Ayahuasca (UK: /ˌaɪjəˈwæskə/; US: /ˌaɪjəˈwɑːskə/), or iowaska, or yagé (/jɑːˈheɪ/ or /jæˈheɪ/), is an entheogenic brew made out of Banisteriopsis caapi vine and other ingredients. The brew is used as a traditional spiritual medicine in ceremonies among the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon basin.
It has been reported that some psychoactive effects can be felt from consuming the ayahuasca vine alone. The hallucinogen DMT will be digested in the stomach and remain inactive without the inclusion of a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) such as Banisteriopsis caapi. Therefore, a combination of both a MAOI-containing plant and DMT-containing substance is necessary for full hallucinogenic effects. The resulting brew is known by a number of different names (see below).