By: Jonathon Miller-Weisberger, 10/17/2013

We are beginning to understand why ayahuasca — yagé or “Grandmother Medicine” (a modern name that indicates respect) — is considered to be an entheogen, a substance that “reveals inner divinity.” This differs greatly from a hallucinogen or a psychedelic, in that visions and experiences under the influence of ayahuasca (as well as other known entheogens used in ceremonial context) can provide deep and meaningful — oftentimes uninhibited — insights into the nature of life, illness, and well-being, including revelations about the very fabric of existence itself. Experiences are seen and felt as “real,” as opposed to flat-out hallucinations, which ultimately are of little or no consequence, as they are mere mental stimulation, no matter how amusing. It is as if upon drinking the medicine a window to other worlds is opened to realities that exist right here and now, closely alongside our own. Boundaries and egos crumble. It is without doubt a shift of viewpoint, an extension of experience beyond ordinary consciousness. Nonetheless, regardless of how “real” the experience may be, or how accurate a reflection it allows of both outer and inner “reality,” there still exists the great risk of misinterpreting these “otherworldly” experiences and how they might relate to one’s life in the everyday world.