'Vine of the Soul' - The brew made from this jungle liana has been used for centuries and perhaps millenia by the shamans of the Amazon Rainforest. The mashed vine is usually cooked together with the leaves of the Chacruna plant (psychotria viridis) or other plants similar in chemical composition. The brew is drunk in healing ceremonies lead by 'curanderos', or spiritual healers... shamans.

There are several different types of Ayahuasca vines, each with different chemical compositions. The most popular variety to use in the healing brew is 'Cielo Ayahuasca' because it is considered to be the smoothest and easiest on the head. Some of the other varieties are 'Boa,' 'Roja,' and 'Negra.'

The vine has brown bark, usually covered by moss, that twists in a spiral as it grows, with green offshoots and ovate-lanaceolate leaves up to 8 inches long and 3 inches wide. The vine rarely produces flowers or seeds, going several years without blooming. The flowers are pink, with five delicate, fringed edged petals, and bright yellow, bizarre pistols, that seem to resemble some sort of alien cat. The seeds come individually inside a winged shell that 'flies' away.