Ayahuasca Risks & Rewards: Why the Shaman Matters More Than the Brew

Ayahuasca has captured the imagination of spiritual seekers worldwide. Beyond the lush Amazon rainforest where it originated, enthusiasts are drawn by the allure of its profound effects — the promise of deep introspection, healing, and spiritual awakening. But don’t believe everything you’ve heard or read about this complex and risky topic, as there is much confusion surrounding it.

In this article, I’ll explain both the genuine potential and the serious risks of ayahuasca, drawing on my personal spiritual research into the energies and soul awareness of participants, as well as feedback from many individuals who have experienced ceremonies. Whether you’re new to spirituality or a seasoned practitioner, this is information that could save you from a harmful experience — or at the very least, help you make a truly informed decision.

What is Ayahuasca?

Ayahuasca, often called the “vine of the soul,” has been used for centuries by indigenous tribes in the Amazon basin for spiritual and healing purposes. The brew is typically prepared by combining the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with other plant ingredients such as chacruna leaves, which contain the potent psychoactive compound DMT. In indigenous cultures, ayahuasca is considered a sacred medicine and a conduit for communing with the spiritual realm.

The ceremonial use of ayahuasca is traditionally led by shamans who serve as spiritual guides and facilitators, drawing upon their knowledge of plant medicine, energy work, and spiritual realms. They incorporate healing practices such as icaros (healing songs) and energetic cleansing to support participants. This sacred tradition has been preserved for generations, embodying a deep reverence for the spiritual dimensions of existence.

As ayahuasca gained global recognition, it transcended its traditional roots and captured the attention of researchers and seekers worldwide — but this popularization has come with significant consequences, as I’ll explain.

Shaman preparing the Ayahuasca brew

How Ayahuasca works — the spiritual mechanism

Ayahuasca is often described as a “teacher plant” that guides individuals through a deeply personal and transformative journey. But it’s important to understand what it actually does and — equally important — what it does not do.

Here’s a key insight that is widely misunderstood: ayahuasca does not inherently elevate one’s soul. What it does is temporarily create a connection between the mind and soul, typically lasting minutes to hours. During this window, buried limiting beliefs and subconscious emotional patterns are brought to the surface. The crucial factor is what happens with this material once it surfaces — and this is where things can go very right or very wrong.

To understand why, consider how our subconscious normally operates. Throughout life, we accumulate limiting beliefs from family, school, society, religion, and media. These beliefs sit below conscious awareness, quietly shaping our reactions, relationships, and destiny. Under normal circumstances, spiritual practices like meditation and belief release work to surface and dissolve these patterns gradually and safely. Ayahuasca, by contrast, tears the lid off all at once — flooding the conscious mind with material that the person may have no framework to process.

The transformative effects of ayahuasca are deeply intertwined with the brew’s ability to facilitate a dissolution of ego boundaries. As the ego dissolves, individuals may experience a profound sense of unity with the cosmos, transcending the limitations of their individual identity. This can lead to encounters with archetypal symbols, ancestral wisdom, and spiritual guides — along with a confrontation with one’s deepest fears, insecurities, and unresolved emotional wounds. For those who are spiritually prepared and properly guided, this confrontation can catalyze genuine insights and a redefinition of one’s purpose. For those who aren’t, it can be devastating.

The brew has also shown measurable neurological effects. Studies have revealed that DMT can modulate brain activity in regions associated with introspection and emotional processing, and its effects on serotonin receptors have been linked to antidepressant properties. Participants often report enhanced empathy, compassion, and a reevaluation of deeply held beliefs and behavioral patterns.

The real risks — what most people don’t understand

Until now I’ve described the positive side. Now let me explain the risks based on my personal experience and spiritual research into the energies and soul awareness of actual participants.

The mechanism of risk is this: the high-vibration energy that enters a participant’s mind after taking ayahuasca disrupts the lower energies present in their mind and body’s energy fields — including the subconscious, which harbors lower beliefs and energies.

These are stirred up and abruptly manifest, causing an energetic imbalance within minutes. Think of it as forcibly opening a dam without any preparation — the flood of released energy can overwhelm the person’s system. This imbalance can result in the soul partially detaching from the body, leading to severe challenges and difficult outcomes following the initial high.

I’ve found that a successful ayahuasca experience depends on two critical factors:

•        The spiritual competence of the shaman. This encompasses the level of their soul vibration and their experience in guiding participants through the crises that may arise during the ceremony.

•        The spiritual preparedness of the participant. This includes the number of years dedicated to their spiritual path, their level of soul awareness, and the cleanliness of their body’s energy.

The crucial element is not the ayahuasca — it’s the shaman. After researching the energies and vibrations of many ceremonies, I’ve found that the minimum required soul level for a competent shaman to guide you safely is about 4.5 on the chakra scale — which is equivalent to the level of Christ’s or Buddha’s apostles. For context, the average person has a 3.5 soul vibration, while Christ and Buddha had a 7.0 as fully enlightened souls. Finding a genuine shaman at 4.5 or above is extremely rare — and most people attending modern ceremonies have no way to verify whether their shaman meets this threshold.

Without such guidance, negative patterns may emerge uncontrolled and the seeker could experience confusion, mental crises, or worse. I’ve personally observed participants before and after ceremonies whose body energies were gravely disrupted, with their soul vibration actually decreased rather than increased. Some even became spiritually possessed — lower-vibration entities attached to them during or immediately after the ceremony, when their energy fields were wide open and unprotected.

For instance, I observed a participant entering such a ceremony with a 4.1 soul vibration — which is quite high in this 3D world — and after the ceremony I found his soul vibration had dropped to only 3.2, well below average of 3.4 on chakra scale. On top of everything, I found a 3.0-vibration lower foreign soul had attached to him during the ceremony and was already starting to cause him problems.

Only with the guidance of a highly experienced shaman can participants avoid sinking into despair and instead experience genuine benefits from releasing deep-seated negative beliefs during such sessions.

Why most modern ceremonies fail

In ancient times, psychedelic plant-based sessions like ayahuasca were conducted only by highly skilled shamans for their most advanced, long-term disciples — and only when those disciples encountered obstacles with releasing deep-seated beliefs that they couldn’t resolve through regular practice. The shaman treated this as a last resort, not a shortcut. Before conducting such a session, the shaman would carefully assess the disciple’s situation, communicate with their soul and parent soul, and seek feedback from all relevant spiritual guides. Only after obtaining approval from all parties would the ceremony proceed.

In contemporary times, these esoteric and elevated rituals have become commercialized. They are treated like any other commodity, and individuals are often shocked when they experience sudden, unexplained crises afterward. Many participants report confusion, mental disturbances, and prolonged difficulties following ceremonies.

Ayahuasca ceremony

Two problems compound this situation. First, many people claiming to be “shamans” today have no real spiritual abilities — including some in South America among native communities. These individuals are driven purely by financial gain and have caused real harm to vulnerable people who placed their trust in them.

Second, today’s participants have not been spiritually prepared in the way the disciples of old were. Frequently, they have no spiritual preparation at all — they are simply curious individuals attracted by the experience’s growing popularity, with no understanding of the energetic forces they’re about to unleash within themselves.

Safer alternatives and what I recommend

If you’re still considering ayahuasca, I strongly advise you to research with utmost discernment and select only a reputable organization that prioritizes safety and the well-being of participants. Consider having your soul and body vibration assessed beforehand through a spiritual reading to understand whether you’re energetically prepared for such an experience. Knowing your current soul and body vibration, chakra openness, and the state of your subconscious beliefs can help you make a far more informed decision.

But ultimately, always bear in mind that the most secure path forward in spirituality is to develop a more advanced meditation practice that doesn’t rely on external hallucinogenic substances, which can even lead to addiction. The goal of spiritual growth is to release limiting beliefs and raise your body and soul vibration through consistent inner work — not through chemical shortcuts that bypass the necessary preparation. Meditation, breathwork, energy healing, and conscious belief release accomplish the same goal that ayahuasca promises, but gradually and safely, without exposing your energy system to uncontrolled disruption.

Renowned spiritual traditions such as yoga, qigong, and others have never used such substances to cut corners and put their students at risk. The systematic, gradual approach — working with a competent spiritual guide who can track your progress and help you release beliefs safely — may be less dramatic than an ayahuasca ceremony, but it produces lasting transformation without the risks.

If you’re interested in a structured, measurable approach to spiritual development, I invite you to explore the Spiritual School, where growth is systematic and progress is tracked through concrete vibration measurements.