ABSTRACT
For centuries, shamans of indigenous tribes throughout the Amazon Basin have processed the bark of Banisteriopsis caapi, along with other rainforest plants, to produce a ceremonial drink known as ‘ayahuasca’ or ‘yagé’. The shamans use ayahuasca in religious and healing ceremonies to diagnose and treat illnesses, meet with spirits and divine the future. According to tradition, ayahuasca – which means ‘vine of the soul’ in the Quechua language – is prepared and administered only under the guidance of a shaman. Indigenous peoples have characterized the ayahuasca vine as a religious and cultural symbol analogous to the Christian cross or Eucharist.
