Ayahuasca iquitos

Ayahuasca: why does the person cause a feeling of daydreaming?

A team of researchers analyzed the effects on the brain of one of the components of ayahuasca

“I expected a lot to see an explosion of colors, but I was surprised to see powerful and significant visions of memories from my childhood. After a few hours the effect passed and I was left with a feeling of peace and happiness. ” This is how Emma Thelwell relates, in an article on the BBC portal, her experience with ayahuasca. Like this, there are several testimonies about the effects of the concoction, which has been consumed for at least a thousand years, according to a study published by the magazine “PNAS”. It is worth asking: why does one experience such hallucinations? To resolve this concern, specialists from Imperial College London studied the impact of one of the main active compounds of ayahuasca on the brain, and observed how its functioning is disturbed.

—Body overactive –

It is well known that ayahuasca is a preparation that is obtained from Amazonian plants. There are two main roots used in this concoction: ‘Banisteriopsis caapi’ and ‘Psychotria viridis’. In general, when entering the body, this drink overactive in the brain neurotransmitters, elements that emit information from one neuron to another and from one region to another. It is thanks to those transmissions that brain functions associated with pleasure, memory, joy, enjoyment, among others are carried out. Then, when overactivated because of ayahuasca, the brain begins to act in an amplified way.

“What ayahuasca does is overactivate the different neurotransmitters that modulate specific functions in the regions of the brain. That is why the person experiences a state of alteration of consciousness; that is, it begins to perceive and react to positive stimuli that are not necessarily in the surrounding environment. For example, he begins to evoke memories of the past, both visual and auditory, as well as feeling emotions of joy, pleasure and enjoyment, ”Daniel Borja Tovalino, a neurologist and professor of Medicine at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH) tells El Comercio ).

Similarly, the baby ayahuasca there are also improvements in the perceptual functions; that is, the person can capture stimuli through their senses more easily. An increase in cognitive ability and affective and mood functions has also been observed.

– Altered waves –

The work done by Imperial College London delved deeper into the effects of ayahuasca, focusing on its active compound dimethyltryptamine (DMT). They discovered that this natural chemical significantly altered the electrical activity in the brain, causing a fall in alpha waves, the dominant cerebral electrical rhythm when awake. A short duration increase in theta waves, associated with dreams, was also observed.

“The changes in brain activity that accompany DMT are slightly different from what we see with other psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin or LSD, where we see mainly only reductions in brain waves,” explains Christopher Timmermann, lead author of the study.

The altered brain waves, at a rate that remained increasing during the most intense part of the experience, and the data of the 11 volunteers who participated in this work, show – Timmermann indicates – that the people taking this concoction are completely immersed in the experience: “It is like daydreaming, only much more vivid and immersive, it is like dreaming but with open eyes”, emphasizes the expert.

– Therapeutic effect –

Unlike other psychedelic drugs, such as LSD, ayahuasca does not generate compulsive consumption, Borja details. Therefore, if its consumption is cut, it does not induce a withdrawal syndrome. The specialist also maintains that in recent years science has studied the therapeutic potential of this ancient beverage.

“Ayahuasca has been used for the treatment of chronic depression, with positive effects. Another interesting aspect studied is its ability to reduce addiction to alcohol and drugs, ”says Borja.

Promising results have also been seen in patients with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s. However, the neurologist clarifies that there are still no conclusive studies, therefore the consumption of the concoction cannot be medically indicated.