CAAPI VINE
Ancestral wisdom and modern insight into
the sacred vine behind Ayahuasca
THE SACRED VINE BEHIND AYAHUASCA
BANISTERIOPSIS CAAPI
Caapi, also known as Banisteriopsis caapi, is a powerful and sacred vine native to the Amazon rainforest. It is most widely known as the central ingredient in the ceremonial brew Ayahuasca. But Caapi is more than a chemical catalyst — it is a master plant in its own right, traditionally honored for its spiritual guidance, energetic cleansing, and deep emotional healing.
Used for centuries by indigenous tribes throughout Peru, Brazil, Colombia, and Ecuador, Caapi is often referred to as the “vine of the soul” (ayahuasca in Quechua). Shamans regard it as a sentient, wise plant spirit — one that teaches, heals, and protects. This guide explores Caapi’s botanical profile, habitat, cultural importance, and ceremonial use, while also highlighting its growing relevance in the modern world of plant medicine retreats.
PLANT PROFILE:
BANISTERIOPSIS CAAPI EXPLAINED
Caapi is a woody liana (climbing vine) that winds its way through the canopy of the Amazon rainforest. It belongs to the Malpighiaceae family and is recognizable by its twisting, rope-like structure and large, opposite leaves. Though often overshadowed by the DMT-containing companion plants in Ayahuasca, Caapi itself is the heart of the brew and the primary source of its healing and visionary effects.
Key characteristics:
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Scientific name: Banisteriopsis caapi
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Common names: Caapi, Ayahuasca vine, Yagé, Jagube, Vine of the Soul
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Plant family: Malpighiaceae
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Type: Perennial liana (woody vine)
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Growth: Climbs along other trees, often reaching 30 meters or more
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Native habitat: Tropical lowland rainforests of the Amazon basin — especially Peru
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Active compounds: Harmine, harmaline, tetrahydroharmine (MAOIs)
WHERE CAAPI GROWS:
ORIGIN AND JUNGLE HABITAT
Caapi is found throughout the Amazon basin — particularly in Peru, Colombia, Brazil, and Ecuador — where it thrives in humid, shaded forest environments. It grows by wrapping itself around larger trees, forming a vast network of interconnected vines that resemble the very neural networks it activates during ceremony.
In Peru, Caapi is cultivated and harvested primarily in the Ucayali, Loreto, and San Martín regions. Local healers may distinguish between different types of Caapi based on their visual appearance or energetic quality — such as yellow, red, or black Caapi.
HOW CAAPI GROWS:
CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION TIPS
Caapi is a vigorous and long-living vine that can take years to fully mature. It prefers filtered light under the canopy and thrives in moist, fertile soil. At Madreselva, we cultivate Caapi using regenerative methods passed down through generations, with attention to lunar cycles and ceremonial timing.
Cultivation guidelines:
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Climate: Hot, humid, tropical
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Light: Dappled sun to partial shade
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Soil: Moist, well-draining forest soil
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Propagation: Grown from stem cuttings blessed before planting
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Growth time: Several years until ready for ceremonial use
Each vine is tended with prayer and intention, forming part of a spiritual agreement between plant and human.
Because of its long growth cycle, Caapi cultivation is often a multigenerational effort. Ethical sourcing prioritizes vines grown in regenerative agroforestry systems, respecting both the plant and the people who tend it.
CAAPI IN TRADITIONAL AMAZONIAN CEREMONIES
For many Amazonian tribes, Caapi is not just a plant — it is a spirit and a teacher. In traditional Ayahuasca ceremonies, Caapi forms the energetic backbone of the brew. It allows for the visionary experience not only through its biochemical action (MAOIs that make DMT orally active), but also by opening the participant to inner guidance, ancestral memory, and energetic cleansing.
In some traditions, Caapi is used on its own without admixture plants. Known as a “solo Caapi” brew, it is valued for inducing gentle visions, purging emotional blockages, and calming the nervous system.
Common ceremonial roles of Caapi:
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Facilitates access to the spiritual world
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Clears stagnant emotional or energetic patterns
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Connects the drinker with the jungle’s intelligence
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Guides through deep internal visions and healing
HEALING WITH CAAPI:
PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
Caapi is renowned as both a healing plant and a spiritual teacher. Its effects unfold across physical, emotional, mental, and energetic levels — which is why it holds such a central place in Amazonian medicine.
PHYSICAL EFFECTS:
NERVOUS SYSTEM SUPPORT AND DEEP CLEANSING
Caapi contains natural MAO inhibitors (MAOIs), primarily harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine, which slow the breakdown of neurotransmitters in the brain. This action alone promotes mental clarity, emotional fluidity, and a sense of slowed, spacious awareness — even without DMT.
Traditionally, Caapi is also valued for:
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Supporting detoxification and purging (especially in ceremonial contexts)
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Reducing nervous tension and stress-related symptoms
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Helping with insomnia, restlessness, and overthinking
Many users describe a calming, grounding effect in the body, often accompanied by deep breathing and relaxation.
EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALING
Caapi is often called the “mother vine” — a guiding presence that gently reveals the emotional truths we’re ready to face. It brings buried grief to the surface, clears confusion, and helps integrate difficult life experiences.
Common emotional effects:
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Release of past traumas or emotional blocks
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Insight into repeating patterns or relationships
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Increased self-compassion and emotional maturity
While these effects can sometimes be intense, they are usually accompanied by a sense of loving presence, clarity, or inner strength.
SPIRITUAL AND ENERGETIC INSIGHT
Spiritually, Caapi is seen as an intelligent, ancient teacher. During dieta or ceremony, participants often experience:
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Visions of ancestral beings, jungle spirits, or cosmic realms
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A profound sense of interconnectedness with nature and life
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Insights that shift personal or spiritual perspective
Even without added visionary plants, Caapi alone can lead to altered states — especially when consumed in solitude over multiple days in dieta form.
LEVEL / EFFECTS
Physical: Cleansing / grounding, MAOI action, nervous system regulation
Emotional: Grief release, emotional clarity, self-insight
Spiritual: Visionary dreaming, energetic cleansing, deeper intuition
PREPARATION AND CONSUMPTION METHODS
Caapi is most commonly prepared as a decoction, where the vine is pounded and boiled for hours — or even days — until the active ingredients are extracted into a dark, bitter tea.
FORMS OF USE:
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Ayahuasca brew (with admixture plants) – most widely known ceremonial use
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Solo Caapi – Caapi boiled and consumed on its own for emotional/spiritual insight
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Microdosing – Small daily amounts taken for mood regulation and focus (gaining popularity outside the Amazon)
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Dieta – Taken daily in isolation with no salt, sex, or stimulation to deepen connection to the vine
During dieta, Caapi is consumed at Madre Selva Resort without distractions. This opens the heart and allows deeper listening to the “spirit of the vine.”
REGIONAL TRADITIONS AND CAAPI VARIETIES
Different tribes and regions recognize subtle differences in energetic quality and spiritual effect between Caapi varieties.
COMMON REGIONAL TRADITIONS:
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Peru (Shipibo-Conibo / Mestizo ): Caapi is central to plant dieta traditions. Often paired with trees like Noya Rao or Bobinsana.
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Brazil (Santo Daime / HuniKuin): Used sacramentally in structured group rituals with music and chanting.
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Colombia (Tukanoan tribes): Known as Yagé, Caapi is sometimes taken alone and is revered as a sacred ancestor.
VARIETIES:
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Yellow Caapi (Cielo): Light, elevating energy; used for insight and clarity
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Black Caapi: Stronger, grounding; often used for deep emotional clearing
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Red Caapi: Considered energetically intense, connected to blood lineage and body healing
CAAPI AS A GUIDE: PLANT ALLIES IN CEREMONY
Caapi is rarely used in isolation during Ayahuasca ceremonies. Its role is often to activate and guide other plant spirits through the visionary process.
COMMON COMBINATIONS:
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With Chacruna (Psychotria viridis): Provides DMT for Ayahuasca visions
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With Chaliponga (Diplopterys cabrerana): Stronger DMT source, more intense visuals
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With Bobinsana: Brings heart softness and emotional healing into the experience
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With Tobacco (Mapacho): Grounds energy and clears the mind before or after ceremony
Each plant adds a unique layer to the ceremonial field, but Caapi remains the central intelligence guiding the process.
WHAT SCIENCE REVEALS ABOUT CAAPI’S COMPOUNDS
Modern research has increasingly focused on Caapi’s neurological and psychoactive effects. The vine’s active compounds — especially harmine and tetrahydroharmine — are now being studied for their therapeutic potential.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS:
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MAO inhibition: Harmine slows breakdown of serotonin, allowing for DMT absorption
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Neurogenesis potential: Early studies show harmine may stimulate brain cell growth
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Antidepressant effects: MAOIs have been used in psychiatry and may support mood stability
Still, more peer-reviewed studies are needed to fully understand Caapi’s complex effects. Most clinical trials study Ayahuasca as a whole, but Caapi alone may offer therapeutic value.
THE SPIRIT OF THE VINE: SYMBOLISM AND COSMOLOGY
Caapi is often depicted as the umbilical cord between the human soul and the jungle. Its spiraling vine mirrors the path of healing — rarely linear, often mysterious, but always upward toward understanding.
In Amazonian cosmology, Caapi is seen as:
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The mother vine — nurturing, fierce, guiding
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A bridge to the spirit world
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A symbol of sacred responsibility (only to be used with respect)
The vine’s spiral growth has inspired many indigenous patterns and symbols — a visual representation of its energetic path through both forest and human consciousness.
ETHICAL SOURCING:
PROTECTING CAAPI FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
With the rising global interest in Ayahuasca, unsustainable harvesting of Caapi is becoming a concern. Old vines take decades to mature, and overharvesting wild plants threatens both ecosystems and indigenous access.
BEST PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABILITY:
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Source from regenerative farms or community-run cooperatives
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Support indigenous-led retreat centers
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Avoid Caapi products with unknown or mass-market origins
At Madreselva, we partner with local growers who cultivate Caapi with respect — honoring the spirit of the vine, the forest it comes from, and the people who carry its tradition.
THE CENTERS SIGNATURE
MASTER PLANT RETREATS
ON REQUEST
Ignite your inner fire with this week-long retreat. Through three Ayahuasca ceremonies, cleansing plant medicines, flower baths, and shamanic workshops, you'll connect with your inner strength, clarity, and purpose. Perfect for those seeking a powerful yet focused introduction to plant medicine in a sacred jungle setting.
8-DAY MEDICINE & ART RETREAT
Apply for our 8-day Art & Ayahuasca Immersion – a transformative creative retreat, guided by a heart-led team, in the sacred setting of our center! We offer a program that transforms visions into art, supported by the healing wisdom of jungle medicines.
3 ayahuasca ceremonies, 1 cleanse vomotivo, Flower plant baths, Integration circles, Private consultations & 6 painting workshops.
ON REQUEST
Achieve harmony and alignment in this transformative retreat. With five Ayahuasca ceremonies, master plant dieta, and shamanic teachings, you'll uncover deeper layers of your spiritual journey. Integration workshops, visionary art, and sacred rituals guide you toward balance and personal growth.
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1-2 MONTHS: THE MASTER PATH
Embark on a powerful 1-2 month Ayahuasca retreat, designed for those ready to experience deep healing and self-discovery. Under the guidance of an experienced team, you will journey through purification, awakening, and spiritual growth. This transformative experience invites you to reconnect with your essence, shed the past, and unlock the wisdom within. Step onto The Master Path and emerge reborn.
