Q: How Long Does Ayahuasca Last? A: A Few Hours and A Lifetime
By Christian Alfaro
This is a loaded question. The short answer is the rest of your life. The empirical answer is 4-6 hours. And the honest answer is it all depends. So considering you're wondering how long Ayahuasca last, those are the best answers; each equally valid.
As they say, one cup of Ayahuasca is like decades of talk therapy. So that speaks to the short answer to the big question.
As for the empirical answer, those who have sat with psilocybin can relate to the duration of an Ayahuasca journey. And similar to magic mushrooms, things like a person's metabolism as well as the dose, potency, age, and wisdom of sacred medicine, can influence how long the effects of Ayahuasca last.
That said, an Ayahuasca trip typically lasts 4-6 hours, with effects kicking in about 20-60 minutes after taking Ayahuasca. From there, the medicine will peak after 1-2 hours and begin its descent around hour four.
Nailing Down Ayahuasca’s Timeline Isn’t Easy
It's tricky to nail down how long an Ayahuasca trip lasts because, for some, they'll be feeling the medicine for 8-10 hours–sometimes even longer for those who are very sensitive. And while I heard those I sat with say they Ayahuasca led them to journey well into the early morning, I hadn't experienced the medicine lasting THAT long. That was until my most recent Ayahuasca ceremony in May. But we'll get to that later.
Others have shared they'd been deep in the medicine for 2-3 hours, had an extensive, cathartic purge, and then, almost all at once, felt sober and lucid after that.
And I've also sat with people who receive two or three cups of Ayahuasca only to stay sober the entire ceremony. While this is rare, it does happen, and there are lots of complex reasons for it
One of my teachers reminds me that even if we aren't feeling the intense sensory experiences of Ayahuasca, the medicine IS working. My teacher shared that some people have so much conditioning in their minds that the intelligence of the medicine is quietly working behind the scenes to clear the debris before gifting these people the experiences they are seeking.
To drink Ayahuasca, only to stay sober while those around you are blissed out, purging intensely, and everything in between, is the ultimate practice of trust and surrender. In many ways, having this subtle experience is more challenging than a full-on trip through our personal demons, but in all cases, the wisdom of the medicine knows best.
The Stages of An Ayahuasca Experience
A Kambo practitioner once told me and my two friends during our first experience, “all medicines are great storytellers, and all great stories come in three parts: Beginning, middle, and end”. So when you can or if you feel overwhelmed, checking in with your body, heart, mind, and the medicine can provide a sense of reassurance and remembrance of impermanence.
I cannot tell you how many times the simple word "impermanence" or the mantras "This will pass." and "This can only last so long." have liberated me from the spiraling of my own mind in Ayahuasca ceremonies. These reminders are like a hot, graceful knife through a chaotic block of butter.
Of all the medicine storytellers, Ayahuasca sits among the greatest. And as my dear friend from above shared, she follows acts, which I've labeled in good ole' psychedelic lingo: The onset, the peak, and the afterglow.
Onset: This stage typically begins 20 to 60 minutes after your Ayahuasca consumption. You may start to feel mild effects, such as nausea, dizziness, laziness, a sense of disorientation, a mild state of bliss, presence, and/or temperature changes.
Peak: This is the most intense stage of the journey, which typically lasts for one to three hours. During this time, you may experience powerful visions, intense emotions, and a deep connection to yourself, Nature, humanity, and the Sacred.
Afterglow: As the effects of the medicine start to wear off, you may feel a sense of relief, relaxation, and contentment. This stage can last for several hours to several months after the peak.
A side note on the afterglow - some can feel disorientated as the medicine wears off. Sometimes they are full of confusion around - what was that, what did I sign up for, I'm not sure I can do that again, what just happened? All experiences and feelings are valid as we return back home to ourselves. Should this arise, seek the consult of the staff or medicine team. Sometimes talking it through is all that’s needed for the clarity to start to manifest.
This is another reminder to be very intentional about who you sit in Ayahuasca retreats with and who are the ones leading these ancient ceremonies. Not all medicine holders are adept at assisting with the aftermath.
This is why integration is a core superpower of everyone at Plant Medicine People retreats. Whether you land confused, blissed out, or have yet to really come back into your body, we will hold you and the space with the highest degree of love, compassion, and strength to support, guide, and ground you every step of your way.
What Impacts How Long Ayahuasca Lasts?
Just like we can’t give you a definite here’s how long Ayahuasca will last, we also won’t promise you that these things are the only things that influence the duration of your Ayahuasca experience after consuming Ayahuasca.
Even so, the breakdown below can give you a better understanding of what influences how long an Ayahuasca experience can last:
Your metabolism
Your relationship to physical movement
The state of your mental, emotional, and spiritual health
Your experience with Ayahuasca
AKA your receptivity to the subtle ways Ayahuasca works
The environment you drink the medicine in
I've heard people talk about sitting in Ayahuasca ceremonies in warehouses across the States when the medicine was first introduced to the Western scene.
Many leaders in this space tell us that the best place to do psychedelics is in Nature. And I wholeheartedly agree.
How disciplined you are to follow the Ayahuasca diet
The potency of the Ayahuasca brew
The sensitivity you have to other plant medicines, psychedelic drugs, or recreational drugs
If other plants or additives are mixed into the Ayahuasca tea
Bobinsana or Datura/Angel's Trumpet/Toé (toe-aye) can be added to the brew to enhance the visionary aspects of Ayahuasca. Toé is a very powerful, potent, and potentially toxic Master Plant Teacher. It's very important to ask your guides or medicine team what goes into the Ayahuasca brew for this reason.
No Two Ayahuasca Ceremonies Are Alike
Like each moment and each day is different, never a carbon copy of what happened before and what will unfold after, the same holds true about Ayahuasca ceremonies. Both yourself and those around you WILL have unique Ayahuasca experiences each time you work with this sacred plant medicine.
And even though you and those around you receive the same medicine, the journey you each go on also will be substantially different. Some are glued to their mats all night while others have no problem moving their bodies; while visions can be common, others will be vision-less but intensely somatic, and some heal trauma through marrying their bucket for the night while others marry the toilet seat on their journey to their self-liberation.
All of this, and more, can unfold over the course of an Ayahuasca ceremony. And as one medicine man shares, "The second hardest thing to do is go to your first Ayahuasca ceremony. The hardest thing you can do is come back for the second night."
In some cases, the effects of Ayahuasca can be lighter, and journeyers are able to more easily navigate the potency of the experience from start to finish. Learning to be in a relationship with the Spirit of Medicine is like a spiritual muscle you build.
Other times, the effects of Ayahuasca are intense and overwhelming from the moment you smell the brew and consume the sacred elixir. In my last ceremony, I watched/heard someone purge literally seconds after drinking Ayahuasca, and this intense purging lasted for minutes. Keep in mind people were still going up to the altar to receive their first cup of the ceremony. He later shared that this experience was the first time he purged since meeting the medicine, and that ceremony was one of the most physically challenging experiences of his life.
When Ayahuasca turns up her intensity, Ayahuasca participants are often floored, literally and physically. For four to eight hours, a person is deep in the Medicine or feeling the Force of the Medicine. And it’s in these challenging ceremonies we get to learn about ourselves, release old patterns, and remember our most powerful, aligned gifts.
So if your blood pressure rises, you go through temperature fluctuations, or find your head in a bucket or butt on a toilet, don't worry! It's all a part of your process, and you're being given an opportunity to connect with and release anxiety, doubt, fear, unworthiness, and a host of other traits that have you playing small so you can learn how to be in a relationship with the beautiful bigness that lives inside of you.
How Long Will Ayahuasca Last In Your Life?
Time isn't the easiest thing to wrap your altered state of consciousness around as you find yourself knee-deep in soul work as you dialogue, dance, or commune with La Madre (or any other psychedelic substance or plant medicine). It's common for time to feel like an odd, slightly unimportant thing of the past (dad joke) when sitting with any psychoactive substance. Minutes feel like a lifetime, and hours feel like mere moments. Wait? The ceremony is over? I didn't even hear the call for the second cup!
Whether Ayahuasca lasts two hours or 10, knowing how long you’ve been working with the medicine can be hard. It can feel like lifetimes or minutes before the people sitting behind the altar begin to close the ceremony and bring the ceremony space back to Earth.
Some will be relieved to know the ceremony is coming to a close, others will still be so deep in their journey that they might not know the ceremony is closing, and others may feel sad about this bliss, peace, or transcendence coming to an end.
But that’s the thing, the ceremony never truly ends. If anything, the work has just begun.
As one of my teachers says, "The easy part is drinking Ayahuasca. The hard part is doing the work of integration."
Once you've met Mother Ayahuasca, your journey is only just beginning. You now have an ally for life, whether you're steeped in an Ayahuasca ceremony, or you find yourself randomly smiling in rush hour traffic.
So the best answer I'll give you is that the consequences of Ayahuasca can last for the rest of your life. It becomes a matter of choice. Choosing to change… that's one of the hardest confrontations a human is faced with. Facing the Unknown, most would rather live in the comfort of all they know. But growth happens when we stretch ourselves, and Ayahuasca is a master at showing us just how expansive we are.
The question becomes if you'd rather live in a state of expansion or contraction. If the former feels alive, follow your feelings up, down, and around the edges of your consciousness. That's where the gifts, the juice of life, the passion, the healing, and the illuminated, light-hearted, loving, and maybe even slightly funny version of you lives.
About the Author
Christian Alfaro is a Marketing Consultant specializing in SEO & Email channels. He collaborates with organizations serving individuals & communities through their unique heart-based services, from retreats to masterminds, emails to blog posts. He's passionate about releasing information that builds a world with more We's than I's where the commitment to one's personal mission, purpose, or dharma is eco-centric rather than ego-centric.
Christian's path with plant medicine began in June 2022. Since then, he's continued to deepen his studies through Master Plant dietas, plant medicine retreat operations & logistics, & nonprofit work supporting indigenous leaders in their efforts to protect, preserve, & steward indigenous culture, ancestral wisdom, & sacred plants.
When he's not working with conscious for-profits & nonprofits, Christian's typically smiling, laughing with & learning from dear friends, reading or writing, being grateful, immersing himself in Nature, or deepening his musical & yogic practices.
