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 sycodelix
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 McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca 
#25319309 - 07/10/18 07:41 PM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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https://hightimes.com/health/scientific-reason-people-crisis-benefit-ayahuasca/
The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca
Many believe that ayahuasca is a transformative experience that can help treat depression, addiction, and other ailments.
Published 11 hours ago on July 10, 2018 By Kyle Jaeger
The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca Ammit Jack/ Shutterstock
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In 1993, a team of international researchers ventured into the Brazilian Amazon and set up a makeshift laboratory inside a temple of the União do Vegetal (UDV). Followers of the church drink a tea made from the psychoactive plant ayahuasca—which is known locally as “Hoasca”—as part of the religious service. Because Brazilian regulatory agencies had started to express concerns about the effects of long-term consumption, the church asked the researchers to conduct a study.
Nature and Neuroscience
Dennis McKenna, a celebrated ethnopharmacologist who participated in the biomedical study, described the experiment at a psychedelics science symposium in Los Angeles earlier this month. They ran tests on 15 male volunteers, ranging from basic vitals to psychiatric “life story interviews.” While there were plenty of compelling findings (no acute toxicity, slightly improved cognitive functioning, etc.), he said that one in particular stood out: compared to control groups, individuals who regularly drink “Hoasca” tea had higher levels of serotonin transporters.
“We had no idea what we were looking for, but guess what? When we did receptor binding profiles on platelets, which we had collected, we actually found a significant difference in the abundance, or the density, of serotonin transporters,” McKenna said. “So there is a difference, but what does that mean? Well, we didn’t really know—but we did what you do when you’re in that situation and went into the literature.”
People generally know serotonin as a neurotransmitter that regulates emotions and serves as a mood stabilizer. Serotonin transporters are proteins that aid in the facilitation of serotonin throughout the nervous system, and what McKenna and his team discovered in the existing scientific literature was that deficiencies of this protein were associated with various “pathologies,” including “certain kinds of alcoholism, alcoholism associated with violent or homicidal behaviors, suicidal behaviors, binge eating, and other disorders.”
The Power of the Plant
McKenna’s study was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in 1993—one of the first of its kind. Since its publication, more than 150 studies on ayahuasca now appear on PubMed, the federal database of peer-reviewed research.
“It’s almost too neat, but there it is,” McKenna said at the symposium. “It suggested that maybe ayahuasca could actually reverse these deficits—actually raise the expression of the serotonin transporters—and that might be therapeutic.”
That might help explain why many members of the UDV who participated in the study, as well as many ayahuasca users throughout the world, often seek out the psychoactive plants during times of crisis. Other research, including studies on rats, have come to similar conclusions about the peculiar, biochemical effect of ayahuasca consumption, but the plant remains in a grey legal area in the United States. The plant itself is not scheduled under federal drug laws; however, you can extract the potent hallucinogen DMT from the plant, which is classified in the strictest drug category, Schedule 1.
That’s unfortunate because, as McKenna emphasized during his speech, “[a]yahuasca is the only pharmacology that I know of… that does this—that upregulates the serotonin transporters,” making it a unique and potentially versatile therapeutic tool that has yet to be embraced by the broader, scientific community.
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Fractal420
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: sycodelix]
#25319955 - 07/11/18 06:02 AM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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As far as this article: i wonder if dmt has any positive longer term effects that say psilocin and lsd do not. i dont believe this to be the case. I think psilo is probably even better for depression (it might have to do with time tripping, for example ive only smoked dmt, so when i come back to reality, i definitely feel more at ease with the world, but perhaps less so than psilo, however this was only 5 mins)... so maybe ayahuasca could really have strong antidepressant effects since it lasts much longer. And im *sure* the MAOI plays a role, probably enhances serotonin effects, but its the one and only reason i see ayahuasca as more "dangerous" than mushrooms and acid and whatever (cause if youre on medication, i take benzos for anxiety), its definitely something to watch out for. I mean itd be the same with psilo and syrian rue
PS:
This is a bit off topic but the other week on Real Time with Bill Maher, they had one of those psychedelic experts/users/advocates, and he mentioned DMT (and if you watched other episodes where dmt is mentioned, bill always says "i tried every drug known to man, but never dmt"). And this time the guest says something about Ayahuasca, and Bill is like "I have never done Hayawaska" and the dude just bursts out laughing.
I was cringing a little bit. They also talked about "how lsd is not real anymore" which might be somewhat true compared to Sandoz but im sure good needlepoint is good needlepoint. Its like how most illicit S-ketamine pretty much is identical to veterinary supply if its not cut. Or even alprazolam etc.
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Dreaming of That face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide
And comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
Prying open MY third eye
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sycodelix
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: Fractal420]
#25320279 - 07/11/18 09:41 AM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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Cannabis and shrooms are the only things I've ingested, but might be experiencing hayawaska next month...
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 Achuma
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: sycodelix]
#25320830 - 07/11/18 04:00 PM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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Re: Fractal420
Ayahuasca has significantly greater psychological benefit compared to vaporized DMT. Also it has a significantly higher efficacy for generating long-term positive changes in mindset compared to vaporized DMT, LSD, psilocybin and mescaline. I am only speaking from a combination of personal experience which only serves to indicate to me what it is that I think about it, and from a series of research papers published in the last 2 years about ayahuasca which I found on reddit drug nerds.
But....I honestly believe based on all my inputs from various areas of life that ayahuasca is profoundly and universally healthier and more healing, emotionally, than LSD mushrooms and cacti. I generally only receive noticeable benefits from the "more fun and less serious" psychedelics (LSD, mushrooms, cacti) for a period ranging from 2-7 days, while I continue to receive noticeable benefits from the nearly completely serious-only psychedelic ayahuasca, for a period ranging from 25-40 or so days.
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Achuma's Psilocybe Extraction Pictorial
Pictured: crystalline extract derived from Psilocybe Cubensis. See link for detailed instructions, as well as a lengthy discussion on the properties of light.
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DualWieldRake
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: Achuma]
#25321215 - 07/11/18 07:11 PM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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This is sensationalist bullshit and propaganda for a first, we can still discuss potential benefits after establishing this fact.
Ayahuasca (the plant aka banisteripsis caapi) is not psychoactive and DMT can not be extracted from it as it contains none.
Also missing from the article is any scientific reasoning as to why people supposedly benefit (a random wild claim) from ayahuasca
Even the Mckenna study that is linked reads like this "If.....would.....in this case...."
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sycodelix
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: DualWieldRake]
#25322378 - 07/12/18 01:37 PM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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Quote:
DualWieldRake said:
This is sensationalist bullshit and propaganda for a first, we can still discuss potential benefits after establishing this fact.
Ayahuasca (the plant aka banisteripsis caapi) is not psychoactive and DMT can not be extracted from it as it contains none.
Also missing from the article is any scientific reasoning as to why people supposedly benefit (a random wild claim) from ayahuasca
Even the Mckenna study that is linked reads like this "If.....would.....in this case...."
I'm not tracking what you're claiming... no dmt? That's silly because most of everything has dmt in it, especially in the plant ingredients in ayahausca.
Please explain more your displeasure and what it is specific that makes it sensationalism and propaganda (as in which government is supposedly disseminating this info to sway opinion)...
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DualWieldRake
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: sycodelix]
#25323255 - 07/12/18 11:03 PM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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Ayahuasca the mixture gets it's DMT from other plants while the banisteriopsis just makes it biologically available
But thats a detail. My issue with propaganda like this is the lack of facts and assumptions/lies.
The article clearly states "scientific reason" yet it's void of science.
There is not even evidence presented for the assumption that people in crisis benefit from this.
This is just mass media pushing ayahuasca for some reason i'm not aware off
Edited by DualWieldRake (07/12/18 11:03 PM)
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Fractal420
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: DualWieldRake]
#25323491 - 07/13/18 04:57 AM (5 years, 9 months ago) |
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The misnomer is prolly why people get confused. Since "ayahuasca" refers to caapi, and caapi is the MAOI (harmine etc), some people might assume that its psychoactive. Though its actually only psychoactive when brewed with a plant containing dmt
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Dreaming of That face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide
And comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
Prying open MY third eye
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sycodelix
Honorable Golden Shellback
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Posts: 294
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Last seen: 1 year, 3 months
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: DualWieldRake]
#25324926 - 07/13/18 08:24 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Quote:
DualWieldRake said:
Ayahuasca the mixture gets it's DMT from other plants while the banisteriopsis just makes it biologically available
But thats a detail. My issue with propaganda like this is the lack of facts and assumptions/lies.
The article clearly states "scientific reason" yet it's void of science.
There is not even evidence presented for the assumption that people in crisis benefit from this.
This is just mass media pushing ayahuasca for some reason i'm not aware off
High times indeed published it targeted towards a specific audience, however any credible information is welcomed to educate the masses that psychedelics have indeed a medical benefit. I drink from the cup of tea served by this, what you're calling propaganda (our definition of this term must differ).
The study part is referring to a McKenna’s study that was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in 1993 "one of the first of its kind." (Why now are we hearing of it? ) this study was being discussed at a symposium "earlier this month" in l.a.
So yes, there was no science in the article, however the article discusses what McKenna presented.
Again, sweet tea to me, because it's widely accepted the benefits serotonin offers and widely accepted the known results on those who cannot produce much serotonin and the common symptoms, like depression are often linked. That's good info to educate the uninitiated, whether they need it or not.
@fractal420, the maoi, doesn't it suppress an enzyme or something we produce naturally that will essentially kill dmt in our stomachs so it won't be psychoactive? Thus with the maoi, or caapi, the dmt from the plant allows it to enter the bloodstream and pass the blood brain barrier. Correctish? That's why we're not tripping balls after eating a salad?
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Fractal420
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: sycodelix]
#25325247 - 07/14/18 01:35 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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Correctish. Its more so that it allows dmt to work orally, when normally it would not makes its way past the blood brain barrier
Though, if you ate an maoi and a salad you wouldnt trip (obviously). It enhances the effects of dmt, psilocybin, lsd, and things like that. Its also quite dangerous with some medications and i bet with something like mdma might lead to some problems. The truth is maoi's are some of the most annoying/dangerous medicines to mix with other chems, you cant use many things for like 14 days after. One of the reasons i dont care so much for aya is i dont like maoi's.
However same thing with shrooms + rue, same dangers
If you never take meds youre in the clear tho
Id just do a line of dpt. 2 hrs of hyperspace is some crazy shit
--------------------
Dreaming of That face again.
It's bright and blue and shimmering.
Grinning wide
And comforting me with it's three warm and wild eyes.
Prying open MY third eye
Edited by Fractal420 (07/14/18 01:43 AM)
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lessismore
Registered: 02/10/13
Posts: 6,268
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: Fractal420]
#25331187 - 07/17/18 09:18 AM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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It is easy : these plants BLOW YOUR MIND people, and transform your life
Not for the faint of heart
All psychedelics do the same,they expand our consciousness to its highest potential
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MushroomGreenhorn
Ensign
Registered: 05/24/18
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Re: McKenna: The Scientific Reason People In Crisis Benefit from Ayahuasca [Re: sycodelix]
#25340964 - 07/22/18 05:11 PM (5 years, 8 months ago) |
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"psychoactive plant ayahuasca," hehe.
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