Choosing a retreat
Ayahuasca Aftercare: The First Days and Weeks Home
Ayahuasca aftercare for the first days and weeks home: rest, gentle diet, sleep, emotional volatility, postponing big decisions, and when to see a clinician.
· 8 min read
Elena Marsh
Editor · Science & health journalist
Elena is the founding editor of Ayahuasca.help. She has spent more than a decade reporting on drug policy, mental health and the science of psychedelics, with a focus on translating complex research into careful, honest journalism. She commissions and edits across the publication and is responsible for upholding its editorial standards.
Guides
Articles
The medicine
Ayahuasca Visions: What People Actually See (and Why)
Ayahuasca visions explained: geometry, serpents, ancestors, life review, why they vary, why many see little, and the neuroscience, honestly framed.
· 8 min read
The medicine
10 Common Ayahuasca Myths and Misconceptions
Ten common ayahuasca myths, corrected with honest, sourced facts: cure claims, "natural means safe," visions, purging, addiction, legality and more.
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
Where Is Ayahuasca Legal? A Country-by-Country Overview
Is Ayahuasca legal? A clear, well-sourced country-by-country overview of DMT laws, the UN treaty, religious exemptions and grey zones. Not legal advice.
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
Ayahuasca Integration: How to Make the Insights Last
Ayahuasca integration turns ceremony insight into lasting change. Practices, circles, coaches, red flags, and when to see a licensed therapist, honestly.
· 8 min read
Choosing a retreat
Is Ayahuasca Legal in the UK?
Ayahuasca is effectively illegal in the UK because it contains DMT, a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. There is no recognised religious or ceremonial exemption, and the Court of Appeal
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
Is Ayahuasca Legal in the United States?
For almost everyone in the US, ayahuasca is illegal because it contains DMT, a Schedule I controlled substance. A plain-English guide to the narrow religious exemptions, what city decriminalisation re
· 8 min read
The medicine
What Does an Ayahuasca Ceremony Actually Feel Like?
An honest, vivid walk-through of an Ayahuasca ceremony, setting, the brew, onset, visions, the purge, icaros, and the comedown, and why it varies so much.
· 9 min read
Choosing a retreat
Ayahuasca Retreats in Peru: What to Know Before You Go
Peru is the world's biggest ayahuasca destination, but its retreat centres are largely unregulated. A clear-eyed guide to the legal and cultural context, the real medical and travel risks, how to vet
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
How Much Does an Ayahuasca Retreat Cost?
Realistic Ayahuasca retreat costs by region and length, what drives price, hidden fees and deposits, and why price does not equal safety.
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
Ayahuasca Retreats: What to Expect on Your First Visit
A calm, honest first-timer's guide to Ayahuasca retreats: screening, the dieta, a ceremony night, integration, group life, and what to expect after.
· 8 min read
Choosing a retreat
Women and Ayahuasca: Safety, Boundaries and Choosing Well
An honest, practical guide for women on ayahuasca safety: the real risk of facilitator misconduct, boundaries to set, women-led options and red flags.
· 8 min read
Safety
Can You Do Ayahuasca at Home or Alone? Why Experts Advise Against It
Can you do ayahuasca at home or alone? Experts advise against it. Here is the honest harm-reduction case: screening, trained support and legality.
· 8 min read
Safety
The Ayahuasca Dieta: The Traditional Diet, Explained
The Ayahuasca dieta has two roots that point the same way: a traditional Amazonian discipline of restraint, and a modern MAOI food-safety caution. Here's what the diet actually is, why the food list e
· 8 min read
Choosing a retreat
How Many Ayahuasca Ceremonies Do You Need?
There's no required number of ayahuasca ceremonies. Why retreats run several, the case for fewer, and why integration matters far more than the count.
· 8 min read
Safety
Difficult Journeys: How to Prepare for a Hard Ayahuasca Experience
Difficult Ayahuasca experiences are common and not the same as harm. How to prepare: set and setting, surrender, good support, emergencies and integration.
· 8 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca vs San Pedro, Peyote and Other Plant Medicines
How ayahuasca compares with San Pedro, peyote and iboga: different plants, compounds, durations, indigenous traditions and legal status, explained honestly.
· 7 min read
Safety
Can Ayahuasca Trigger Psychosis? What the Evidence Shows
Ayahuasca can rarely trigger prolonged psychosis or mania, with higher risk for those with a personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder.
· 7 min read
Safety
Ayahuasca and Pregnancy: Why It Is Strongly Advised Against
Ayahuasca is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding: no human safety data, animal developmental toxicity, uterine and cardiovascular effects, and severe vomiting.
· 7 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca vs Psilocybin: How Do They Compare?
Ayahuasca vs psilocybin compared for newcomers: source, DMT plus MAOI vs psilocybin, duration, the purge, ceremony, legal status and risks.
· 9 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca, Trauma and PTSD: Promise and Caution
Ayahuasca, trauma and PTSD: what early research really shows, the genuine risk of re-traumatisation, and why trauma-informed support and integration matter.
· 7 min read
Safety
Ayahuasca and Your Heart: Cardiovascular Risks Explained
Ayahuasca raises heart rate and blood pressure, and its MAOI chemistry can spike it dangerously. The cardiac risks, screening, and why honest disclosure matters.
· 7 min read
The medicine
A Brief History of Ayahuasca: From the Amazon to the West
From ancient Amazonian roots and Brazilian churches to the modern tourism boom: an honest history of Ayahuasca, foregrounding Indigenous knowledge-holders.
· 7 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca and Addiction: What the Research Shows
What does the research say about ayahuasca and addiction? An honest look at the small, preliminary studies, the strong caveats, and the real risks.
· 8 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca and Anxiety: What the Research Shows
Early evidence links ayahuasca with lower anxiety over time, but it is observational and unproven, and the same brew can acutely provoke intense fear and lasting distress. An honest look at what the r
· 7 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca Benefits and Risks: A Balanced, Evidence-Based Look
A balanced, evidence-based look at ayahuasca's reported benefits and real risks, separating traditional anecdote from preliminary research and well-established facts, so you can judge the claims for y
· 7 min read
The medicine
Is Ayahuasca Addictive? What the Evidence Says
Is Ayahuasca addictive? The evidence says DMT isn't physically addictive and the purge is self-limiting, but psychological over-reliance is a real risk.
· 6 min read
The medicine
How Long Does Ayahuasca Last? Onset, Peak and After-Effects
Ayahuasca's acute effects usually last about four to six hours, onset in 20 to 60 minutes, a peak near 1.5 to 2 hours, with an afterglow and possible next-day fatigue beyond that. Here is why it las
· 7 min read
Safety
Is Ayahuasca Dangerous? The Real Risks, Explained
Is ayahuasca dangerous? An honest, evidence-based look at the real risks: drug interactions, heart and psychiatric risk, deaths, additives and screening.
· 8 min read
The medicine
The Purge: Why Ayahuasca Makes You Vomit (and What It Means)
Most people vomit on Ayahuasca. Here's the real reason, the gut, serotonin and "la purga", plus what cleansing means and the risks worth knowing.
· 7 min read
The medicine
Will I Lose Control on Ayahuasca? Common Fears, Honestly Answered
Worried you'll lose control, go mad or never come back on ayahuasca? An honest look at common first-timer fears, what really happens, and how to stay safe.
· 8 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca and Depression: What the Research Actually Shows
A sober look at what clinical trials really show about Ayahuasca and depression, including the 2019 RCT, its limits, and why it is not an approved treatment.
· 6 min read
Choosing a retreat
What to Bring to an Ayahuasca Retreat: A Practical Packing Guide
A first-timer's practical ayahuasca retreat packing list: comfortable clothes, warm layers, headlamp, journal, unscented toiletries, and what to leave home.
· 7 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca Traditions: Shipibo, Santo Daime, UDV and More
A respectful guide to ayahuasca traditions: Shipibo-Conibo and Indigenous Amazonian roots, mestizo vegetalismo, and Brazil's Santo Daime and UDV churches.
· 8 min read
Choosing a retreat
How to Prepare for Your First Ayahuasca Ceremony
A calm, honest first-timer's guide to preparing for an ayahuasca ceremony: intention, the dieta, medications, readiness, logistics and integration.
· 8 min read
The medicine
Ayahuasca, DMT and Pharmahuasca: What’s the Difference?
Ayahuasca, DMT and pharmahuasca all centre on one molecule but differ in route, duration, risk and legal status. A plain-language guide to what each term really means, and why the MAO inhibitor is th
· 7 min read
Choosing a retreat
12 Questions to Ask Any Ayahuasca Retreat Before You Book
Twelve concrete questions to ask any Ayahuasca retreat before booking, on screening, facilitators, safety, consent, integration, refunds, and the law.
· 7 min read
Safety
Who Should Not Take Ayahuasca? Contraindications, Explained
Ayahuasca's MAOI pharmacology makes it genuinely dangerous for some people. A plain account of the best-documented contraindications, interacting medications, psychosis or bipolar history, heart cond
· 7 min read
Safety
Ayahuasca and Antidepressants: The SSRI, SNRI and MAOI Problem
Ayahuasca contains a functioning MAOI, which is why mixing it with SSRIs, SNRIs, or other MAOIs can trigger serotonin syndrome, a predictable, well-documented medical emergency. Here is the mechanism
· 7 min read