In the Peruvian Amazon, the healing power of the sacred Ayahuasca drink has been known for thousands of years, at least since 1000 B.C.; each tribe had its own shamans, who treated all emotional and spiritual problems, as well as many physical ailments.
This tradition and knowledge continue in our Ayahuasca ceremonies and retreats in the Peruvian jungle; all our shamans are from the Amazon and, in turn, belong to an ancient lineage of shamans who are masters of the psycho-spiritual dynamics of the sacred drink. Our retreats in the rainforest also provide translators and assistants trained in medicine and psychology, who will care for participants at all times throughout the Ayahuasca ritual in the Amazon, offering support and healing; the rainforest shaman, of course, leads the ceremony and remains with the participants throughout the ritual.
Currently, mainstream science is beginning to confirm what the ancient shamanic knowledge of the Amazonian masters has long known: that Ayahuasca is a powerful, effective, natural, and spiritual medicine for healing many psycho-spiritual and even physical ailments.
In the case of depression, the sacred plant will generally lead the participant into the depths of the unconscious, forcing them to confront and face the illness, which often appears in the guise of a fearsome, rebellious, and destructive figure; at first, the depression will speak to the participant and try to sap their motivation to heal, attempting to overpower their desire to overcome all the pain. However, Mother Ayahuasca intervenes, giving the person strength and support, until they actually become stronger than the illness and defeat the disguised psychopathology, after which Mother Ayahuasca will lead the participant away from the darkness and into a realm of light and joy, where the energy that depression took away will be restored as positive, creative, comforting, revitalizing vitality and a joy for living life.
Current scientific research has established the biochemistry of the Ayahuasca infusion in relation to the treatment of depression: the sacred potion causes a decrease in levels of the enzyme MAO (monoamine oxidase) in the nervous system, which in turn allows for an increase in the neurotransmitter called serotonin (5HT), which is reduced in cases of depression; Elevated serotonin improves mood, sensory perception, and higher cognitive processes—factors that are typically diminished in depression.
Currently, major pharmaceutical companies are attempting to patent and begin industrial production of the Ayahuasca drink; however, the technology is still far from matching the properties of the actual plants, and this initiative is being opposed by Ayahuasca healers around the world, for both spiritual and practical reasons.
We still uphold the tradition of healing with natural, toxin-free, expert, and shamanic Ayahuasca in our wonderful and safe setting in the Amazon rainforest, one of the most energetic and powerful regions in the world.