A New Culture of Ayahuasca
How an ancient practice is finding its place again, responsibly and safely.
Where we come from
A practice the world once shared
Across the world, the use of natural psychedelics was once part of human culture. But unlike parts of South America and Africa, where these medicines stayed central to daily life, elsewhere the practice was gradually lost, largely under the influence of organized religion.
In recent years we have watched them return, moving through a slow process of readaptation and acceptance. The 1970s brought a sudden opening toward psychedelics with the counterculture movement. This movement was necessary but abrupt and sometimes irresponsible, with consequences that led governments to shut it down through prohibitive laws and campaigns.
Ayahuasca met the same fate when the West first encountered it: it was approached with prejudice and misunderstanding, associated with something dark, dangerous, and illegal and with people seen as troublesome for society.
Today, that has changed. We are living a new culture of Ayahuasca, one of responsible, widespread acceptance.
Who sits in our circles
Members who build society
At Amayama, the people who attend ceremonies and join our legally registered association are active, productive members of society, professionals from every field, all over the world:
Our mission
Healthier people, a healthier world
Our mission is to keep nurturing this new culture. The professionals who make up the fabric of society report profound benefits after their contact with the medicine. As they gain health, they make better decisions, creating better outcomes and less suffering in the world around them.
When a person heals, society heals.
Doing things right
Responsible, sustainable practice
We have a new opportunity to do this well, with care at every step.
- Replanting and protecting nature against deforestation.
- Honoring ancestral traditions and the cultures that carry them.
- Careful evaluation and preparation of every participant.
- Small groups, a 1:1 guide-to-participant ratio, giving each person the attention they need.
- Thorough integration support afterward, with the best tools available today.
Culture shapes the law and adapts it to a new reality, including the legal protection of intangible cultural heritage, which safeguards living traditions like this one.
Who we welcome
A space for growth and healing
Amayama's work is with people who come to heal, to grow, and to explore themselves on a deeper, often spiritual level. This is where our experience lies, and where we are able to hold people well.
We are not an addiction treatment center. Healing drug dependency, or working with severe mental health conditions, requires specific clinical expertise that lies outside our scope. When someone comes to us needing that kind of care, we redirect them toward professional clinics equipped to provide it.
Those who join our circles are conscious, responsible people who arrive with the intention to grow, for themselves and for everything around them.