Some thoughts on working with shaman's
I would like to take a moment to discuss some thoughts I have on these topics from my experiences here in Peru working with ayahuasca. Until now all my experience with ayahuasca has been like many of us, alone in the comforts of my home. One thing that i haven't ever cared much for in the past is the attitude and stance that ayahuasca is something that should only be done in South America with shaman's or with an organized group such as Santo Daime or the U.V.E. Before i came to Peru ive rejected these notions and I still do. To me, ayahuasca is a gift to all inhabitants of the earth and should be taken as the individual see's fit. If that's in Peru great, if that's at home with a trusted freind that's great too. Even now after multiple ceremonys my thought's on this matter remains. There is no reason ayahuasca cant or shouldn't be done at home in any country or city.
However i do have some reasons that i feel working with shamans in traditional setting and ceremony is extremly important as well. It can be a life changing experience. In short the two are different ways of taking ayahusca and should be treated as such. Not everynone can afford to go to far away lands and work with shamans but please dont let that stop you from working with this incredible medicine.
On a recent trip into the near by modern town to use the internet i met an anthropologist on the boat. He asked to interview me for a research project he was working on for a book on ayahuasca and its allure to westerner's and I happily accepted. His first question was why i came here to take ayahuasca and my answer is what i want to share with this community.
I came here to work with ayahuasca with shamans because under their care and protection people are able to go much, much, deeper into the other worlds. This is for two reasons. One, you have the saftey net of the shamans power, experience and knowledge to quite simply take much larger ammounts and not have the journey turn into a hellish nightmare. If it does they most certainly can help as i saw with my own eye's. The next paragraph's are a good example of this.
My girlfriend and I met in Guatemala 4 months ago and have traveled together ever since that day. However she came here with me with no intentions of partaking in ceremony. Although since she met me she has taken lsd and 2-cb as well as smoked some changa but other than that she has had no interest in psychedelics and ayauhuasca scared her. After a few days here listening to the group's and my own accounts she decided of free will she wanted to try it. In total Claire did 3 ceremonies and the first 2 were very enjoyable but on her third she got into deep waters which was partially my fault inadvertainly.
I asked the shamans if they could brew me a stronger brew with much more chacruna and they happily agreed. Although I didnt know when this new brew would be ready and the night im speaking of i was the first person to drink . Claire was next and after she drank her portion i saw the shaman go to his mat and get a different bottle for the rest of the group. I whispered to her she was given this stronger brew and asked her if she was ok with it. She replied she was so we sat back and waited. It was clearly far to strong for her and i fear my poor spanish was the reason they may have chosen to give it to her as well. i may have used the plural forms when asking for stronger brews and they must have thought we both wanted this.
Claire did great, she came up fast and strong and it quickly became too much for her so she reached out for me as i was standing by ready in all honesty for the shit to hit the fan. She culred into a ball as i rubbed her back and gently whispered that she was going to be ok. She reached out to touch my face and was terrified when she told me i was dissapearing as well as the room. i kept her hand on my face while i rubbed her back re assuring here that i am here, im not going anywhere and this is reality. I told her to just hang on as i knew one of the shamans would be coming any min to help, and he did. Efrian came over and we made eye contact and he knew exactly what was happening. I knew I didnt even have to say a word. I Whispered in my lovers ear that he was going to sing icaros to take the visions down and lower the intensity and again reassured her she was doing great.
By the second icaro Claire told me she was feeling better but was still scared. She was now able to sit up which was a huge step and I could tell she was still in deep but coming back. The next thing the shaman did was the most amazing thing i've ever seen and even Claire said later that if it didnt happen to her she wouldnt believe it. Efrian put his hands on either side of her head and while pressing firmly he aggresively sucked in air through his mouth and then let out a thunderous belch! He did this a second time but this time on her chest and back, again with a huge purging belch. He removed his hands from her and sat down and in spanish said, you will be fine now and she was. He completly took it out of her!
Claire asked for some air so I helped her out of the moloko. Once outside she smiled at me and exclaimed "im gonna kick your ass for this"! we laughed a good laugh and held eachother but both were amazed at what we just witnessed. She was now fine when just a few min before was in hell! This is what a good shaman can do! This is why I am able to drink the amounts I am drinking and go as deep as I've been going. From my first ceremony i felt a saftey and comfort I've never felt before taking any psychedelic and knew I could really go for it here with these powerful men and women.
The other reason i feel working with shamans is so amazing is the icaros. When they sing for you the most amazing experiences happen as well as huge amounts of information come through their songs to you. Each icaro evokes different visions and a good shaman isn't just pulling icaros out of a hat, he/she is reading the group and each individual and selecting what icaro is needed. Their power and work keeps me in awe each and every night we drink. Its truly something to be experienced and if you ever have the opportunity you will not regret it. Do you research, find a good place, and plan on spending more than a week. The longer, the deeper.
If anyone wants information about the place im staying just let me know.
much, much, love and light.
OM'
`
I would like to take a moment to discuss some thoughts I have on these topics from my experiences here in Peru working with ayahuasca. Until now all my experience with ayahuasca has been like many of us, alone in the comforts of my home. One thing that i haven't ever cared much for in the past is the attitude and stance that ayahuasca is something that should only be done in South America with shaman's or with an organized group such as Santo Daime or the U.V.E. Before i came to Peru ive rejected these notions and I still do. To me, ayahuasca is a gift to all inhabitants of the earth and should be taken as the individual see's fit. If that's in Peru great, if that's at home with a trusted freind that's great too. Even now after multiple ceremonys my thought's on this matter remains. There is no reason ayahuasca cant or shouldn't be done at home in any country or city.
However i do have some reasons that i feel working with shamans in traditional setting and ceremony is extremly important as well. It can be a life changing experience. In short the two are different ways of taking ayahusca and should be treated as such. Not everynone can afford to go to far away lands and work with shamans but please dont let that stop you from working with this incredible medicine.
On a recent trip into the near by modern town to use the internet i met an anthropologist on the boat. He asked to interview me for a research project he was working on for a book on ayahuasca and its allure to westerner's and I happily accepted. His first question was why i came here to take ayahuasca and my answer is what i want to share with this community.
I came here to work with ayahuasca with shamans because under their care and protection people are able to go much, much, deeper into the other worlds. This is for two reasons. One, you have the saftey net of the shamans power, experience and knowledge to quite simply take much larger ammounts and not have the journey turn into a hellish nightmare. If it does they most certainly can help as i saw with my own eye's. The next paragraph's are a good example of this.
My girlfriend and I met in Guatemala 4 months ago and have traveled together ever since that day. However she came here with me with no intentions of partaking in ceremony. Although since she met me she has taken lsd and 2-cb as well as smoked some changa but other than that she has had no interest in psychedelics and ayauhuasca scared her. After a few days here listening to the group's and my own accounts she decided of free will she wanted to try it. In total Claire did 3 ceremonies and the first 2 were very enjoyable but on her third she got into deep waters which was partially my fault inadvertainly.
I asked the shamans if they could brew me a stronger brew with much more chacruna and they happily agreed. Although I didnt know when this new brew would be ready and the night im speaking of i was the first person to drink . Claire was next and after she drank her portion i saw the shaman go to his mat and get a different bottle for the rest of the group. I whispered to her she was given this stronger brew and asked her if she was ok with it. She replied she was so we sat back and waited. It was clearly far to strong for her and i fear my poor spanish was the reason they may have chosen to give it to her as well. i may have used the plural forms when asking for stronger brews and they must have thought we both wanted this.
Claire did great, she came up fast and strong and it quickly became too much for her so she reached out for me as i was standing by ready in all honesty for the shit to hit the fan. She culred into a ball as i rubbed her back and gently whispered that she was going to be ok. She reached out to touch my face and was terrified when she told me i was dissapearing as well as the room. i kept her hand on my face while i rubbed her back re assuring here that i am here, im not going anywhere and this is reality. I told her to just hang on as i knew one of the shamans would be coming any min to help, and he did. Efrian came over and we made eye contact and he knew exactly what was happening. I knew I didnt even have to say a word. I Whispered in my lovers ear that he was going to sing icaros to take the visions down and lower the intensity and again reassured her she was doing great.
By the second icaro Claire told me she was feeling better but was still scared. She was now able to sit up which was a huge step and I could tell she was still in deep but coming back. The next thing the shaman did was the most amazing thing i've ever seen and even Claire said later that if it didnt happen to her she wouldnt believe it. Efrian put his hands on either side of her head and while pressing firmly he aggresively sucked in air through his mouth and then let out a thunderous belch! He did this a second time but this time on her chest and back, again with a huge purging belch. He removed his hands from her and sat down and in spanish said, you will be fine now and she was. He completly took it out of her!
Claire asked for some air so I helped her out of the moloko. Once outside she smiled at me and exclaimed "im gonna kick your ass for this"! we laughed a good laugh and held eachother but both were amazed at what we just witnessed. She was now fine when just a few min before was in hell! This is what a good shaman can do! This is why I am able to drink the amounts I am drinking and go as deep as I've been going. From my first ceremony i felt a saftey and comfort I've never felt before taking any psychedelic and knew I could really go for it here with these powerful men and women.
The other reason i feel working with shamans is so amazing is the icaros. When they sing for you the most amazing experiences happen as well as huge amounts of information come through their songs to you. Each icaro evokes different visions and a good shaman isn't just pulling icaros out of a hat, he/she is reading the group and each individual and selecting what icaro is needed. Their power and work keeps me in awe each and every night we drink. Its truly something to be experienced and if you ever have the opportunity you will not regret it. Do you research, find a good place, and plan on spending more than a week. The longer, the deeper.
If anyone wants information about the place im staying just let me know.
much, much, love and light.
OM'
`