Ayahuasca News

Divine Vegetal~ Part One , Best of Ideas 2008 Divine Vegetal~ Part Two

Well-functioning romantic relationships are important for long-termhealth and well-being, but they are often difficult to sustain. This difficulty arises (in part)because of an underlying tension between our psychobiological natures, culture/environment,and modern love and relationship goals. One possible solution to this predicament is tointervene at the level of psychobiology, enhancing partners’ interpersonal connection throughneurochemical modulation. This article focuses on a single, promising biobehavioral sub-system for such intervention: the attachment system, based largely upon the expression of theneuropeptide oxytocin. Could the exogenous administration of oxytocin—under the rightconditions—be used to facilitate relational or marital well-being?

We've observed an increase in reports describing serious intoxications supposedly associated with ayahuasca. The present article critically analyzes them.

BBC Documentary Series Horizon abourt the great lost civilizations of the Amazon

THE World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park will be expanded to include thousands of hectares of ecologically sensitive land that has uranium worth billions of dollars.

Aboriginal traditional owner Jeffrey Lee has offered the land to the federal government so it can become part of Kakadu, where he works as a ranger.

Mr Lee, the sole member of the Djok clan and senior custodian of the land known as Koongarra, could have become one of Australia's richest men if he had allowed the French energy giant Areva to extract 14,000 tonnes of uranium from its mineral lease in the area.

Mr Lee is an extremely shy and humble man who shuns publicity. "I'm not interested in money. I've got a job. I can buy tucker; I can go fishing and hunting. That's all that matters to me," he told The Age in a rare interview in 2007.

The man the New York Times once described as “the most powerful psychiatrist in America” is at the career point where others would retire and board a cruise, to endlessly sail the Caribbean. But Frances can’t stop now. His legacy in the field of mental health is something he’s trying both to destroy and to resurrect.

Twenty years ago he chaired the task force of mental-health clinicians and academics who wrote the fourth version of what’s often called the bible of mental health — that is, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). It’s compiled and distributed by the American Psychiatric Association and it basically determines which symptoms equate to a mental disorder.

By law medical professionals must keep up their education — providing plenty of opportunities for pharmaceutical companies to help out. But do free flights, free dinners and consultancy fees put doctors in Big Pharma’s pocket?

The story of this song goes like this: in 2007 while doing research for the film in Perú I met a man who was convinced he was possessed by the devil. I won't go into the details, he looked normal enough. I'll just say that when I met him he had been drinking ayahuasca for a few months with no major effects. The first 2 times I drank with him it was uneventful. The third time, however, something happened. During the session what he called his devil "came out" in the open for the first time. It just so happened that I was recording audio that night.

I will save you from that recording, suffice it to say it is some of the most hair-raising shrieking I have ever heard. The entire rom was terrified. When I revisited the recording I could barely listen for more than a few seconds. That night it took the curanderos all their power and more than an hour to get the situation to the point where the shrieks became a whimper. When there was finally silence, the entire room breathed out a collective sight of relief.

When the room was finally at peace Jacques Mabit sang this ícaro: madrecita ayahuasca.

Mabit told me that the author of the ícaro is maestro José Campos. I have translated the lyrics so English speakers can understand the words. Use the captions button (next to the gear icon) to see the English subtitles (additionally there is a Spanish transcription).

This ayahuasca song is almost a battle chant, meant to cast off evil, and claim the space back. Mabit calls the spirits of the most powerful plants, and of everything he holds most sacred. It's almost a declaration principles, a manifesto, stating where the curandero stands, and under which forces his sessions are run. As you will see it is full of poetic turns, and inspiring calls.

I will say no more. I think the song speaks for itself.

"Until today, the first known facts about the introduction of ayahuasca to Spain, as far as we are aware, points to Francisco de la Cal, in the year 1985; he was the first carrier of this drink originating in the Colonia 5000, a community of the Santo Daime Church, close to Rio Branco in the State of Acre. It was not until 1988 that ayahuasca was brought to Spain on a regular basis..." 

We’re excited to announce the acceptance for publication of a paper documenting the presence of DMT in the pineal glands of live rodents. The paper will appear in the journal Biomedical Chromatography and describes experiments that took place in Dr.

Researchers show that plants can communicate the need to protect themselves from attack by aphids by making use of an underground network of fungi.

Psychedelic Spirituality speaks with Steve Beyer, author of the best book on Ayahuasca yet, 'Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon'.

Joining in a discussion with Steve Beyer are contributors to Psychedelic Spirituality; Buckley Rue, Alexander Ward and Nick Polizzi, who each have their own extensive knowledge on Ayahuasca and Psychedelics.

If all drug-company advertising were banned, the world would be a better place, says the man who wrote the book on diagnosing mental illness. Listen to Clare Blumer’s audio interview with Dr Allen Frances.

Now that it has successfully trafficked quinoa, the Bolivian government wants to prove the ancient medicinal properties of the coca leaf to the rest of the world. Really, it’s nothing to sniff at.

In the 1870's, U.S Marshal Mike S. Blueberry tries to stop Wally Blount, the man who killed his girlfriend, from getting to a stockpile of gold hidden in Ind...