered in the Natural Psychedelics library, not here. This page is a signpost so there is one place to look. Ceremonial and sacred practices belong to the communities that hold them, and this site does not describe how ceremonies are done.

Start with these guides:

• Ayahuasca: traditional preparation, research and safety


• Ayahuasca and Amazonian plants


• Indigenous traditions, ethics and conservation


• Psychedelic adverse effects and contraindications


• Psychedelic legal status by country


• Psychedelic drug interactions and toxicology


• The Natural Psychedelics hub: psychedelics and psychoactive research

A short orientation

A 2024 review describes ayahuasca as a botanical hallucinogen traditionally used for therapeutic and ritual purposes by indigenous groups in northwestern Amazonian countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. [1] Contemporary ritual use has spread across the world for mental health purposes and for spiritual and personal growth. [2] Those are different contexts, and this section's Amazonian plants page covers other, non-ceremonial plants.

What research says in one paragraph

Human studies suggest the brew is often tolerated, but there are few controlled studies, with small samples, single doses and short follow-ups. [1] In a global survey of 10,836 people, 69.9% reported acute physical effects (mainly vomiting) and 2.3% needed medical attention afterward. [2] Adverse effects were more likely with a physical health condition, past substance use disorder, or use in a non-supervised setting. [2] Reviewers say understanding of the brew's compounds is incomplete and needs to improve to avoid risks. [3]