There are many examples of high-profile participants who have been impacted by Ayahuasca. In particular, the singer Sting, actress Lindsay Lohan, athlete and commentator David Icke, and businessman, writer and showman Tim Ferris spoke positively about Ayahuasca. Treating addictions, dealing with inner anger, knowing oneself, they all had different goals, but they achieved them.
Beware of counterfeits
Since the fame of Ayahuasca has long gone beyond America, the community of its adherents around the world is very diverse. Many, in search of enlightenment, go to the homeland of the "vines of spirits" and participate in ceremonies conducted by real shamans under authentic conditions. These people understand that Ayahuasca is not only a decoction but a ceremony and sacred ritual.
There are also those who distort the ancient rites. Someone unintentionally, due to lack of awareness, or intentionally, in pursuit of easy money. Be that as it may, many newfangled movements of the so-called neo-Ayahuasqueros have appeared. These are South American Indians, posing as shamans, and residents of other countries, positioning themselves as gurus of a new format. One thing unites them: by borrowing external attributes, they miss the essence of the ceremony.
A true maestro does not strive for wealth. Holding ceremonies for some private secret purposes and abuse of their high position is also considered unacceptable among true shamans. A true healer sees it as his mission to help people in search of the true path. If you don't abide by this mission, it means that you are a fraudster who is eager only for profit.
Since Ayahuasca was and remains an abstract folk treasure, of course, shamans did not have any intellectual rights to it. The cunning businessmen didn't hesitate to take advantage of this, ferreting out recipes from the gullible maestro and applying for patents for this healing drink. At first, it was impossible to make claims against them, and even more so to obtain compensation for the keepers of ancient traditions.
This issue was also not without high-profile court precedents. Back in 1986, one American received a patent that gave him the ownership of knowledge about the "liana of spirits." Fortunately, public organizations defending the rights of indigenous people of the Amazon have appealed this decision in court. Looking back at the centuries-old Indian traditions associated with Ayahuasca, Themis' servants revoked the grant of this patent.
However, that was not the end of the story. The "owner" of the patent appealed against this decision in the next instance court and restored his right. And yet, in 2003, the patent expired, and attempts to renew it were no longer crowned with success. After all, US legislation has changed, and now applications for such patents are also considered by the very same public activists defending the rights of indigenous peoples. Since then, shamans have been actively educating about the heritage of their ancestors. They understand that moral right is on their side and the more people know about their ancient traditions, the less chances the next rogue will find loopholes in the legislation and appropriate someone else's.