Ayahuasca : liane de l'âme, chamanes et soumission chimique
Annales de Toxicologie Analytique January 1, 2004 Gilbert Pépin, Gaëlle Duffort 10 citations
Hallucinogenic plants have been used in primitive societies for centuries, but their use was limited to shamans and medicine men during religious rites. Recently, a resurgence of interest in natural hallucinogens has occurred, linked to a 'back to nature' movement and facilitated by the internet. Ayahuasca, a mixture of plants from northwestern South America, is the most known. Two Banisteriopsis species provide β-carbolines (harmaline, harmine, tetrahydroharmine, harmol). Another plant, often Psychotria viridis, adds dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Ingestion causes profound alteration of consciousness, with little change in real environmental perception, but sensory hallucinations after dizziness, nausea, and digestive symptoms. Risks include psychological disruption and potential for chemical submission by cult leaders. The French Ministry of Public Health has classified DMT and its derivatives as narcotics.