I have collected so many stories from over 60 mind bending ceremonies, each carefully documented in my personal journal. The thing is, this sacred “plant medicine” has the power to take one into states of consciousness beyond your wildest dreams. Unlike the night flights you have during dream time, these Ayahuasca journeys include vivid physical feelings. It seems the body, with all its senses, comes along for the ride. And what a ride it can be.
The indigenous people of the Amazon tell us the recipe for Ayahuasca came to then in their dreams. With countless species of plants flourishing in the vast Amazon basin, the people were directed to two specific plants, and only two. This could not have been a random occurrence.
They were shown an ordinary looking leafy plant known as chacruna in the Quechua language of Peru. They were shown another ordinary looking plant, a fibrous twisting vine, the ayahuasca vine. When the two are cooked together for 12 hours, the resulting dark colored brew has a strong taste that ranges from bitter to syrupy sweet. Imagine a five gallon open cook pot sitting on two green logs over a wood fire. An attendant or shaman watches the cooking all day, making sure the batch doesn’t go dry.
Now, for a moment, stay with me as we jump back into Western civilization. I just watched an episode of PBS Frontline that tells the story of the rise of hate groups in America. Yuk.
If you enter into an Ayahuasca ceremony harboring unkind beliefs like this, the living spirit of Ayahuasca will show you in no uncertain terms that these mean beliefs are bullshit. And let me be clear. The strong spirit of this intelligent plant medicine will make you see and feel the message in ways that will get your attention.
If this sounds scary, you’re on the right track with the power of this medicine. She knows you, and her power will earn your respect. Fortunately, she is truly on your side. She will present you with surprising visions that range from the sublime to the ecstatic to the disturbing. It took me some time to finally come to realize that these visions – what I was being shown – was in fact my own consciousness in pictorial form. I was being shown myself. Why? This was a gift, in the spirit of love, acceptance, and healing. After all, Ayahuasca is known as a medicine. That means it serves as an agent of healing, in league with the shaman, the power of nature, and the loving support of the other participants in your ceremony, each of whom is on their own healing journey.
The process of ceremony does not go without purging. You might have heard of the purge buckets? This jungle medicine works in the body by causing foreign “material” to be expelled via vomiting into the bucket. During ceremony, it becomes more clear that foreign material can take the form of emotional memories, old emotional habits, physical toxins, mental fixations and errors, and even spiritual patterns that are out of alignment with one’s own soul. These things are made to come out of the body via vomiting into a bucket. It’s not exactly graceful.
Most folks who decide to go to the trouble of attending Ayauasca ceremony, do so because they agree with the mission. The mission of Ayahuasca would be to clean, purify, heal, and align. But align to what? To align with Life. To make whole again or to remember and reconnect with one’s natural organic foundation. Yes, to reconnect with one’s organic and natural foundation.
You remember that you somehow, mysteriously, are present in this life and have a body to deal with. You remember that by some miracle your breathing continues, in and out, to keep your spirit connected to this particular body. She shows you that this particular miracle matters.
As a tendency, we forget these tender insights when we suffer pain and misfortune. We tend to forget that the mystery called “you” matters. But it does. That’s because every particle of nature belongs and has its place. Ayahuasca wants to remind you of this and of your gentle and quiet greatness.
Those who find a resonance with Ayahuasca tend to be people of heart. The jungle medicine reinforces a “heart orientation” to life.
Yes there are some who want to try the medicine as a novel means to enter into a psychedelic state just for the fun of it. Good luck with that. I doubt that such a motivation would impress the spirit of the medicine. She is not to be messed with and cannot be fooled. Her lessons are not recreational. It’s often hard work like being put through the wringer. But you feel so clean afterward. If that’s what you want, then she will partner with you to deliver your wish.
In some ways, she acts like any psychoactive substance. The more Ayahuasca you swallow the stronger the effect. But it doesn’t always work like this. I cannot explain why.
For those who are into material science, one could ponder and research the variables of brain chemistry and the complex mixture of compounds in the Ayahuasca brew. That has been done. There are variations from batch to batch due to plant growing conditions and cooking technique. There are also biochemical and psychological variables from individual to individual. Sensitivities vary. Everybody has their own unique experience.
Actually, the quantity of medicine one consumes represents one of the few things that seems to be under one’s control. Typically the shaman will carefully measure out an initial dose that he/she feels is appropriate. During ceremony, additional doses are available for those who desire it.
Do you want to hear more?
My personal journal contains the record of every Ayahuasca journey that I encountered over a period of several years. Look for those stories in future posts.
