The molecular structure of Dimethyltryptamine and Harmine, the two active ingredients in Ayahuasca. Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is found in the leaves of the admixture plants, most commonly Chacruna (psychotria viridis), and Harmine (an MAO inhibitor) is found in the Ayahuasca vine. The two plants cooked down together make the brew, Ayahuasca.

Harmine prevents the enzyme, Mono Amine Oxidase, from digesting Dimethyltriptamine, a chemical that is also produced by the pineal gland inside the human brain.

Increasing the amount of this chemical in the brain produces a sensation similar to death, where the spirit is free to act without the body.