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After Catherine Paiz described her ayahuasca ceremony on Call Her Daddy as an almost out-of-body, life-changing experience, we had to go deep on it — what is this stuff, why does it feel that way, and is any of it backed by real science? We break down the two plants that make up the brew, the neuroscience of how DMT and the vine's harmala alkaloids interact to create a 4-6 hour experience, and what's happening in the default mode network that might explain why it's being studied for treatment-resistant depression and PTSD. We also get into why it's fully illegal in the U.S. despite that promising research, and the real risks — drug interactions, mental health red flags, and an unregulated retreat industry — that don't make it into most wellness-retreat marketing.Check out our episode on ayahuasca.#WEvolvePodcast #Ayahuasca #Psychedelics #Neuroscience #mentalhealth What We Cover: What ayahuasca actually is — the two plants, the ceremony, and centuries of Indigenous use across Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador The neuroscience: how DMT and the vine's harmala alkaloids work together to create a 4-6 hour experience What's happening in the brain — the 5-HT2A receptor, the default mode network, and why long-term use is linked to real structural brain changes Why people are turning to it — from treatment-resistant depression to trauma processing, and the Catherine Paiz moment that kicked off this episode What the actual clinical research says (and doesn't say yet) about depression and PTSD Why it's federally illegal in the U.S. despite promising early research — and the catch-22 that keeps it that way The real risks: drug interactions, mental health red flags, and the unregulated retreat industry Where we land — respecting the science and the history without romanticizing the riskDisclaimer: we are not health professionals, and this episode is for informational purposes only.Sources: Alcohol and Drug Foundation — https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/ayahuasca/ U.S. Embassy in Peru — "Health Alert: Do Not Use Ayahuasca/Kambo" (Jan 23, 2025) NBC Bay Area — "What Is Ayahuasca and Why Are People Turning to Psychedelics?" Malcolm BJ, Lee KC. Mental Health Clinician, 2018 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6007657/ Sheth R, et al. Cureus, 2024 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10994171/ Psychology Today — "Ayahuasca and Its Potential to Treat PTSD" Bouso JC, et al. PLOS Global Public Health, 2022 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10021266/ Pilecki B, et al. Harm Reduction Journal, 2021 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8028769/ Hamill J, et al. Current Neuropharmacology, 2019 — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6343205/ The Conversation — "Authentic ayahuasca rituals..." Recovered.org — "Ayahuasca's Legal Landscape in the US"
