Ayahuasca is the shamanic brew that has become increasingly more popular throughout the world. This psychedelic potion is generally comprised of the combination of the following 2 plants: Psychotria viridis and Banisteriopsis caapi. The Psychotria viridis plant contains significant levels of DMT which is a psychedelic compound. However, solely ingesting plants containing DMT fail to produce psychoactive effects due to an enzyme called monoamine oxidase (MAO) which breaks down the DMT in the digestive tract prior to reaching the bloodstream. The Banisteriopsis caapi (B. caapi) vine is also known as the Ayahuasca vine and contains compounds identified as beta-carbolines such as harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine. Beta-carbolines have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects but also act as a monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI). These MAOIs prevent the premature breakdown of DMT allowing it to reach the bloodstream and eventually the brain. The 2 plants are combined in a container with water and boiled for hours prior to ingestion. Following the consumption of Ayahuasca, the subject generally experiences distinct visionary experiences for a few hours in addition to undergoing digestive purges.
(Technically speaking, the Ayahausca brew can contain numerous combinations of plants that contain DMT and beta-carbolines other than Psychotria viridis and B. caapi.)
What is Endohuasca?
It stands for endogenous Ayahuasca.
Endogenous means to be produced from within.
While most of the discourse surrounding endogenous psychedelics revolves around the “Spirit Molecule” N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), the mammalian body produces an intriguing combination of psychedelic compounds. Alongside DMT, the body has been found to produce 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MEO-DMT) (Shen et al., 2010) and bufotenin (5-HO-DMT) (Barker et al., 2012). 5-MEO-DMT is considered by many to produce the most potent mystical-type experience essentially inducing a rapid ego death in combination with a perceived sense of direct connection to the source of creation. For this reason, 5-MEO-DMT has been labeled as the “God Molecule”.
Bufotenin lacks the public engagement of DMT & 5-MEO-DMT but is reportedly very potent based on Jonathan Ott’s field study indicating it is on-par in terms of effects with 5-MEO-DMT (Ott, 2001). Bufotenine should not be confused with the Bufo Alvarius toad also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad from which 5-MEO-DMT is extracted from. Endogenous bufotenin seems to be found in more abundance in periphery measurements (blood, urine) than it’s counterparts (Emanuele et al., 2010; Takeda et al, 1995; Kärkkäinen et al., 1995; Kärkkäinen et al., 2005). This shouldn’t be entirely surprising being that bufotenin is a metabolite of the commonly studied neurotransmitter serotonin (Neumann et al., 2023).
In addition to the DMT’s produced endogenously, the mammalian body also produces compounds that have monoamine oxidase inhibitory (MAOI) properties. Harmine, norharmane, and harmaline, which are beta-carboline found in the Ayahausca vine (B. Caapi) are also produced endogenously within mammals (Cao et al., 2022; Pfau et al., 2004; Mosaffa et al., 2021;). In addition, there are other endogenously produced compounds that have MAOI properties such as neurocatin, isatin, and pinoline (Fernandez-Novoa et al., 1991; Kumar et al., 2022; Jiang et al., 2009). It’s even been cited that the common neurotransmitter acetylcholine can exude MAOI properties in various parts of the mammalian brain (Osman et al., 2008).
Compared to the traditional Ayahuasca brew, the combination of molecules that make up Endohuasca appears more extensive. Since the book “DMT: The Spirit Molecule” was released in the year 2000, there has been much speculation regarding the role of endogenous DMT in the body, the pineal gland, and whether it’s upregulation coincides with mystical-type experiences. In 2013, a study in the journal Biomedical Chromatography utilized a technique known as live micro-dialysis to extract samples of fluid surrounding the pineal gland of live rats. The researchers found DMT, it’s precursors and metabolites in the fluid samples. This led many to believe that the pineal gland was likely the primary source of DMT production in the body. However, in 2019, Dr. Jon Dean published a study in Scientific Reports producing data indicating that endogenous DMT is produced in various parts of the brain including the choroid plexus, visual cortex, and hippocampus alongside the pineal gland based on enzymatic imaging. He also utilized the same live micro-dialysis technology to extract fluid samples from the visual cortex and reported that following cardiac arrest, DMT levels increased 600%. Possibly more significant, Dean reported that the levels of DMT in regular, waking rats appeared to be similar to the levels of the commonly researched neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine. Previously, much of the belief regarding endogenous DMT is that it was likely only upregulated during mystical-type experiences such as near-death experiences (NDE’s) or dreaming.
Earlier this year (2024), Dr. Nicolas Glynos published additional animal research which found that endogenous DMT was found to be at levels nearly double that of dopamine concentrations throughout the cortex during normal waking consciousness (Glynos et al., 2024). Being that the dialogue and research regarding dopamine is so prominently discussed regarding effects on behavior, addiction, and pleasure, it’d seem logical to ask similar questions of DMT based on these concentrations. In the 1994 study produced by Dr. Rick Strassman, he administered various doses of exogenous DMT intravenously to human subjects. The 2 lowest levels of DMT administration were considered to be sub-psychedelic meaning that there were no hallucinations induced by the injections. However, Strassman reported that subjects described a sensation of euphoria from the lowest level of DMT. This led some researchers to hypothesize that endogenous DMT has a mood and emotional regulatory effect (Jacob et al., 2005). More recent research has indicated that chronic micro-dosing of DMT can produce a positive effect on mood and anxiety in animal models (Cameron et al., 2019).
One must remember… dose is everything. Apparently not everything DMT related has to be aliens aliens aliens.
This brings us back to the original question… why does the mammalian brain produce a psychedelic, DMT at such significant levels during our normal waking consciousness? What role does it have in our cognitive processing, perception, and insights? What is the interplay between DMT, 5-MEO-DMT, bufotenin, and the endogenous MAOIs (harmine, norharmane, harmaline, neurocatin, isatin, and pinoline)?
Being that the human body has the capacity to produce not only the same chemicals as those found in Ayahuasca but an even more comprehensive blend, the question that arises is whether there is a relationship between Endohuasca and altered states of consciousness? There are numerous manners in which humans have reportedly connected with the divine or even tapped into supernormal abilities. The list is quite extensive including (but not limited to): breath work, meditation, hypnosis, sound, light flicker, yoga, fasting, chanting, cold immersion, sensory deprivation, sweat lodges, prolonged darkness, magnetic stimulation, and even sleep deprivation. Based on all the research to date regarding these techniques or technologies, it is clear that distinct changes in brain activity takes place in the form of altered oscillatory activity, changes in neural network connectivity, and modifications in metabolism.
One of the consistent signatures of altered states appears to be an enhancement in cross-frequency coupling of slow brain waves (theta/delta) and fast brain waves (gamma/high gamma). Cross-frequency coupling occurs when a coupling of the amplitude of fast oscillations and slow oscillations takes place. It is hypothesized that cross-frequency coupling may serve as a mechanism to transfer information from large-scale brain networks to the fast, local cortical processing required for effective computation (Canolty et al., 2010). Experientially it seems that this state of being is based on a simultaneous combination of deep relaxation and hyper focus. It sounds a bit counter intuitive as much of the population is well versed in the feeling of relaxation or intense focus but rarely the combination of both at the same time.
Perhaps the saying… “out of your mind” essentially means to be outside of your baseline conscious state.
Future research will need to sort out the dynamic interplay between biochemical fluctuations and neural oscillatory activity. However, basic research needs to take place to better understand regular fluctuations based on circadian rhythm to create a foundation of data from which to build from. Once a basic understanding is developed then more precise research can be developed such as pin-pointing specific oscillatory signatures that coincide with upregulation or down regulation of particular molecules.
Endohuasca signifies not only the potential biochemical mix of mystical experiences but also the attempt to ground modern day mysticism by focusing on classical neuroscience. Much of the discourse surrounding mysticism delves into exotic terminology, quantum phenomenology, and futuristic concepts not generally accepted by the majority of academic circles. In order for the greater society to publicly engage with the topic of the supernormal, we believe it needs to be grounded as much as possible within the science of today. There is a special opportunity to do so currently and once the foundation has been developed, integration with more cutting edge yet less accepted explanations of phenomena can be integrated within the greater model. The Orch-OR theory developed by Roger Penrose and Stuart Hameroff come to mind as does the stochastic electrodynamics (SED) based theory currently in development by Joachim Keppler.
Exciting times!
P.S. Speculatively speaking, we will be touching up on the idea that cross-frequency coupling is essential for modulating our experience(s) within the zero-point field in an upcoming future piece.