Health - how much is too much ayahuasca?

[dadrone]

SWIM had a frightening ayahuasca experience once.

Years before this experience, SWIM had attempted making the potion using Mimosa hostilis root bark and Peganum harmala seeds. However, SWIM apparently either did not use enough lemon juice during the extraction, or the materials used were of poor quality, since the first experiment resulted in minimal effects, certainly nothing like the overwhelming experiences reported by others.

SWIM decided years later to attempt making the brew again. He read on Erowid that a "normal" dose is 10 g mimosa with approximately 3 g harmala. In his infinite wisdom, he decided to use 30 g mimosa and 9 g harmala.

The recipe was as follows: both materials were ground to a powder in a coffee grinder, then each were put into separate pots and boiled in water acidified by lemon juice (SWIM recorded pH, but has lost the number). After about an hour of boiling, both liquids were strained, combined into one pot, then boiled again to reduce total volume.

SWIM did indeed have a ridiculously intense psychedelic voyage with this attempt, complete with insights that have led him to heal and change certain aspects of his personality that had been holding him back.

However, there were other effects present that made SWIM question the overall safety of the mixture- particularly during the experience. It should be noted that SWIM was an absolute idiot and did not fast prior to ingestion, which may have been part of what happened. Possibly.

About 15 minutes after ingestion, SWIM purged. SWIM expected this and was not surprised. 10 minutes after purging, SWIM began to take off rapidly. SWIM also expected this, although he was a little unnerved by how powerful it was, and how quickly it came on. SWIM began shivering violently and felt cold, and so he got into bed and turned the lights out to enjoy the CEV's.

These were certainly interesting, but are better suited to a full experience report; this is merely a description of physical effects.

During the CEV's, SWIM's attention was drawn to his hand, which was making unconscious, uncontrolled movements. His ring finger was twitching and rapidly touching itself to the palm of his hand, and he had a generally overstimulated feeling, nervous system-wise.

It didn't help that when SWIM opened his eyes to check out his hand, to see exactly what was going on, he noticed that he was actually looking at a smooth stump where his hand had been, as if it had been amputated. This immediately sent SWIM into a very bad place, mentally.

Fortunately, it turned into just another bad trip, but there was a feeling of being close to blacking out or fainting throughout the first hour or two of the experience, which worried SWIM tremendously.

My questions regarding SWIM's experience:
1. Is there actually any danger of seizing due to ayahuasca ingestion? Have there been any reports of this? It should be noted that SWIM has absolutely no history of epilepsy, nor does anyone in his family. Was SWIM's dose too high?
2. Or are experiences like this normal for ayahuasca? It should also be noted that SWIM, at the time of ingestion, had had close to ten years' worth of experience with large amounts of psychedelics, and was no stranger to ego death. SWIM knows how to merge with the universe. This felt entirely different.

SWIM was entirely aware that ayahuasca is known for its mindblowing intensity, but was more of the impression that the intensity was mental/emotional/spiritual, not physical. Was this caused by the food SWIM ate several hours prior to ingestion? SWIM has not been able to find any definitive proof of any harmine/harmaline-induced hypertensive crises, but he supposes anything is possible.

But while SWIM has never had a hypertensive crisis (SWIM's blood pressure is usually lower than average), SWIM imagines it would feel more... cardiovascular? This felt simply like all of his synapses were completely overloaded. He supposes this could simply be a normal effect of ayahuasca, in which case SWIM will cheerfully admit defeat and avoid working with this sacrament in the future.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Well formed question! Good luck.