I believe ayahuasca - as well as other psychointegrator plants and substances - can be an extraordinary tool for the study of consciousness. Ayahuasca and other plant teachers, as pointed out by Tupper, may enhance "existential intelligence," which Howard Gardner, proponent of the Theory of Multiple Intelligence, characterizes as involving "a heightened capacity of appreciation and attention to the cosmological enigmas that define the human condition - an exceptional awareness of the metaphysical, ontological, and epistemological mysteries that have been a perennial concern for people of all cultures." At the same time, it is necessary to exercise caution, for the number of contemporary ayahuasqueros from many different countries is growing, and not all of them have enough personal training to deal with the wide spectrum of effects ayahuasca may produce. Special attention must be given to set and setting, with set referring to the intentions, expectations, and presuppositions of those participating in the ayahuasca session, and setting referring to the concrete circumstances in which the action takes place, including the set of those in whose presence the ayahuasca is taken. If used in the proper setting, the negative side effects of ayahuasca seem to be minimal. Its strong emetic and cathartic effects as well as the often-dramatic psychological effects it produces cause respect for its use, thus reducing potential for abuse. The spontaneous reaction of many people to ayahuasca is the acknowledgment that they are dealing with something sacred.