Caapi has a long history as a master plant teacher. A current new good book is "The Year of Drinking Magic, Twelve Ceremonies with the Vine of Souls" by Guy Crittenden, excellent reading. Best book on the topic is "The Antipodes of the Mind" by professor Benny Shanon (published by Oxford Press), some 550 pages. He spent over 7 years in the Amazon with the UDV, Santo Daime Churches & native tribes.
Caapi has been shown to result in neurogenesis (growth of new neurons) in the brain, fights addiction, depression, anger issues...in studies done by Mckenna and Dr. Callaway. Callaway's 1998 study (link below) showed the growth of new serotonin platelets in the brain can result in a person becoming wise with better reflection and contemplation or what is known as "mindfullness" or being present in the moment (the NOW), with less impulsive tendencies.https://erowid.org/c..._journal3.shtml
Caapi grows where it does not freeze, such as Hawaii, South America, and even Florida. Various botanical varities can be found using google and auction sites as well. Yellow Cielo is one typical popular variety. Have also noticed googling the words pure caapi extract reveals pure extracts (standardized to equal tetrahydroharmine to harmine) with upwards of 50 five star reviews...extracts are popular for people who don't have the time to hammer, shred & boil in dreams. They have come a long way in the past few years, as for decades they were un-standardized, questionable purity, and based on unrecognizable ratios of 30:1, 15:1, 20:1, which causes a lot of confusion and endless questions.
Read that the recently discovered adrenoglomerulotropine (a hormone of the pineal gland, otherwise known as 6-Methoxytetrahydroharman) is an isomer of tetrahydroharmine, which is 2nd largest alkaloid in caapi. Caapi was said by the Indians to have Telepathine qualities as Ayahuasca was said to facilitate telepathic communication among tribal members.
Studies from Dr. Callaway on tetrahydroharmine, read within the studies to learn about thh:
https://catbull.com/...a decoction.pdf
https://erowid.org/c..._journal3.shtml
Neurogenesis studies:
https://www.nature.c...598-017-05407-9
https://www.newscien...eat-depression/
The major disadvantage is that Caapi (which is not approved by the FDA) contains harmine with is a RIMA (Reversible Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor) and thh (not a RIMA) and therefore cannot be combined with just about any medicine, such as stimulants, cough medicine, antidepressants, maoi's, and even natural maoi like herbs such as ginkoba, kava, etc. etc...or else serotonin syndrome could result where the body produces too much serotonin...so there are lots of contra-indications.
Emotional Intelligence:
Tetrahydroharmine (thh) in caapi has been shown to partially inactivate filters (or barriers) in the brain so that "mind at large" as coined by Aldous Huxley can be let loose a bit, but also strongly activates the right hand hemisphere of the brain-- the side that performs tasks that have do with creativity and the arts, feelings, visualizations, imagination, holistic thinking & intuition.
"Mind at Large" as coined by Huxley:https://en.wikipedia...i/Mind_at_Large
Quote from TIHKAL by Dr. Shulgin "More studies on tetrahydroharmine are absolutely imperative."
The world is moving in the direction of the Left Brain: technology and science. What the world needs is to move in the direction of Right Brain development: empathy, spirituality, connectedness. Compounds like tetrahydroharmine in Caapi could be said to improve emotional intelligence. Is this component of caapi a smart-nutrient for the right side of the brain? you be the judge.
Books to consider on this topic:
"Return to the Brain of Eden: Restoring the Connection between Neurochemistry and Consciousness" by Tony Wright.
"A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future" by Daniel Pink
"The origins of consciousness in the breakdown of the bicameral mind" by Julian Jaynes
"The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World" by Iain McGilchrist.
Edited by sarah20, 27 November 2018 - 02:38 PM.