Alternative Medicine

This purpose of this paper is to analyze spread of ayahuasca and peyote religion in United States and in the world. There has been development of the religious movements that incorporates plant extracts which are hallucinogenic as a sacrament thus developing highly forms of religious ceremony.

Ayahuasca and peyote in United States and in the world
Ayahuasca and peyote religions do not provoke persecution and controversy in United States and in the world, between the pharmacologists, psychologists and botanists. Ayahuasca and peyote religions were condemned initially because of their satanic mystery but with the change in the communities the use of ayahuasca and peyote is highly embraced. Peyote plays sacramental or religious role in Mexico among the Indians. Ayuasca is any of the psychoactive decoctions that are prepared from the Banisteriopsis spp. Vine. Banisteriopsis species are native to the Amazon rainforest that is also called ayahuasca. Ayahuasca is used to make pharmacologically complex drugs that are used for religious, shamanic and folk medicinal purposes.
Ayahuasca is a narcotic that affects central nervous system (Salak 54). Ayahuasca produce effects on human perception that are remarkable. The user gets repeated encounters by animals and feels like flying. These effects are due to the action of harmaline which is a very stable indole. Harmaline is believed to treat chronic cocaine and addiction (Bennett and Osbourn 158). Western psychologists and physicians have acknowledged that entheogenic substances like peyote and ayahuasca can access to spiritual and non-ordinary consciousness dimensions. Brazilian churches have thousand of religion followers including in Europe and in Europe (Salak 54).

 Amazonian residents brew ayahuasca during special recipes by cooking tea the whole day in open pots (Ross and Howard 118).Amazonian traditional healing practices include drinking of ayahuasca combined with a diet that is highly restrictive thus curing both psychological and physical illnesses. These combinations remove poisonous infections and counteract sorcery. Ayuasca has positive effects on the person psychologically after inducing ayahuasca ritually. Ayahuasca interacts with the neural system central to the emotional processing and interception and point to role of modular in neurotransmission in these processes. Members of peyote-using Native American church in united states and UDV, Brazilian hoasca church shows that users of ayahuasca for a longtime change positively in their behavior after participating in religious ceremonies.

 The principal part of the religious ceremonies consists of a dance and prayers which is followed by feasting period. Psychological, shamanic and pharmacological effects cannot be separated. In the western countries there are healing retreats that are conducted in the South America. Scientific study and reports states that religious rituals that are related to the use of ayahuasca improve physical and mental health. There are various psychic reasons as to why people drink ayahuasca drink and these were to learn the truth about a lover, to gain knowledge in strategy to help in the tribal diplomacy (Salak 54). Ayahuasca healers are believed to diagnose diseases and give medicine to the patients. Ayuasca drink is not a recreational drug but it is given to individuals who want to improve their health.

To confirm an individual commitment to the plant, a strict diet is given to the person. Three days to the ritual, individuals must observe both behavioral and dietary prescriptions, they must also observe hierarchical organization of the commander responsible for maintenance of obedience and they must control the dosage of the drink by the participants. In the United States there is renewal in the studies that a focus on humans due to changes in science and technology animals were used in experimental studies that proved the ayahuasca and peyote are useful for the pharmacology of human.

Molecular biology and advances in technology aided in understanding the functioning and the brain sites that are affected by the hallucinogens. Magnetic resonance Imaging and Positron Emission Tomography scanning techniques are used to scan the brain sites affected by the hallucinogens (Wilner 40). Through advanced molecular biology the functioning of the neurotransmitters is known. Conscious political attitude help to regulate drug abuse in United States. Ayahuasca and peyote in United States is legalized as long as an experimental scientific design is well reasoned, there must be collaboration between a drug company and the manufacturer and funding from the agencies from outside are encouraged as they increase credibility. Ayahuasca is believed to facilitate introspection and self knowledge.

To prepare ayahuasca drink, sections of veins are cut and boiled with the Psychotria viridis leaf. The drink is then stored until it is needed for the ceremony. The resulting brew contains Monoamine oxidase inhibiting harmala alkaloids and a hallucinogenic alkaloid called N, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) that can be measured in the individuals plasma after administration of ayahuasca (Ross and Howard 118). In United States the plant from which ayahuasca is made is legal but some of the substances that they contain like DMT are illegal. Raimundo Irineu Serra started religion of the rainforest also called Santo Daime. The religion has spread to North America and Europe.

Entheogen recognize the element of access to the religious issues. Due to the fact that the people from North America and North America can join various ayahuasca ceremonies, this shows that there is discontinuity of values between the industrialized countries and the values in traditional beliefs and practitioners. Despite the effects of the ayahuasca and peyote to the body, acquisition and use of ayahuasca and peyote in the United States are illegal unless if they are used for religious purposes (Bennett and Osbourn 158).
There are various religions that are connected to ayahuasca and peyote and these include Indian shamanism, catholism and spiritism. To be recognized as a legitimate religion, peyote and ayahuasca religions had an outreach program to reach the community as a large, had a liturgy during which sacramental substance was to be offered, a sacramental substance that was specified, commitment to consume the sacramental substance for religious purposes only, a controlled setting to protect the followers and the religion were non profit corporate base (Ott 177). Both the Amazonian shamans and westerners team up and create a contemporary breed with the peyote and ayahuasca as important part of the genetic heritage. It has been shown that the ayahuasca enhances ability of the body to absorb serotonin. 

Consumption of ayahuasca with other medicines leads to high blood pressure or heart conditions. It is important to consult medical help if an individual is taking antidepressants that affect serotonin levels as serotonin selective re-uptake inhibitors block uptake of serotonin in the brain because serotonin breakdown is inhibited by monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Herbal remedies should also be avoided as they influence levels of serotonin. Non prescription medicines, like antihistamines or natural herbal medicines like caffeine should be discontinued prior to working with the ayahuasca. During the ceremony, alcohol, recreational drugs should be avoided. This shows that there is joint association between the trained medical practitioners and the ayahuasca and peyote religion.

In conclusion, it is evident that United States has embraced ayahuasca and peyote religions. Ayahuasca and peyote religions are medico-religious cults. Legal developments have opened doors to religious freedom in the United States. Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 changed the visionary of the Americans after UDV gained legal victory. Ease of the legal suppliers of the hallucinogen, end of the intertribal warfare, lack of federal constraint and exchange of both the religious and social ideas peacefully lead to growth and expansion of the ayahuasca and peyote religion in the United States and in the world.