San Francisco now full of ayahuasca

Ayahuasca is not a recreational drug. The indigenous people of the Amazon use it as a medicine, to cure ills. They are guided by a shaman and it is a serious ritual, not a fun thing to do over the weekend like a rave but with puking. I hated this article because it made light of a serious plant medicine that has great potential for healing, and made it sound like "doing this drug" is a cool thing to do. I ordinarily have great respect for David Remnick but he made an ass of himself on the New Yorker podcast when he interviewed the author. Neither of them have a serious understanding of this medicine, its history, or its potential for empowering change in people who undertake the experience with serious intent and in the right setting.

I've done it once, it was a pretty heavy experience. The setting was in Mexico, with a small group of people who were seeking a higher spiritual experience, not a trippy experience they could put a notch in their drug belt with. We were guided by an experienced shaman who had spent considerable time in Peru being mentored in the administration of this ceremony. It is not for the feint of heart.

/r/sanfrancisco Thread Link - newyorker.com