Traditionally, ayahuasca is brewed from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria viridis leaves. The vine and leaves are cleaned, pounded, and cooked together in water over many hours, sometimes over two or more days, reducing to a concentrated brew. The preparation is itself a ceremonial act in many traditions: specific prayers, icaros (sacred songs), and ritual protocols accompany the brewing. More than 100 botanical species have been documented as additives across different Amazonian traditions (ICEERS, n.d.; Ruffell et al., 2020). The precise preparation varies significantly by lineage, region, and healer.
