Ayahuasca, a key element of traditional indigenous medicine in the Peruvian Amazon, has become a global phenomenon. In the Czech Republic, where ayahuasca is illegal due to its N,N-dimethyltryptamine content, it is used within a subculture. A pilot online anonymous questionnaire survey of 70 respondents mapped this phenomenon for the first time, finding that ayahuasca is used in all regions of the country, most often in Prague, primarily for therapeutic reasons. The traditional use of ayahuasca has adapted to local conditions, and with increasing awareness, further spread of this sociocultural phenomenon is expected. When traditional safety guidelines are followed, ayahuasca has therapeutic potential for treating drug addiction and other diseases of civilization.
In the Czech Republic, the most commonly used preparation from traditional Amazonian medicine is the psychoactive brew ayahuasca. Field research conducted from November 2015 involved semi-structured interviews with 46 individuals (23 women and 23 men) who had participated in at least one ritual using traditional Amazonian medicine. Content analysis of the first 15 interviews, using grounded theory, confirms ayahuasca's prevalence. The article also classifies the types of ceremonies, their organizers, and participants, and concludes by outlining risks associated with psychoactive substance use.