.. Powered by"Ayahuasca Description
from Psychedelic Shamanism
by Jim DeKorne
Published 1994 by Loompanics Unlimited.From the Amazonian rain forest comes one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness yet discovered by human beings. In Ecuador and Peru this medicine is known as Ayahuasca, a Quechua Indian word meaning, ironically, "vine of the dead". In Columbia and parts of Brazil, the Tupi Indian name Yage (pronounced Ya-hay) is used, and among Amazonia's proliferating mestizo religous cults it is called Daime..."Ayahuasca" as a hallucinogenic substance does not properly refer to one single plant, but to a singular mixture of two very different plant species...there is no such thing as an "ayahuasca plant," or a "yage plant", any more than there is a simple liquor simply called "Martini." Ayahuasca correctly refers to a psychedelic combination of plants which varies in potency according to the skill of its maker.While each shaman has his own secret formula for the mixture (with probably no two exactly alike), it has been established that true ayahuasca always contains both beta-carboline and tryptamine alkaloids, the former (harmine and harmaline) usually obtained from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, and the latter (N, N-dimethyl-tryptamine, or DMT) from the leaves of the Psychotria viridis bush. (There may be variations among plant species, but the alkaloids are always consistent.It is significant to note that neither one of these plant substances by itself is normally psychoactive in oral doses. (Harmine/harmaline is said to effect hallucinosis at highly toxic levels, but in less heroic quantities it is at best a tranquilizer, at worst an emetic.) DMT, in any quantity, is not orally active unless used in combination with a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor. This principle is precisely what makes ayahuasca effective; the harmala alkaloids in the Banisteriopsis caapi vine are potent short term MAO inhibitors which synergize with the DMT-containing Psychotria viridis leaves to produce what has been described as one of the most profound of all psychedelic experiences. "AyAwAscA’s press kit:Formed in early 2008, AyAwAscA was the result of a few very rare occurrences that brought three guys into the same room. All three, with different backgrounds and influences, found themselves in a very special situation in which, as soon as notes were played, magic happened. A few minutes after one of the best spontaneous jams of their lives, a name was suggested and approved by all, and AyAwAscA was born!The name derives from Ayahuasca, the most sacred brew of Amazonian shamans, and a potion that is said to be one of the most live transforming psychedelic experiences a person can withstand. The band, considered an external source for transformative experiences, started its life following the path of least resistance; the conventional path of song writing and rehearsing tunes. Almost immediately it became clear that this musical ensemble was meant to follow a different path; one of completely spontaneous and improvised music. The band took this journey knowing full well the challenges that would follow, but compelled by the understanding that with songs comes creative limitations. These highly prolific musicians cannot be restrained or fully appreciated within the boundaries of “rehearsed songs.†The band’s performances bring about more than just music and emotions. It becomes an introspective indulgence; a meditative and spiritual ecstasy for all to engage.The AyAwAscA sound is an amalgamation of multiple influences. One fan commented, “it's like all the cool bands I like, rolled up into one!.†They are huge music fans so the list of influences is infinite. As they draw from everything they like, a performance can be a roulette of multiple sounds, not one the same as another. So, you can imagine, a comprehensive description is impossible. Spectators’ descriptions incorporate the following terms: jam, funk, jazz, blues, psychedelic, and fusion. But the truth is, the AyAwAscA sound is so unique that descriptive terms are deceiving and limiting.Combine this with the band’s distinct technical assets and ability to optimally use these assets, maximizing the sensory input, to create the best possible live experience ever…you have AyAwAscA…a truly spontaneous experience.
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