English ethnobotanist Richard Spruce describes the use of the ayahuasca vine (which he names Banisteria caapi) by the Tukanoan Indian tribes in Brazil and Colombia. He observes a caapi ritual and imbibes a small amount of ayahuasca tea. Spruce wrote: "This is all I have seen and learnt of caapi or ayahuasca.... Some traveller who may follow my steps with greater resources at his command will, it is hoped, be able to bring away materials adequate for the complete analysis of this curious plant" (Spruce 1908, 1873).

Held at the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and produced by the Institute of Ethnology, this event featured presenters from France, Switzerland, Spain, and Peru, including Sébastien Baud, Christian Ghasarian, François Kaech, Rama Leclerc, Jacques Mabbit, Ilario Rossi, Marie-Laure Schick, and Bernard Weniger, as well as a documentary exhibition.

Held at UvA, Oude Manhuispoort 4-6, in Amsterdam, Holland. This symposium was a multidisciplinary series of lectures that focused on current research being done in Europe. Experts from different disciplines presented their studies on ayahuasca’s effects on health, neural functioning and consciousness. Some of the speakers were Brian Anderson, Wouter J. Hanegraaff, Rama Leclerc, Janine Schmidt, Christian Raetsch, Claudia Mueller-Ebeling, and Diana Trimble.

Held in San Francisco, CA, and produced by the Psychedelic Society of San Francisco, this lecture by Beatriz Caiuby Labate related to the "Controversies, Public Debate, and Regulation" surrounding ayahuasca also acted as a book release party for her recent 448-page tome The Internationalization of Ayahuasca.