“Ayahuasca prep” by Terpsichore – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
A little while back I was asked by Amy Dron to give my opinion and thoughts on the medicine/drug/spiritual aid, Ayahuasca. Amy wanted to write an article on the subject due to the experiences of a friend, who demonstrated a significant change in behaviour around the time she was taking Ayahuasca.
I’ve long been interested in the use of psychoactive medications, and have an interest in how medications are used across cultures, especially in light of the rather contradictory approach to different substances in my own country. Travelling in Colombia and Ecuador I had the opportunity to talk to a variety of people about their experiences, and also to take part in ceremonies in both countries. I’ve been meaning to write up some of my thoughts for a while now, but in the meantime, here’s some of them from a conversation I had with Amy Dron shortly after I returned from South America in 2013.