Image credit: J. Ochatoma Paravicino
Archaeologists believe that psychedelic beers may have played a significant role in the administration of the Wari Empire, which ruled the Andes about 1,000 years ago.1
Recent archaeological findings suggest that in ancient Peru, a beer enriched with psychedelic substances played a pivotal role in both the governance of the empire and the weaving of social unity. In a study published in the journal Revista de Arqueología Americana, independent researcher Jacob Keer and Dr. Justin Jennings of the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, in their article “Afterglow: Vilca Beer, Pro-Social Feelings, and Wari Geopolitics in the Ancient Andes,” argue that “vilca beer,” consumed at feasts held during the Wari period, may have been used as a tool to strengthen the psychological cohesion of society.
Image credit: José Ochatoma
According to the research, at these feasts organized by Wari elites, the psychedelic substance—locally known as vilca—extracted from the seeds of the Anadenanthera colubrina tree was mixed with a beer made from the fruits of the Schinus molle (Peruvian pepper tree). This mixture contains compounds similar to bufotenin and DMT (dimethyltryptamine), which, as modern chemical research has shown, affect serotonin receptors in the brain.
These substances increase neuroplasticity by temporarily reorganizing the connections between neurons in the human brain. Scientists argue that this chemical interaction strengthens long-term feelings of empathy, openness, and belonging in individuals. According to Keer and Jennings, the Wari elites succeeded in uniting newly conquered communities within the empire by exploiting this “brain rewiring” effect for social and political purposes.
People brought together by feasts
Located in the central Andes’ Ayacucho Valley, the Wari Empire was a vast civilization that ruled from 600 BC to 1000 AD. This system, centered on major cities like Huari and Conchopata, created a solid political order but found it difficult to keep various ethnic groups together.
Researchers note that the Wari government employed a method they call “feast politics” to solve this problem. Large drinking ceremonies, held in enclosed courtyards led by the elite, served both as entertainment and as political integration. Common families brought their own food and drink, which were served in ceramic vessels decorated with Wari symbols. At these feasts, people not only shared food and drink, but also engaged in a shared mental experience, eroding the boundaries of their sense of self and experiencing a sense of oneness with others.
Image credit: Lisa Milosavljevic
The main claim of the article is that beer with vilca does not just induce temporary hallucinations, it produces a long-term neurochemical effect called “afterglow.” The authors use contemporary research in neuropsychology to point out that sustained changes in brain connectivity have been documented even weeks after consuming substances like ayahuasca or LSD.
The long-term effect can enhance one’s empathy, tolerance, and sense of community. Concerning the Wari, these qualities may have generated the social capital feverishly sought after by the empire’s central governing body. The authors make this point clear when they argue, and note, that the effects of vilca beer did not end at night. They produced a sense of unity that lasted, perhaps even for weeks or months. This prompted conquered peoples to acquiesce to the new order.
Archaeological evidence
Evidence supporting this thesis includes isotopic analyses of large-scale ceramic vessels, vilca seed residues, and molle fruits found in Wari settlements. Furthermore, figures frequently seen in Wari art—such as depictions of deities sprouting plants from their heads—are believed to symbolize psychedelic experiences.
Face-necked jars and D-shaped temples found at the Konchopata site are interpreted as sites where these ceremonial drinking rituals took place. It is thought that the beverages used in the feasts were dedicated to deceased ancestors, and these symbolic “transformed beverages” were redistributed to the community.
- Keer, J., & Jennings, J. (2025). Afterglow: Vilca Beer, Pro-Social Feelings, and Wari Geopolitics in the Ancient Andes. Revista De Arqueología Americana, (43). https://doi.org/10.35424/rearam.i43.6051[↩]
