Inner Truth

Ayahuasca - a psychedelic plant brew from the Amazon - is fast becoming a popular healing modality for Westerners looking to seek closure from past events and heal mental health ailments like anxiety and depression. A relatively unknown substance until twenty years ago, it was popularised by a now-famous article in the National Geographic in 2003 which saw one of its writers - Kira Salak - heal herself in a matter of days from life-long treatment-resistant depression. Fifteen years on, she remains depression-free. With miracle-healings on offer, Westerners have been fleeing to the Amazon to work with the medicine. Sometimes with great effects and often times with more than they bargained for. I spoke with ayahuasca expert Rachel Harris Ph.D. who has conducted the largest study in North America to date on the plant, to see what is what when it comes to using this powerful medicine.