Facts and Info on Ayahuasca (DMT)

What Is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic beverage made from a tropical vine that forms an important component of indigenous Amazonian ceremonies.

The major psychoactive ingredient in ayahuasca is N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Certain groups in South America typically use the leaves and shoots of several local plants to make a tea, whereas individuals who use it in the United States generally take the drug in pill form, though they may snort, inject, or smoke it.

DMT appears to have gained popularity with older individuals in contrast to other hallucinogens, such as ketamine, which is popular with younger individuals. This is reflected in some of the street names for DMT that include businessman’s special or businessman’s trip.

DMT is classified as a Schedule I substance in the United States, making the hallucinogenic component of ayahuasca illegal to possess and distribute.

Effects of Ayahuasca

The reported effects of DMT include:¹

• Euphoria, elevated mood, the perception that time is moving much more slowly, increased energy levels, improved focus, and hallucinations.
• Increased body temperature, blood pressure, and heart rate.
• Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.
• Intensified perceptual experiences that include colors being more salient, sounds being more complex, and touch being more intricate, among others.
• Feelings of anxiety and panic.
• Psychosis in some individuals.

Individuals who take DMT or other hallucinogens may have dissociative experiences where they feel that they are detached from their bodies or that things are not real, perceive that time is either sped up or slowed down, or that they can better sense another person’s feelings.

Some individuals experience extreme alterations of reality, such as synesthesia, which is a mixed sensory experience where the individual perceives that they can see sounds or hear color.

Individuals often use ayahuasca for its perceptual-enhancing effects. However, there are some potentially dangerous effects of using hallucinogens that include potential cardiovascular issues due to the cardiovascular stimulant effects these drugs produce and negative emotional experiences as a result of the hallucinations and other perceptual alterations that the drugs induce.

Because the perception of reality is altered, individuals under the influence of these drugs are more likely to make poor decisions and engage in self-destructive behavior.

In rare cases, some hallucinogens are associated with the development of hallucinogen-induced persistent perception disorder. This disorder occurs when the individual experiences the effects of taking the drug (e.g. sudden changes in perceptual experiences, hallucinations, etc.) without having taken the drug (sometimes these experiences are referred to as drug “flashbacks”).

Ayahuasca’s Potential Use in the Treatment of Different Conditions

For quite some time, ayahuasca has been associated with possible antidepressant properties. Some studies suggest that use of the drug may increase the number of serotonin receptors in the central nervous system, and this may contribute to these antidepressant effects.²

There is also ongoing research investigating the potential of using ayahuasca as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, and even substance use disorder (addiction).³

However, reviews of literature regarding the medicinal effects of ayahuasca indicate that there are a number of methodological concerns with these studies and that more controlled research studies are needed to ascertain the medicinal potential of the substance.⁴

Is Ayahuasca (DMT) Addictive?

More research is needed to determine whether DMT is addictive.

The use of ayahuasca does not appear to be associated with the development of significant tolerance. Tolerance occurs when an individual requires a significant increase in the amount of the drug to get the same effects that were once achieved at lower amounts.

The drug is also not associated with significant levels of physiological dependence, meaning people do not typically undergo withdrawal symptoms when they quit using DMT after chronic use.

Nonetheless, an individual does not need to develop physical dependence to a substance in order to develop a substance use disorder. The American Psychiatric Association specifies formal diagnostic criteria that are used in the diagnosis of a hallucinogen use disorder that would be appropriate for individuals who use ayahuasca and satisfy these criteria.⁵

Finding Treatment Near You

If you are concerned about your own substance use or that of a loved one, help is available. Reach out to American Addiction Centers (AAC) to connect with a knowledgeable admissions navigator, who can answer your questions, explain your options, and assist you in getting the help you need.