Plant Medicine of the Amazon:
What Each Medicine Is and How They Compare
Ayahuasca, rape, iboga, ibogaine, san pedro, peyote, and mushrooms, each explained clearly before you decide.
Ayahuasca and rape are the core Amazonian plant medicines. Others you will encounter in your research, including iboga, ibogaine, san pedro, peyote, and psilocybin mushrooms, each come from distinct traditions and work through different mechanisms.
At a Glance
| What it is | A family of ceremonially held medicines, not a single substance |
| Core Amazonian medicines | Ayahuasca and rape |
| Related traditions | Iboga (West Africa), San Pedro and Peyote (Andes / Mexico), Psilocybin mushrooms |
| What connects them | Ceremonial context, indigenous lineage, psychoactive effects |
| Primary safety concern | Medication interactions (especially SSRIs) and cardiac screening for iboga / ibogaine |
Quick Comparison
| Medicine | Active Compound | Duration |
| Ayahuasca | DMT + MAOI beta-carbolines | 4 to 6 hours |
| Rape (Hape) | Nicotiana rustica (non-psychedelic) | Minutes to 1 hour |
| Iboga | Ibogaine + 12 alkaloids (whole plant) | 18 to 36 hours |
| Ibogaine | Ibogaine (isolated alkaloid) | 18 to 36 hours |
| San Pedro | Mescaline (phenethylamine) | 8 to 14 hours |
| Peyote | Mescaline | 12 to 14 hours |
| Psilocybin mushrooms | Psilocybin / psilocin (tryptamine) | 4 to 6 hours |
Full Answer
Plant medicine, in the Amazonian sense, refers to natural substances held within indigenous ceremonial traditions for healing, visionary work, and spiritual understanding. These are not recreational substances or clinical drugs. The core Amazonian medicines are ayahuasca and rape. Others, iboga, ibogaine, san pedro, peyote, and psilocybin mushrooms, come from distinct traditions and work through different mechanisms. Each carries its own preparation requirements, legal status, and risk profile. This page explains each one clearly and links to the full comparison guides for those commonly compared to ayahuasca.
Most people arrive at this research from a single starting point. They heard about ayahuasca, or read about ibogaine for addiction, or know someone who worked with mushrooms in a therapeutic setting.
The path branches quickly. Names accumulate. The differences become harder to track, not easier.
This page covers each medicine in enough depth that you understand what it is, where it comes from, and how it works. For every medicine commonly compared to ayahuasca, it connects you to the full side-by-side guide when you are ready to go deeper.
Two resources will expand on the practical side when published: a guide to what a plant medicine ceremony actually involves, and a guide to choosing and preparing for a plant medicine retreat. Both are in development and will link from here.
What Is Plant Medicine? The Amazonian Definition
The same compound, in a different container, produces a different outcome. That is not metaphysics — it is what the evidence shows.
The phrase “plant medicine” covers a wide range of things depending on who is using it. A Western herbalist might use it to describe tinctures and tonics. On this page, plant medicine refers specifically to psychoactive and ceremonially held medicines from indigenous traditions, primarily the Amazon basin.
Within those traditions, medicines are understood not as chemicals that produce effects but as living intelligences with which a healer and a participant enter into relationship. The healer carries the knowledge of how to prepare them, when to use them, and how to hold the ceremonial space. The substance is inseparable from the tradition that holds it.
This distinction matters practically. The same compound taken in a clinical setting, a ceremonial setting, and a recreational setting produces different outcomes. Context, preparation, the skill of the facilitator, and integration all shape what a person gains and what risks they carry.
Throughout this page, plant medicine is discussed in its ceremonial and traditional context, not as a standalone pharmacological event.
The Amazonian Tradition: Lineage, Ceremony, and Why They Matter
The traditions that developed around these medicines carry generations of learning about who should use them, how, and what to watch for. That is safety information.
The Amazon basin holds one of the richest traditions of plant medicine knowledge on earth. This knowledge developed over centuries within specific indigenous communities, most famously the Shipibo-Conibo of Peru, the Inga and Kamsa of Colombia, and dozens of other Amazonian peoples who developed their own ceremonial frameworks.
Ayahuasca is the most well-known of these medicines, but it does not exist in isolation. Rape, the sacred Amazonian snuff, is frequently used alongside it. Healers undergo years of dietary and ceremonial training, known in Shipibo tradition as a dieta, through which they develop relationships with specific plant spirits and acquire the healing songs called icaros. Gonzalez et al. (2021) documented how Shipibo healers use icaros as precision instruments, scanning participants and directing the medicine’s effects.
In Colombia, the tradition centres on yage, the local name for ayahuasca, carried by Taitas — hereditary healers from the Putumayo region. ICEERS estimates Colombia holds the highest global prevalence of ayahuasca consumption, roughly 0.8 percent of the population, driven largely by Taitas who have conducted ceremonies in Colombian cities since the 1970s (Suarez Alvarez and ICEERS, 2023).
Understanding this lineage context is not ceremonial formality. Working with trained healers in proper ceremonial settings produces meaningfully different outcomes than working outside that container.
Ayahuasca and Yage: The Heart of the Amazonian Tradition
Neither plant is psychoactive alone. Ayahuasca works because of the chemical partnership between them — and that partnership is what makes it unique.
Ayahuasca is a brewed tea combining two plants: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the Psychotria viridis leaf (chacruna in Peru) or Diplopterys cabrerana (chagropanga, used in Colombia and Ecuador).
The vine contributes beta-carboline alkaloids that act as monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors. The leaf contributes DMT (dimethyltryptamine), the compound responsible for the visionary and psychotherapeutic effects.
Beta-carboline alkaloids disable the enzyme in the gut that would otherwise destroy DMT before it reaches the brain. Without the vine, DMT taken orally produces no effect. Together, the two plants create something neither could create alone. This pharmacology is well established and reviewed in detail by Ruffell et al. (2020) and Egger et al. (2024).
A ceremony typically runs four to six hours, conducted at night, led by a trained healer. Purging is common and understood within the tradition as physical and emotional clearing.
In the landmark randomized controlled trial by Palhano-Fontes et al. (2019), a single dose of ayahuasca produced significant antidepressant effects in treatment-resistant patients compared to placebo, with a response rate of 64 percent versus 27 percent at day seven.
In Colombia it is called yage or yaje. The brew travels under other names as well: hoasca, daime, caapi, vegetal, iowaska.
Ayahuasca is legally recognized in Colombia, protected as cultural heritage in Peru under the Instituto Nacional de Cultura resolution of 2008, and formally regulated for religious use in Brazil under CONAD Resolution 1/2010. In the United States it remains a Schedule I controlled substance, with narrow religious exemptions for specific communities following the Supreme Court ruling in Gonzales v. O Centro (2006).
For the complete guide, visit our ayahuasca hub page.
| Ayahuasca (Yage) | |
| Active compound | DMT, made orally active by beta-carboline MAOIs |
| Duration | 4 to 6 hours per ceremony |
| Setting | Night ceremony, trained healer, group or individual |
| Purging | Common, expected |
| Legal status (US) | Schedule I; narrow religious exemptions (UDV, Santo Daime) |
| Legal status (Colombia) | Legal, culturally recognized |
Rape (Hape): The Sacred Amazonian Snuff
Rape is not psychedelic. Its role is grounding and clearing — which is precisely why it belongs alongside ayahuasca, not in competition with it.
Rape (pronounced ha-pay) is a ceremonial snuff made from finely ground Nicotiana rustica tobacco and medicinal plant ashes, traditionally prepared by Amazonian tribes including the Yawanawa, Huni Kuin, and Katukina. It is administered by blowing the powder into the nostrils through a pipe called a kuripe (self-use) or a tepi (administered by another).
Nicotiana rustica is considerably stronger than commercial tobacco. Research by Stanfill et al. (2015) documented nicotine concentrations ranging from 6.32 to 47.6 mg/g, reflecting both the potency of the base plant and the significant variation between tribal blends and preparations.
Rape does not produce visionary states. Its role is grounding, clearing, and focusing the mind and body — functions that make it a natural companion to ayahuasca ceremony. Many healers use rape to open ceremony, to settle the energy in the room, or to help a participant who is having difficulty landing after a visionary experience.
In the United States, rape is regulated as a tobacco product rather than scheduled as a controlled substance. It is legal for adults 18 and older. Outside the US, legal status varies by country.
For the complete guide to rape, including tribal origins, preparation, ceremony, effects, safety, and legal status, see our dedicated guide: What is Rape (Hape)? The Complete Guide to Sacred Amazonian Snuff.
Iboga: The West African Root Bark
Iboga is not an Amazonian medicine. It comes from a different continent, a different lineage, and a different kind of journey — longer, more confrontational, and with its own specific cardiac risks.
Iboga is the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, a slow-growing shrub native to the rainforests of Gabon, Cameroon, and the Republic of Congo. It sits at the centre of the Bwiti spiritual tradition, where it is used as a sacrament, a rite-of-passage medicine, and a healing tool. Gabon has formally recognized iboga as a national cultural treasure (ICEERS). Within the Bwiti framework, the plant is understood as a teacher and ancestor — Grandfather Iboga.
A ceremonial iboga experience runs 18 to 36 hours, considerably longer than most other plant medicines. The journey is typically described as confrontational and inward rather than visionary in the expansive sense.
The root bark contains more than a dozen alkaloids including ibogaine (the primary active compound), noribogaine, tabernanthine, coronaridine, and ibogamine. Whether the full alkaloid profile produces effects distinct from isolated ibogaine remains an open research question.
Cardiac risk is the central safety consideration. Iboga compounds prolong the QT interval on the heart’s electrical cycle — a change that can trigger fatal arrhythmias in people with pre-existing cardiac conditions or who are taking certain medications. ECG screening is not optional before use.
Iboga has compelling evidence for addiction interruption, particularly with opioids. In the ceremonial context it is typically used one to three times across a lifetime, unlike ayahuasca, which is often worked with repeatedly over months or years.
How iboga and ayahuasca differ across seven critical dimensions, including safety, duration, therapeutic applications, and preparation requirements, is covered in full in our guide: Iboga vs Ayahuasca: 7 Critical Differences You Must Know.
| Factor | Iboga | Ayahuasca |
| Origin | West Africa (Gabon) | Amazon Basin |
| Duration | 18 to 36 hours | 4 to 6 hours |
| Active compound | Ibogaine + 12+ alkaloids | DMT + MAOI beta-carbolines |
| Primary use | Addiction interruption, trauma reset | Depression, emotional healing |
| Cardiac risk | Significant, ECG required | Low in healthy individuals |
| Sessions | 1 to 3 lifetime | Repeated over months or years |
| Legal status (US) | Schedule I | Schedule I, narrow exemptions |
Ibogaine: The Isolated Alkaloid
Ibogaine and iboga are related but not the same. A purified compound in a clinical setting and a whole-plant ceremony are different experiences in almost every way that matters.
Ibogaine is a single alkaloid extracted and purified from iboga root bark, used in clinical and treatment settings at precisely measured doses. The whole-plant ceremonial experience and the isolated-molecule clinical experience differ in character, context, and safety profile.
Pharmacologically, ibogaine acts simultaneously on multiple brain systems. It modulates opioid receptors (which explains its effectiveness in interrupting opioid withdrawal), glutamate and NMDA receptors, dopamine transporters, and serotonin transporters. In plain terms: ibogaine temporarily resets the reward and craving circuitry that addiction hijacks.
This is different from how ayahuasca works. Ayahuasca primarily activates the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor, producing effects on mood, emotional processing, and visual perception rather than on addiction craving pathways directly.
The clinical evidence for ibogaine is moving quickly. It has the strongest published evidence for opioid use disorder, and is accumulating research for PTSD and traumatic brain injury. The state of Texas allocated $50 million in trial funding for ibogaine research — a signal of growing institutional confidence.
Ayahuasca has the stronger published evidence base for treatment-resistant depression and anxiety, with a large-scale meta-analysis by Yao et al. (2024) finding a substantial effect size for DMT on depressive symptoms across 126 studies.
Cardiac screening requirements are equally strict for ibogaine as for whole-plant iboga. Both require a baseline ECG and CYP2D6 enzyme testing before administration.
For a full clinical and experiential comparison, visit our guide: Ibogaine vs Ayahuasca: 7 Critical Differences You Must Understand.
| Factor | Ibogaine | Ayahuasca |
| Active compound | Ibogaine (isolated alkaloid) | DMT + MAOI beta-carbolines |
| Duration | 18 to 36 hours | 4 to 6 hours per ceremony |
| Strongest evidence for | Opioid addiction, PTSD, TBI | Treatment-resistant depression, anxiety |
| Setting | Medical clinic, supervised | Ceremonial container, trained facilitator |
| Cardiac risk | High (ECG and CYP2D6 required) | Low in healthy individuals |
| Legal status (US) | Schedule I | Schedule I, narrow exemptions |
San Pedro (Huachuma): The Andean Heart Medicine
San Pedro opens outward. Ayahuasca moves inward. Both activate similar receptor systems, but the character of the two journeys is as different as the landscapes they come from.
San Pedro is a tall columnar cactus, Trichocereus pachanoi, native to the Andes mountains of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. It is also known as Huachuma, the name used in traditional Andean ceremony. Its active compound is mescaline, a phenethylamine psychedelic — a different chemical class from both DMT (a tryptamine) and ibogaine.
Mescaline binds to the same 5-HT2A serotonin receptors as DMT but arrives there via a different molecular pathway, producing a distinct quality of experience. San Pedro tends to open the senses outward and the heart toward connection with people, nature, and beauty. Ayahuasca tends to move inward, toward memory, emotion, and psychological excavation.
San Pedro ceremonies are conducted during the day. A ceremony typically lasts 8 to 14 hours. Purging is less common than with ayahuasca. The tradition of Andean San Pedro use spans at least 3,000 years.
Mescaline also activates BDNF signaling and 5-HT2A-mediated neuroplasticity pathways, consistent with the broader therapeutic potential of this receptor class across psychedelic medicines (De Vos et al., 2021).
In the United States, mescaline is Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (DEA, 2020). The ornamental cactus itself is legally sold and grown, but extracting mescaline from it is a federal crime. The NAC exemption for peyote does not extend to San Pedro.
The full side-by-side examination of ayahuasca and San Pedro is available here: Ayahuasca vs San Pedro: 7 Key Differences Between Two Sacred Plant Medicines.
| Factor | San Pedro (Huachuma) | Ayahuasca |
| Active compound | Mescaline (phenethylamine) | DMT + MAOI beta-carbolines (tryptamine) |
| Duration | 8 to 14 hours | 4 to 6 hours |
| Ceremony setting | Daytime, Andean tradition | Night ceremony, Amazonian tradition |
| Experiential quality | Expansive, heart-centred, outward | Inward, visionary, psychological |
| Purging | Less common | Common, expected |
| Legal status (US) | Schedule I (mescaline) | Schedule I, narrow exemptions |
Peyote: The Ancient Cactus Medicine
Peyote has a 5,700-year documented history and a conservation crisis. Both facts belong in any honest account of this medicine.
Peyote is a small, slow-growing, spineless cactus native to the Chihuahuan Desert of Mexico and the southwestern United States. Like San Pedro, its primary active compound is mescaline. Unlike San Pedro, peyote grows very slowly — taking a decade or more to reach ceremonial size — and carries one of the oldest documented records of any psychoactive plant use in human history.
Radiocarbon analysis of archaeological specimens from Texas confirmed active mescaline in samples dated to approximately 3780 to 3660 BC, placing ceremonial use at least 5,700 years ago (El-Seedi et al., 2005). That is roughly twice the age of the Stonehenge construction.
A peyote ceremony within the Native American Church (NAC) is an all-night communal circle lasting 12 to 14 hours, centred on prayer, music, and collective spiritual purpose. It is a fundamentally different container from ayahuasca — more communal and spiritually focused where ayahuasca tends toward individual psychological work.
Conservation is a serious and growing concern. Lophophora williamsii is classified as globally vulnerable (G3) by NatureServe (2020), driven by agricultural conversion, development, and both legal and illegal harvesting pressure. The slow growth rate means populations cannot recover quickly from overharvesting. Several indigenous leaders have publicly asked non-Native practitioners to refrain from using peyote to protect remaining wild populations.
In the United States, peyote is Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act (DEA, 2020). The American Indian Religious Freedom Act (1978) and its 1994 amendments protect traditional sacramental peyote use by members of federally recognized Native American tribes — a protection that does not extend to non-Native users.
For a thorough examination of how peyote and ayahuasca compare across tradition, chemistry, legal status, and who each medicine is suited for, see our dedicated guide: Peyote vs Ayahuasca: What’s the Difference?.
| Factor | Peyote | Ayahuasca |
| Active compound | Mescaline | DMT (dimethyltryptamine) |
| Duration | 12 to 14 hours | 4 to 6 hours |
| Ceremony | Communal circle, all-night | Individual, inward, lying down |
| Experiential quality | Communal, grounded | Intense, inward, visionary |
| Conservation status | Globally vulnerable (G3) | Not at risk |
| Legal status (US) | Schedule I; NAC exemption for Native members | Schedule I; UDV / Santo Daime exemptions |
Psilocybin Mushrooms: The Most Accessible Path
Psilocybin and DMT speak the same neurological language. The difference is in how they get there — and what the journey feels like on the way.
Psilocybin mushrooms, primarily Psilocybe cubensis, are the most widely recognized psychedelic in contemporary Western culture and the subject of the largest current body of clinical research among all psychedelics.
Their active compound, psilocybin, is converted in the body to psilocin, which then activates serotonin 5-HT2A receptors — the same receptor system that DMT activates in ayahuasca. Both medicines produce increases in neural connectivity, reduce default mode network activity (the brain region associated with self-referential rumination), and appear to promote neuroplasticity. The difference is in how they get there and what the journey feels like.
Mushrooms are typically gentler on the body than ayahuasca. Purging is uncommon. No dietary preparation is required. Ceremonies can be shorter (4 to 6 hours) and the experience often has a warmer, more playful quality alongside its depth.
For people taking SSRI antidepressants, mushrooms carry a moderate interaction risk (reduced effect) rather than ayahuasca’s severe serotonin syndrome risk, which requires a full washout period before use (Callaway and Grob, 1998).
The clinical evidence is substantial. A meta-analysis of 126 studies by Yao et al. (2024) found that psilocybin produced the largest therapeutic effect on depression and anxiety among all major psychedelics. DMT, the active compound in ayahuasca, ranked closely behind in the same analysis.
The legal landscape for psilocybin is shifting faster than for any other psychedelic. Colorado Proposition 122 (2022) decriminalized possession and uncompensated sharing of psilocybin and four other natural psychedelics for adults 21 and older. Oregon Measure 109 (2020) created the first licensed framework for supervised psilocybin services in the United States. Both remain Schedule I under federal law.
For a complete breakdown across eight key dimensions, including depth, safety, ceremonial tradition, and therapeutic applications, the full guide is here: Ayahuasca vs Mushrooms: What’s the Real Difference?.
| Factor | Psilocybin Mushrooms | Ayahuasca |
| Active compound | Psilocybin / psilocin (tryptamine) | DMT (dimethyltryptamine) |
| Duration | 4 to 6 hours | 4 to 8 hours |
| Physical intensity | Low to moderate | High, purging common |
| Dietary prep required | No | Yes, strict |
| SSRI interaction | Moderate (reduced effect) | Severe, washout required |
| Legal access (US) | Schedule I; licensed in Oregon and Colorado | Schedule I, narrow religious exemptions |
How to Think About Choosing a Path
There is no universal answer. There is only your health, your intention, and the tradition you are genuinely prepared to engage.
A few honest framings can help focus that conversation.
Preparation
Ayahuasca requires the most structured pre-ceremony preparation of any medicine on this page, including dietary restrictions, medication washouts (particularly SSRIs), and psychological readiness work. San Pedro and psilocybin mushrooms require less. Iboga and ibogaine require the most intensive medical screening of all due to cardiac risk.
Intention
Ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms both have the strongest evidence for depression, anxiety, and trauma processing. Ibogaine has the strongest evidence for opioid addiction interruption. San Pedro and peyote tend to be chosen for spiritual and relational work more than clinical therapeutic goals.
Access and Legality
Psilocybin now has licensed supervised access in Oregon and Colorado. Ayahuasca has accessible ceremonial programmes in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil, where it is legally recognized. Ibogaine is accessible through established treatment clinics in Mexico, Portugal, and other jurisdictions. Peyote has the most restricted access, with strong ethical reasons to avoid it outside NAC ceremonial contexts.
Medical Conditions and Medications
Anyone with a personal or family psychiatric history, cardiovascular conditions, or a current medication regimen should have a detailed medical consultation before working with any of these medicines. This is not optional. It is the difference between a transformative experience and a medical emergency.
At MahaDevi, we work exclusively with ayahuasca in the Colombian yage tradition. If you are in the research phase, the Ayahuasca Framework is a video course built for people who want clear, honest, experience-informed education before making any decision. It is available to access for free.
If you are moving toward ayahuasca specifically, the Ayahuasca Framework is a free course built around what genuine preparation actually looks like — from understanding the pharmacology to choosing the right facilitator.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plant medicine, as used on this page, refers specifically to substances held within indigenous ceremonial traditions, with protocols, healers, and cultural meaning built around them over generations. Not all psychedelics are plant medicines in this sense. Synthetic LSD, for example, is a psychedelic but not a plant medicine. Psilocybin mushrooms have indigenous ceremonial roots and are generally included in this category. The ceremonial container, the healer’s knowledge, and the integration support are considered as important to outcomes as the pharmacological compound itself. No. Rape is the clearest example on this page. It is a sacred Amazonian medicine with centuries of ceremonial use, but it does not produce visionary or psychedelic effects. Its role is grounding, clearing, and preparation. Several other traditional medicines, including certain plant baths and tobacco preparations used in Amazonian healing, are similarly non-psychedelic. The framing of “most powerful” is not particularly useful here, and most experienced practitioners would push back on it. Iboga produces the longest and most physiologically demanding experience. Ayahuasca is often described as the most psychologically intense for emotional and visionary work. Peyote ceremonies are among the most spiritually significant in the traditions that hold them. Power measured against your specific intention and readiness is more useful than any absolute ranking. Iboga is the whole root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, containing over a dozen alkaloids and used in the Bwiti ceremonial tradition of West Africa. Ibogaine is a single purified alkaloid extracted from iboga and used in clinical settings at measured doses. The whole-plant experience and the isolated-alkaloid clinical experience differ in character, setting, and safety profile. Both require cardiac screening. Some medicines are traditionally combined , rape alongside ayahuasca is common in Amazonian ceremony. Others carry serious risks. Ayahuasca’s MAOI alkaloids create severe serotonin syndrome risk when combined with SSRIs, MAOIs, or several other medications (Callaway and Grob, 1998). Combining iboga or ibogaine with any serotonergic compound, including ayahuasca, is considered highly dangerous. No combination of powerful psychedelic medicines should be undertaken without detailed consultation with a qualified practitioner. Mescaline is the primary active alkaloid in peyote, but peyote is not simply a mescaline delivery vehicle. The whole cactus contains dozens of alkaloids alongside mescaline. San Pedro also contains mescaline as its primary compound. In pharmacological terms the mescaline experience is similar across sources, but the ceremonial traditions, legal contexts, and conservation considerations are entirely different. Legal status varies significantly by medicine and jurisdiction. Ayahuasca is legally recognized in Colombia, Peru, and Brazil for ceremonial and religious use. Psilocybin has licensed supervised access in Oregon and Colorado. Peyote is Schedule I in the US with a specific exemption for Native American Church members. Rape is not scheduled in the US and is regulated as a tobacco product. Ibogaine has treatment clinic access in Mexico, Portugal, and several other countries outside US jurisdiction. For a detailed international legal breakdown, the ICEERS international legal overview is the most comprehensive resource available. The specifics vary significantly by medicine and tradition. An ayahuasca ceremony is typically conducted at night, lying down, in a group setting with a trained healer who sings medicine songs throughout. A San Pedro ceremony is conducted during the day, often outdoors, with movement and connection to nature as part of the container. A peyote ceremony within the NAC is an all-night communal circle focused on prayer and music. A full guide to what a plant medicine ceremony involves is in development and will link from this page when published. A few honest questions are more useful than any general answer. Do you have a personal or family history of psychosis, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder with psychotic features? These are general contraindications for most psychedelic medicines. Are you currently taking SSRI or SNRI antidepressants? These require washout periods before ayahuasca and carry risks with other medicines. Do you have cardiovascular conditions? These are serious screening criteria for iboga and ibogaine in particular. Beyond medical considerations, readiness, intention, and access to proper preparation and integration support are the most consistent predictors of positive outcomes. If you are working through medical considerations before a ceremony, the Ayahuasca Framework covers contraindications, medication interactions, and what to discuss with your doctor before you commit to anything. MahaDevi works exclusively with ayahuasca in the Colombian yage tradition. We are based in Mocoa, Putumayo, Colombia, the heartland of the yage tradition. We do not offer iboga, ibogaine, San Pedro, peyote, mushrooms, or other medicines. If you want to understand what working with us involves before enquiring, the Ayahuasca Framework is the best starting point. Our Education section contains the Ayahuasca Framework, a video course covering indigenous perspectives, neuroscience, preparation, integration, and safety without hype or spiritual bypassing. Our Medical Considerations page covers contraindications and medication guidance. Our Preparation and Integration page covers what we recommend before and after ceremony.Plant Medicine Hub
References
Colorado Natural Medicine Health Act, Proposition 122 (2022). Colorado Secretary of State.
CONAD Resolucao No. 1 (2010). Conselho Nacional de Politicas sobre Drogas, Brazil.
Drug Enforcement Administration (2020). Drug Fact Sheet: Peyote and Mescaline.
Instituto Nacional de Cultura, Peru (2008). Resolucion Directoral Nacional No. 836/INC.
NatureServe (2020). Lophophora williamsii (Peyote) Conservation Status. NatureServe Explorer.
Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, Ballot Measure 109, ORS 475A (2020). Oregon Health Authority.
Sanchez Aviles, C. and Rebollo, N. (2019). International regulation of ayahuasca practices. ICEERS.
Stanfill, S.B. et al. (2015). Nicotine content of tobacco products. CDC / PMC5704902.
Suarez Alvarez, C. and ICEERS (2023). Colombia: Yage Territory. ICEERS.