DMT, psilocybin and MAO inhibitors
What is the best psychedelic ceremony for depression, addictions, anxiety or for a spiritual journey. Is ayahuasca better suited than a truffle ceremony and what is psilohuasca or psiloflora? We are going to explain the differences in this blog. The similarities between the different ceremonies is the use of psychedelics of the class tryptamines in combination with or without MAO-inhibitors. Ayahuasca for example contains the tryptamine DMT + the MAOi Banisteriopsis Caapi (MAO-inhibitor) and in truffle ceremonies no MAOi are used because with truffles it is not necessary, but it is possible. Here is a handy overview of the ingredients used.
| Ayahuasca | Psilohuasca | Psiloflora | Truffle | |
| MAO-inhibitor | Banisteriopsis caapi | Banisteriopsis caapi | Passiflora incarnata | no |
| Active tryptamine | n,n-DMT | 4HO-DMT | 4HO-DMT | 4HO-DMT |
| Source tryptamine | M. Hostilis | Shrooms/truffles | Shrooms/truffles | Shrooms/truffles |
| Diet needed | Strict | Strict | yes | no |
MAOI’s are needed with ayahuasca
With ayahuasca, psilohuasca and psiloflora MAOi are used. With ayahuasca and psilohuasca usually Banisteriopsis Caapi is used, which is a strong MAO-inhibitor. MAO-inhibitors take care of switching off the MAO enzyme. Neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine are broken down by the enzyme MonoAmino-Oxidase. The psychedelic tryptamines are also broken down by MAO enzymes. If there is a MAOi Banisteriopsis Caapi then the MAO enzyme does not work anymore and the tryptamines and neurotransnitters remain active longer. Especially with ayahuasca the MAOi is needed, because DMT is broken down very fast and therefore it is not active orally. Psilocybin from truffles is broken down much slower by MAOi and therefore a MAOi is not necessary. If a MAOi is used with truffles, the trip can be extended and less of the truffles or magic mushrooms is needed.
MAO-inhibitors give extra risks
The use of MAOIs disables regulatory enzymes. Besides the advantages of a longer psychedelic session it unfortunately also has some disadvantages and possible dangers. MAO also breaks down tyramine, a monoamine that can increase blood pressure to such an extent that it becomes a danger when using MAOi. To reduce the danger of tyramine, a strict diet is needed. Other disadvantages of using Banisteriopsis Caapi as a MAO inhibitor is that it can also increase dopamine and other neurotransmitters, while in psychedelic travel only the serotonergic receptors need to be stimulated. Furthermore there are adverse drug interactions and Banisteriopsis Caapi causes a very high degree of physical discomfort during the first two hours of the ceremony.
Truffles are safer
The safest psychedelic and perhaps drug in itself is the magic truffle. Since the confirmation of the illegality of DMT and ayahuasca, this magic truffle is increasingly being combined with the MAOi of ayahuasca, the Banisteriopsis Caapi, which we call psilohuasca. This combination is quite new and has not been researched very well yet. There are also extra risks attached to the use of the strong MAOi Banisteriopsis Caapi, while it is not necessary to add a strong MAOi to the psilocybin of truffles. Psilocybin is in fact orally active. It is safer to take a higher dose of truffles than a lower dose in combination with a MAOi like Banisteriopsis Caapi. So if you want a longer and deeper trip, it is better to increase the dosage than to add Banisteriopsis Caapi.
Psiloflora as an alternative
With psiloflora, the psilocybin containing truffle is combined with the passiflora incarnata (passionflower). The reason for adding the passionflower to the truffles is that this mix adds some nice properties to the psychedelic truffles without increasing the risks of complications like with strong MAO inhibitors (ayahuasca, psilohuasca etc.).
The combination of the psilocybin and the Passiflora incarnata gives the following advantages:
- Calming effect
- Deeper trip (triple sheet 5)
- Longer lasting trip (up to 8 hours)
- Bright trip
- More visual trip
Besides the improving effects of a psychedelic trip, Passiflora incarnata is also sometimes used without psychedelics against ADHD, nervousness, nervous heart complaints, Parkinson’s disease, seizures, muscle cramps, hysteria, hypertension, PMS, epilepsy, skin disorders, hemorrhoids, burns, asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, infections and as a painkiller for many ailments. Also with problems associated with the menopause. It is also used as a means to reduce the effects of alcoholism, to facilitate quitting drinking and is also used in delirium tremens.
So what’s the best choice now
Every ceremony is different and what is best depends on personal preference. For trip therapy the truffle ceremony is preferred and if you want to taste in a safe way of a MAOi inhibitor while using psychedelics, psiloflora is in our eyes the best choice. Our advice is a consideration between the effect and the low risks. In the end, it is all about the safety and the result.
Who is it suitable for?
Because of the prolonged duration of the psychedelic effects in the psiloflora ceremony it is advisable to have some experience with psychedelics. If you have no experience with psychedelics you can still participate, but then the advice is to take less of the psilocybin tea and if it is desired to take a second psilocybin tea one hour after intake. If fear plays a big role, it is advisable to start with a low dose or medium dose truffle ceremony. How experienced someone is with psychedelics plays of course a role in choosing a ceremony.
See below for our advice on how to participate in the truffle and/or psiloflora ceremonies.
| Truffle ceremony | Trip level | Duration (h) | Suitability |
| Low dose | 1-2 | 2-3 | Beginner |
| Medium dose | 3-4 | 3-5 | Beginner |
| High dose | 4-5 | 4-6 | Some experience |
| Heroic dose | 5 | 5-8 | More experienced |
| Psiloflora* | 4-5 | 5-8 | Some experience |
| Extended psiloflora** | 4-5 | 8-10 | Some experience |
Want to know more?
Want to know more about the terms or ceremonies used? Then use the links below to read more about the subjects.
MAO-inhibitor | Ayahuasca | Psilohuasca | DMT | Psilocybin | Psilocin | Psiloflora