The Common Base: Banisteriopsis Caapi and Psychotria Viridis
Before exploring the different types, it is crucial to understand the basic components that all preparations share. The term «ayahuasca» technically refers to the Banisteriopsis caapi vine, also known as «the grandmother» or «the spirit» of the medicine. This vine contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), which are essential for the other components of the preparation to be orally active.
The second main plant is Psychotria viridis, commonly known as chacruna, which contains DMT (dimethyltryptamine), the compound responsible for the visionary effects. DMT on its own is not orally active because enzymes in the stomach quickly break it down. The MAOIs in the Banisteriopsis caapi vine block these enzymes, allowing the DMT to enter the bloodstream and cross the blood-brain barrier.
This specific combination of two plants is extraordinary from a scientific perspective. How did the Amazonian peoples discover this precise combination among tens of thousands of plant species? The traditional answer is simple and profound: the plants themselves taught the healers.
Each preparation with specific plants creates unique healing experiences.
Types According to the Banisteriopsis Caapi Vine
The first important distinction between types of preparation is based on which specific variety of the Banisteriopsis caapi vine is used. Shipibo healers recognize multiple varieties, each with subtly different effects.
Cielo Ayahuasca:
This variety, whose name means «medicine of the sky,» is considered the gentlest and most luminous of the vines. Ceremonies with cielo tend to produce more uplifting and visionary experiences, with less physical intensity. Healers often choose cielo for participants who are working with the medicine for the first time, or for ceremonies focused on vision and spiritual clarity rather than deep physical purging.
The effects of cielo are described as more ethereal, with visions that tend toward the celestial, patterns of bright light, and connections to higher spiritual dimensions. It is the preferred variety when the ceremonial work needs to be more contemplative than purgative.
Thunder Ayahuasca:
In contrast, thunder (or «thunder» in some traditions) is considered the most potent and challenging of the vines. Its name reflects the intense and sometimes turbulent nature of the experiences it produces. Ceremonies with thunder typically involve more intense physical purging and deeper emotional work.
Healers choose thunder for participants who need deep cleansing of deep-seated traumas, to work with severe addictions, or when the situation requires breaking very resistant patterns. Munay describes thunder as «the medicine that does not accept evasion»—it takes you directly to what you need to confront, without allowing you to hide.
Black Ayahuasca:
This variety, so named for the dark color of its bark, is known for producing profoundly introspective experiences. Ceremonies with black tend to take participants into dark inner territories—not necessarily negative, but the shadows of the psyche that we rarely examine.
Healers use black specifically for working with the shadow aspects of the self, to confront deep-seated fears, or to explore the unconscious in ways that other varieties don’t facilitate as effectively. It is medicine for those who are ready to encounter parts of themselves they have kept hidden.
Types According to Additive Plants
Beyond variations in the base vine, the types of preparation are dramatically distinguished by which additional plants healers choose to include. These «additive plants» fundamentally transform the nature of the experience.
Ayahuasca with Toé (Brugmansia):
Toé is one of the most potent and respected additive plants. It belongs to the nightshade family and contains extremely powerful tropane alkaloids. When toé is added to the base preparation, the result is a medicine of extraordinary potency that produces visionary experiences that can last many hours longer than standard ceremonies.
However, toé must be used with extreme caution and only by highly experienced healers. In incorrect amounts, it can cause dangerous delirium or severe adverse physical effects. In expert hands, adding minute amounts of toé can dramatically deepen the ceremonial work for participants who need to access very deep layers of healing.
In Ikaro, only Munay determines when and for whom preparations with toé are appropriate. It is never offered in general group ceremonies but only in specific individual work with experienced participants who have worked extensively with standard medicine first.
Ayahuasca with Chiric Sanango:
Chiric sanango (Brunfelsia grandiflora) is a master plant frequently added to preparations when the ceremonial work needs to focus on strengthening the energy body, developing spiritual sensitivity, or working with physical and emotional resilience.
Ceremonies with chiric sanango tend to produce distinctive physical sensations—often intense cold during the experience, followed by deep heat. This plant teaches patience, resilience, and the ability to sustain discomfort without collapsing.
Healers add chiric sanango specifically for participants who need to develop greater inner strength, for those who tend to avoid uncomfortable physical sensations, or when the work requires «hardening» the participant’s energy field.
Ayahuasca with Bobinsana:
Bobinsana (Calliandra angustifolia) is known as the «heart plant» and is added when the ceremonial work needs to focus specifically on emotional healing, opening the heart, or releasing relational pain.
Preparations with bobinsana tend to produce emotionally gentler experiences, facilitating forgiveness, compassion, and reconnection with the capacity to love. It is particularly helpful for people who have built walls around their hearts after relational traumas.
Healers choose to add bobinsana for participants working with grief, relationship breakups, or patterns of emotional avoidance. Ceremonies with bobinsana frequently result in deep emotional release through healing crying.
Ayahuasca with Sacha Garlic:
Sacha garlic (Mansoa alliacea) is added specifically for spiritual protection and cleansing of negative energies. Its name means «wild garlic» and it is considered one of the most powerful protectors in the Amazonian pharmacopoeia.
Preparations that include sacha garlic are chosen by healers when they feel a participant needs deep cleansing from negative energetic influences, or when there is concern about spiritual vulnerability. These ceremonies tend to feel more «cleansing» than exploratory.
Ayahuasca with Camalonga:
Camalonga (Strychnos spp.) is another protective plant frequently added in small amounts. Camalonga is said to create a protective field around the participant and help prevent negative energies from attaching during states of ceremonial vulnerability.
Preparations with camalonga are particularly used when multiple participants are working simultaneously, ensuring that the heavy energies released by some do not adversely affect others.
Preparations According to Regional Traditions
Different Amazonian peoples have developed their own distinctive preparation traditions, each with unique characteristics.
Shipibo-Conibo Ayahuasca:
The Shipibo-Conibo tradition of Peru, with which Ikaro works exclusively, is known for its extraordinary sophistication. Shipibo healers are masters of precise variation, adjusting not only which plants to include but in what proportions, when to harvest them, and how to cook them.
Shipibo preparations tend to be potent yet balanced, designed to produce both physical purging and visionary clarity. The tradition emphasizes personalization—rarely do two people in the same ceremony receive exactly the same preparation if the healer has time to individualize the doses.
Asháninka Ayahuasca:
The Asháninka, another important people of the Peruvian Amazon, have their own distinctive tradition. Their preparations often include different additive plants than those used by the Shipibo, reflecting the specific ecosystem of their territories and their own history of relationship with plants.
Asháninka ceremonies tend to be less structured than Shipibo ceremonies, with a greater emphasis on direct, one-on-one work between healer and participant rather than large group ceremonies.
Ecuadorian Ayahuasca:
In Ecuador, particularly among peoples like the Shuar, preparations tend to use local varieties of plants that produce subtly different experiences. Some Ecuadorian traditions also more frequently include plants like guayusa, which adds stimulating qualities.
Brazilian Ayahuasca – Santo Daime and UDV:
In Brazil, two important syncretic traditions—Santo Daime and União do Vegetal (UDV)—have developed their own standardized preparations, which they call «daime» or «hoasca.» These preparations are generally milder than those used in Peruvian traditions, designed for large group ceremonies where hundreds of people can participate simultaneously. Brazilian preparations reflect the integration of these traditions with Christianity and other Brazilian cultural influences, resulting in experiences that some describe as more «controlled» or «predictable» compared to the variable intensity of traditional Amazonian ceremonies.
Preparations According to Ceremonial Purpose
Experienced healers also vary their preparations according to the specific purpose of each ceremony.
For Physical Healing:
When the primary purpose is to work with physical ailments, healers may prepare medicine that includes plants specifically known for their anti-inflammatory, analgesic, or other properties that work with specific body systems. These preparations may produce fewer visionary effects but work more intensely on the physical level.
For Deep Psychological Work:
For ceremonies focused on trauma, depression, or deep-seated psychological patterns, healers may choose preparations that facilitate deep introspection and confrontation with difficult psychological content. These preparations tend to be more emotionally intense.
For Vision and Spiritual Guidance:
When participants primarily seek spiritual guidance, clarity about life purpose, or connection with transpersonal dimensions, healers may prepare more «visionary» medicines that produce expanded contemplative states with less emphasis on physical cleansing. For Plant Diets:
During extended diets with master plants, the medicine is specifically prepared to facilitate a deep connection between the dieter and the plant they are working with. These preparations are often milder but are taken more regularly over extended periods.
From soft skies to intense thunder: Shipibo healers choose the exact type of ayahuasca according to each participant’s needs
The Importance of Working with Knowledgeable Healers
This extraordinary diversity of preparation types underscores the crucial importance of working with healers who possess in-depth knowledge of medicinal plants and decades of practical experience.
A healer like Munay can energetically assess each participant and determine precisely which type of preparation will be most beneficial. They can adjust not only which plants to include but also in what proportions and how to cook them to optimize the desired effects.
In contrast, facilitators with limited training often work with a single, generic «recipe» that they use for all participants without the ability to personalize it. This «one-size-fits-all» approach inevitably results in less than optimal experiences for many participants.
Safety Considerations with Different Types
It is crucial to understand that different types of preparations have different safety profiles and require different levels of experience from both the healer and the participant.
Preparations that include plants such as toé require extraordinary expertise from the healer and are not appropriate for novice participants. Even among more standard types, variations in potency mean that clear communication between participant and healer regarding prior experience, health conditions, and medications is absolutely essential.
At Ikaro, Munay conducts careful individual assessments before each ceremony, determining which type of preparation is appropriate for each person. This personalization, based on decades of experience, is one of the reasons why our ceremonies produce profound transformations with maximized safety.
Final Reflection: Beyond the Generic Recipe
Understanding that there are multiple types of sacred medicine preparations, each with specific properties and applications, should fundamentally transform how you evaluate options for ceremonies.
When researching facilitators or centers, ask about their knowledge of different types of preparations. Do they use the same recipe for everyone? Can they explain which plants they include beyond the basic components? Do they adjust preparations according to individual needs?
The answers to these questions will quickly reveal whether you are working with authentic master healers who possess deep ethnobotanical knowledge, or with facilitators who have learned a basic recipe without understanding the true sophistication of Amazonian traditions. In Manu with Ikaro and Munay, you will experience medicine prepared with ancestral precision, personalized for your specific needs, using plant knowledge that has been refined over countless generations. This is the difference between consuming a generic substance and participating in a sophisticated medicinal tradition that fully honors the extraordinary complexity of the Amazonian pharmacopoeia.
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