First off, a little background info. I'm 24 years old, i've been diagnosed with ADHD and OCD, but after really looking into it i believe i have Aspergers or am atleast on the Autistic Spectrum. And so i've wondered a few times before, if i may respond differently to Ayahuasca than others do, especially considering how Psychedelics affect everyone differently according to body/brain chemistry.

Ayahuasca acts like a stimulant on me. And especially considering the MAO-A inhibition, mixed with the DMT, the DMT seems to provide the "psychostimulant" effects, while the MAO-A inhibition contributes by allowing the buildup of neurotransmitters, like Serotonin, Dopamine and Norepinephrine.

From wikipedia - "Stimulants produce a variety of different kinds of effects by enhancing the activity of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Common effects, which vary depending on the substance and dosage in question, may include enhanced alertness, awareness, wakefulness, endurance, productivity, and motivation, increased arousal, locomotion, heart rate, and blood pressure, and the perception of a diminished requirement for food and sleep. Many stimulants are also capable of improving mood and relieving anxiety, and some can even induce feelings of euphoria."

It's almost like Ayahuasca enhances me, it boosts my confidence, changes my personality def for the better, lifts my mood, makes me feel more whole/in my body, i feel human, there's the beta-endorphins and oxytocin, it increases my dexterity (normally i have motor impairments and clumsiness but Aya seems to improve that), it gives me energy and motivation, i feel more manly, mature and i am capable of feeling love (probably the oxytocin), my OCD also kicks into gear and i start organizing things and cleaning, my use of language improves and becomes articulate, i also have rhythm and can actually dance. There's probably more i'm forgetting about right now but you get the gist of it. Edit: I knew there was something i was forgetting, i also sing incredibly better, something i could never do while sober, and in another language no less (when the only language i know is english).

When thinking about this from a purely/truly medicinal perspective (NOT recreational), i keep wondering what it is that i'm missing mentally/physically, that this stuff seems to provide me. It's like, normally/sober i'm me, but i don't like the sober me, the sober me has too many issues both physical and mental, that get's in the way of me living a productive day to day life. But while on Ayahuasca, i'm more human/whole than i've ever been in my life, i just feel so "normal".

I was born wired the way i am, when i was a kid things were fine even though i had some issues no doubt, but once i became a teenager, my quality of life started declining and declining and once i turned 22 and found Ayahuasca (or it found me), i was just blown away at what all i was missing from my life that Ayahuasca was able to provide me.

And it pisses me off that the medical community decries Psychedelics, because if i could take something on a daily basis that would enhance my life, i totally would. It would be way better being able to live my life to the fullest rather than being who i am when sober. Just to make it clear though, i'm not using or suggesting to use Ayahuasca as a daily medicine, it wouldn't work because of the variability and duration, but i'm thinking what if a medicine could be made, whether Psychedelic or non-Psychedelic, that could do for me similarly to what Ayahuasca does? kinda like a soma, in a way.

Edit: I also smoke Cannabis with my Ayahuasca, so idk if that would play into much but i feel the Cannabis does enhance the Ayahuasca for me.

There's a huge possibility that a not psychedelic Pharma with Harmalas and NMT could be used daily, although who knows if it would provide the same benefits.

Well, to me Pharma doesn't have the same feel as Aya/Ana does, i much prefer the Aya/Ana. Plus NMT is alright but DMT is better. Acacia is the queen (feminine) and Mimosa is the almighty king (masculine), i much prefer the Mimosa. Although i will say a little bit of NMT isn't a bad thing, it's just when it overpowers the DMT, that's what i don't like about it.

All serotonergic psychedelics are light stimulants -- ever try falling asleep on mushrooms? It really can't be done in most cases. A lot of people report things similar to what you're describing, not necessarily on Aya, but certainly on a lot of the phenelethylamines (sp?), which can also have stimulating and entactogenic properties.

I'm curious about our OCD getting more intense: I get absolutely terrible intrusive thoughts and psychedelics are the only things that really quiet them down. Do your ITs get worse as well?

Blessings
~ND

The only thing about my OCD that get's amped, would be organizing and cleaning. I mean, i don't have OCD like that normally, but when on Ayahuasca my OCD kicks into high gear and i feel like cleaning and organizing things. Certainly nothing i have a problem with though, in fact, i kinda like it

I definitely get some of the stimulant-like effects from aya and other psychedelics, but like you described it's all very positive and feels unbelievably healthy. I love my medicines.

I just wanted to add that I've also had struggles with these things not always being accessible and acceptable in our society, when I know they can help me to become my "optimal self." But partially what I've learned from the plants is that the sober work in between trips is as important or more important than what you may accomplish during your journeys. There is always work you can do on yourself and in your life to narrow the gap between sober you and ayahuascized you.

I try to just carry forward the energy and lessons from my trips as far as I can and remind myself to be grateful that I had the experiences rather than disappointed that I'm not still in that state, because dwelling on that just isn't productive. Hard work on changing my outlook and daily habits can go a long way to being healthier and happier with myself when the substances are absent. Plus, when your life is in order and moving in a positive direction, then you can have the most beautiful, powerful trips ever once you get the chance. Good luck in your pursuits. I'm sure you'll be great.

Yes I get the same type of enhancement from the DMT. My physical coordination goes way up and I can dance like I have full effortless control of my body. I'm talking about on the lower end of the dose range though..

This enhancement seems unique to DMT, although I might get it a little from 4-HO or AcO-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, but the DMT part is important - i've tried hundreds of synthetic psychedelics and none of them had the "brain enhancement" effects of the DMTs.

It seems like my vision gets enhanced to 500 frames a second instead of the normal 50 and this super framerate flows through my whole being.