Ayahuasca and DMT are often mentioned in the same conversation, but according to Sam Believ, founder of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat in Colombia, they should not be treated as interchangeable experiences. Although DMT is one of the active compounds found in ayahuasca, he argues that reducing ayahuasca to DMT alone misses almost everything that makes the traditional medicine powerful.
For many newcomers, the comparison begins with convenience. DMT appears fast, intense, and brief. Ayahuasca requires preparation, ceremony, time, and often physical discomfort. Yet Sam believes that this difference is precisely why the two lead to very different outcomes.
Why Ayahuasca Is More Than One Molecule
One of Sam’s simplest comparisons is that isolated DMT is like eating one ingredient from a full meal and assuming you understand the whole dish.
Ayahuasca contains far more than a single psychoactive effect.
The brew combines multiple plants, traditional preparation methods, ceremonial structure, and indigenous knowledge developed over generations.
Even before the medicine is consumed, the setting already shapes the experience: the presence of a shaman, music, intention, ritual order, and emotional containment all influence what happens.
This is why he rejects the idea that ayahuasca can be understood simply as “DMT in liquid form.”
Why Duration Changes Everything
A major difference is time.
DMT often produces a very intense experience lasting only minutes.
Ayahuasca unfolds over several hours.
That longer duration creates space for emotional processes that go beyond visual phenomena.
Instead of being pushed rapidly through extraordinary imagery, participants often move through memories, emotions, realizations, physical release, and internal dialogue in a slower and more structured way.
For Sam, healing often depends on this slower unfolding.
The Role of Purging
One of the most misunderstood parts of ayahuasca is purging.
Many first-timers fear vomiting and see it only as an unpleasant side effect.
Sam describes it very differently.
In his experience, purging is often one of the core mechanisms of release.
People frequently report that after vomiting they feel physically lighter, emotionally calmer, or mentally clearer.
The process is often described not as illness, but as expulsion of something stored deeply inside.
This is one reason he believes isolated psychedelics cannot fully replicate the same healing dynamic.
Why DMT and Ayahuasca Lead to Different Outcomes
Sam does not deny that DMT can produce extraordinary experiences.
People often report contact with entities, geometric realms, or overwhelming visions.
But he emphasizes that powerful imagery does not automatically equal lasting change.
In his observation, many people return from ayahuasca with measurable changes in daily life: reduced depression, less anxiety, less alcohol use, greater emotional clarity, and sometimes complete shifts in long-standing habits.
That type of lasting change appears far less consistently in isolated DMT use.
The Problem of Removing Tradition
A central concern for Sam is what happens when ancient medicines are separated from the traditions that protected them.
He gives several examples of plants that originally had sacred or balanced uses before modern culture transformed them into something very different.
Cacao became sugar-heavy chocolate.
Coca became cocaine.
Tobacco became industrial cigarettes.
In each case, a traditional plant was stripped from its context and altered for convenience or stimulation.
He worries that something similar happens when ayahuasca is reduced to extracted compounds without respect for its ceremonial framework.
Why Ceremony Matters
For Sam, ceremony is not decorative.
It is part of safety.
The shaman is not simply present to create atmosphere but to guide, regulate, and protect the experience.
Traditional music, smoke cleansing, and ritual sequencing all serve specific functions developed over generations.
Without that structure, difficult experiences may become confusing or destabilizing.
This is why he strongly advises against treating powerful psychedelics casually, even when they appear easy to access.
Can DMT Still Have Value?
Although critical of simplification, Sam is not entirely dismissive of DMT.
He accepts that some people may find value in it, especially if approached intentionally.
But he argues that intention matters enormously.
A casual use during a work break or for entertainment misses the seriousness these substances require.
If someone chooses to work with DMT, he believes it should still be done with respect, preparation, and a clear internal reason.
Why Ayahuasca Often Feels Self-Regulating
One of the most striking aspects he describes is that ayahuasca often appears to regulate the relationship itself.
Some people who return too quickly without integrating previous lessons report difficult ceremonies.
In Sam’s own experience, coming back too soon led to a harsh session that seemed to reflect unfinished inner work.
This has led many experienced drinkers to describe ayahuasca almost as a teacher that responds differently depending on how a person approaches it.
Why Western Thinking Often Seeks Shortcuts
A recurring theme in Sam’s perspective is that modern culture constantly searches for faster versions of everything.
Shorter methods.
Simpler formulas.
More immediate results.
But he believes some things lose their essence when stripped down too aggressively.
Healing, especially deep emotional healing, often requires time, discomfort, and patience.
Ayahuasca does not fit neatly into the modern desire for speed.
Ancient Knowledge in a Modern World
For Sam, the real lesson is not that tradition must remain frozen, but that modern systems should approach older knowledge with humility.
It is possible to combine modern retreat organization, medical screening, and psychological integration with indigenous ceremonial wisdom.
But removing tradition entirely often creates confusion rather than progress.
The medicine may still work, but something essential becomes weaker.
In that sense, ayahuasca remains not just a substance, but a relationship between plant, ritual, guide, and human intention.
Listen to the whole podcast episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIhKaWBbuBs
Sam Believ is the founder and CEO of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat, the best-rated Ayahuasca retreat in South America, with over 520 five-star Google reviews and an overall rating of 5 stars. After his life was transformed by Ayahuasca, he dedicated himself to spreading awareness about this ancestral medicine to help address the mental health crisis. Sam is committed to making Ayahuasca retreats affordable, accessible, and authentic, with a focus on care, integration, and the involvement of indigenous shamans. He is also the host of the Ayahuasca Podcast.