DMT and Ayahuasca: Similarities, Differences, and How They Affect the Body & Mind

For many people DMT is still considered to be a powerful mystical drug that affects each individual in unimaginably different ways. Ayahuasca, on the other hand, is yet another even more mysterious drug to the public, with effects similar, yet different than those of the DMT. Nonetheless, if you, the reader, still have no idea what DMT and Ayahuasca are, how they differ, and their effects on the body and the mind, dive in this article to find out more!

“There appeared in the vastness a tiny point of light. I remember realizing that I had not died at all, but that I had been dead. Then, not dead, but dormant. Dormant. I was about to be born […]”

“I couldn’t believe the breakneck speed with which I was beginning to move, like a proton in a hyper spatial supercollider.”

These words are just parts of the many stories individuals tell after they have experienced a DMT “trip.” Doesn’t matter whether you see “the world crusher who is holding planets and crushes them into dust” or houses “unbuilding themselves,” the things people experience after consuming the drug seem all to be interdimensional.

Interestingly, these stories for the user seem to span over hours, even days, however, the buzz usually lasts up to 20 minutes. The DMT, considered to be the most powerful psychedelic drug, can apparently yank into oblivion…but what is DMT…and how does it work?

DMT, or uncommonly known as N,N-dimethyltryptamine, is an illegal (in most countries) hallucinogenic tryptamine drug that naturally occurs in plants and animals. Also, interestingly, theories say that the substance occurs during climax experiences such as dreaming, death, and birth. Due to its psychedelic effects and “trips,” the drug is commonly referred to as the “spirit molecule.” It can be smoked, injected, snorted, or vaporized.

The intense effects that the drug offers to its consumers have attributed to the drug’s nickname the “business trip,” which was commonly used in the 60’s in the USA, as individuals could go on a highly intense psychedelic “trip” that takes effect in seconds and lasts up to less than half an hour.

“It was an utter surrender into the honeycomb love womb of the universe reborn, born anew in a thousand unendingly magnificent eyes...”

DMT can be used in many ways, but drinking it alone will not have any effect on you. However, if mixed with another plant, the trip can last up to four to six hours. This brew is known as ayahuasca. To create the drink you need two ingredients: i) Psychotria viridis (with DMT as the active ingredient) and ii) Banisteriopsis caapi (the MAOIs there prevent enzymes from protecting your body from the DMT). Ayahuasca is basically DMT, but with a stronger and a longer-lasting effect; and also, you consume it in the jungle.

Ayahuasca is an ancient plant-based brew that originated in South America, most notably in Peru, and is known to be used in rituals/ceremonies that involve individuals drinking from the psychedelic brew while being guided by a local Shaman. Basically, it’s people getting high on DMT and hallucinating in the jungle, while listening to the songs of someone who has entered the world of good and evil spirits.

“What occurred was a total meltdown of everything I know and hold dear.”

After consuming the DMT-infused brew, people feel the “kick” within 20 minutes to an hour; and a ceremony usually lasts a whole evening and may be repeated for several days. During such an experience, people should be prepared to “encounter the divine, the infinite, the mystery,[…],that which is beyond the limited perspective of your mind.” Typically, most people use ayahuasca (in which DMT is the primary ingredient) due to its “purgatory” properties, or more commonly known as the “the purge.” This is basically throwing up. But it’s not merely vomiting, at least not on a psychological level. It’s something deeper. It is connected to getting rid of negative emotions/feelings and “purging” yourself from your demons.

“I finish vomiting and start crying and laughing and smiling all at once. Something has been lifted in this “purge,” something dark and deep I was carrying around for years. Relief washes over me, and I slowly make my way back to my mattress on the floor.”

This process is explained in more detail by Sapan Inka Retreat Center located in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, in Cusco. Some of the main objectives of the “retreat,” written there are: i) connect with the power of self-regulation and self-healing of ourselves; ii) explore the psychic reality, our inner world, and achieve greater self-knowledge; and iii) connect with a higher level of consciousness. All of this cannot be possible without the role of the shamans, who lead the participants in the ritual with their singing and trippy sound-making. The saying goes that if you don’t follow the shaman’s song, you will get forever lost into your “trip” and may go into oblivion.

“It was as though I myself was God, moving through liquid ecologies of God, the self-crystallizing emerald labyrinths of the tryptamine dream time, a marvelous infundibulum of plasmodial calisthenics.”

However, no matter how ancient and archetypal this may all seem, these “retreats” have become a trend in the USA, particularly in Brooklyn and the Silicon Valley, as more and more people seek alternative ways of medication for treating different psychological illnesses, such as depression and anxiety.

“We’re part of a wave of Westerners seeking out ayahuasca as a tool for psychological healing, personal growth, or expanding consciousness.”

So, no matter whether you intake pure DMT or the ancient ayahuasca brew, you are destined to embark either on an interdimensional journey of self-exploration or you might be yanked into the depths of your own self-consciousness where you’d be forced to face your demons. Either way, the experience, no matter how long it is (depending on the dose or the way it is consumed), will surely be an unforgettable one.

Hopefully by the end of this article you have gained an idea what the differences between DMT and Ayahuasca are; how they are similar; and how, if taken, they would affect your body and mind.

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