Many people come to this medicine after they’ve already lived some life — careers, relationships, therapy, maybe even other psychedelic experiences — and still feel a sense that something unresolved is asking for attention. Sometimes it’s emotional. Sometimes existential. Sometimes it’s simply a quiet knowing that there’s more beneath the surface.

Ayahuasca is not a casual exploration. It’s not something to try because it’s trending or because a podcast made it sound transformative. It’s a powerful, demanding medicine that asks for preparation, discernment, and ongoing responsibility.

When approached with care, it can offer clarity and deep insight. When approached without enough support or grounding, it can be confusing, destabilizing, or even harmful.

This article is written for people considering their first ayahuasca experience, and who want honest information, grounded reflection, and a realistic understanding of what matters before drinking.

Why People Feel Drawn to Ayahuasca

People seek ayahuasca for many reasons.

Some are navigating depression, anxiety, grief, or trauma that hasn’t fully responded to conventional approaches. Others are working with addiction patterns or long-standing relational wounds. Many arrive during periods of transition such as career shift, a divorce, a loss of meaning, when the strategies that once worked no longer do.

Ayahuasca is often described as having an intelligent quality. Rather than simply amplifying emotion, it tends to show people how they relate to their inner world — patterns, defenses, beliefs, and blind spots. It can bring unconscious material into awareness and highlight what has been avoided or fragmented.

What it doesn’t do is fix things for you.

Ayahuasca opens a door. What happens next depends on how you prepare, who you drink with, and how you integrate what arises afterward.

My Early Experiences — and What I’d Do Differently Now

My first experiences with ayahuasca happened many years ago, before I had the language I now have around consent, nervous system regulation, and integration.

The first time I drank, the experience was relatively light, but deeply interesting. I saw many people from my life — family, friends, past connections. It felt like I was hovering above the Earth, lifting stones and seeing what was underneath each one. There was a sense of perspective, pattern, and overview — as if I was being shown how the pieces of my life fit together.

The second ceremony was very different.

The facilitator leaned heavily into a ceremonial, highly stylized presentation — full regalia, ritual objects, and a tone that, for me, felt performative and misaligned. At the time, I didn’t know how to name my discomfort or ask questions. I assumed that surrender meant overriding my own signals.

Looking back, I can see that I was blocked for the first couple of hours not because the medicine wasn’t “working,” but because my nervous system didn’t feel settled. Once the facilitator put down the ceremonial tools and the atmosphere shifted, my body relaxed — and the experience deepened significantly.

What I would do differently now is simple, but essential:

I would ask more questions ahead of time
I would name what doesn’t work for me
I would clarify exactly what the facilitator would and would not be doing during ceremony

Ayahuasca does ask for surrender — but surrender does not mean abandoning discernment.

Choosing a Facilitator and Setting: This Matters More Than the Medicine

One of the biggest mistakes first-timers make is focusing on the medicine itself rather than the container it’s held in.

You’re not just ingesting a powerful brew — you’re placing yourself in someone else’s care while your usual coping strategies and defenses are softened. That makes the ethics, experience, and self-awareness of the facilitator critical.

Important questions to ask include:

If something feels off before the ceremony, pay attention. Discomfort isn’t always a growth edge. Sometimes it’s information.

Mental and Physical Health: Contraindications Matter

Ayahuasca is not appropriate for everyone. This isn’t about fear — it’s about responsibility.

Mental Health Considerations

Ayahuasca can dramatically amplify inner experience. For some people, this can be destabilizing rather than healing.

Common contraindications include:

Personal or family history of psychosis or schizophrenia
Bipolar I disorder
Certain dissociative disorders
Severe, unmanaged PTSD without strong support

Even if you’ve worked with other psychedelics, ayahuasca is a distinct experience and should be approached on its own terms.

Physical Health and Medication Interactions

Ayahuasca contains MAO inhibitors, which can interact dangerously with many medications and substances, including:

SSRIs, SNRIs, and other antidepressants
Stimulants (including some ADHD medications)
Certain blood pressure medications
Some supplements and recreational substances

A responsible facilitator will take screening seriously. You should too.

Preparation Is More Than Diet

While dietary guidelines matter, true preparation goes much deeper.

Meaningful preparation includes:

Clarifying intention without rigid expectations
Reducing stress and overstimulation beforehand
Being honest about fears and hopes
Building basic nervous system regulation skills

Preparation isn’t about controlling the experience. It’s about arriving resourced enough to meet whatever emerges.

Integration: Where the Real Work Happens

The ceremony is not the destination — it’s the opening.

Without integration, even powerful experiences can fade or become confusing memories rather than lived change.

Integration may include:

Speaking with someone trained to hold psychedelic material
Tracking insights over time rather than rushing to conclusions
Making small, embodied changes instead of dramatic life decisions
Learning how to relate to what came up rather than trying to “figure it out” immediately

This is where many people struggle — and where support can make a meaningful difference.

Final Thoughts

Ayahuasca can be illuminating, challenging, humbling, and profound. Often all at once.

If you’re considering your first experience, my strongest encouragement is this: stay curious, stay discerning, and don’t outsource your authority.

Sacred medicines ask us to listen — not just to visions or insights, but to our bodies, boundaries, and inner signals.

When approached with respect, preparation, and integration, ayahuasca can become not just an experience, but a meaningful chapter in a much longer healing journey.

If you’d like support around preparation, integration, or making sense of past psychedelic experiences, this is the kind of work I offer through Brooklyn Balance.

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Your First Time with Ayahuasca: What to Know Before You Drink