From the Amazonian rain forest comes one of the most potent catalysts for expanded awareness yet discovered by human beings. In Equator, Brazil and Peru this medicine is known as Ayahuasca.
“Ayahuasca” as a hallucinogenic substance does not refer to one single plant, but to a singular mixture of two very different plant species. There is no such thing as an “ayahuasca plant”. Ayahuasca correctly refers to a psychedelic combination of plants which varies in potency according to the skill of its maker.
While each shaman has his own secret formula for the mixture (with probably no two exactly alike) it has been established, that ayahuasca always obtains both beta-carboline and tryptamine alkaloids.
It is significant to note that neither of these plant substances by itself is normally psychoactive in oral doses.
It is 9 o’clock in the evening and 45 persons most of them young girls and boys sit in the circle, and it is cold. I cannot stand the cold, but the urge to take part in the Ayahuasca ceremony is very strong. The room belongs to a farmer and before it was used as a store. I am sitting on a kind of hard bed. There is sleeping quilt for me. This is the fifth Ayahuasca ceremony I take part. In the previous four I suffered so much. I was in hell. Then why I am again here? What I am looking for? Why I have to put myself in such a scary, tormenting, situation? How can I walk out of this big room to pee? During the first ceremony which was held in another place, I tried to go to the toilet to pee but my legs were not obeying. Actually I didn’t have a body. The first four ceremonies started at nine o’ clock p.m. and finished at 3 after midnight. I was suffering for six hours. And then for another 10 hours I was in a state between sleep and alert. And during all this time I was shouting “Never, Never” meaning that I will never do this again in my whole life. I was thinking that when somebody says that he or she is going to do something and let God put him or her in hell, it is because they don’t actually know what is hell. So, what are the reasons I am here to take part in the worst ceremony I had been in my life? And I have previous experiences. And the answer came. I like adventures. I like new experiences. I like to put myself in dangerous situations, specially when the result is promising.
Shaman, in the beginning, explains for one hour about the procedure and the program. Toilets are outside in the fields. He lights a mapacho tobacco and then one by one we take one sip. This tobacco is an offering to the spirits and also cleans the body. It passes from everybody and all of us take a sip. Then he whizes with a special whistle towards the four directions in order to explain to the local spirits that what we are going to do, it is for the good of the place. The rape is a powder from roots of white rododendron tree. Each of us passes in front of him and he blow a little in the left nostril and then to the right. A burning sensation is penetrating my mouth and my lungs and there are tears in my eyes...
Then again one by one passes in front of leader of the group and on our knee he gives us the Ayahuasca drink. The taste is very bad and I accompany it with a slice of lemon. It is obvious that everything and everyone is under the control of shaman, and I feel confident. When everybody takes the drink, Shaman starts to sing and play the drum for about an hour. Then somebody else is doing the same. I have a feeling of vomiting. But I can’t vomit.Something very peculiar is happening to my arms and legs. I am trying to let my eyes open to escape from that situation. But it is not possible. In front of my eyes pass one million things and colors. I am sick. I have pains and aches all over my body.Sometimes there are a few minutes silence. This relaxes me.May be this is the end of the ceremony. In a certain moment the urge for peeing is becoming very strong. I raise my hand. Somebody comes to me. I am unable to walk, unable to stand on my own. But the man is strong enough. With his two arms he raises me up. He takes me out of the big room. With a lot of difficulty I managed to pee. And then back to that cursed place. After many ours of suffering come times for sleeping. Even in usual situations I have some problems to sleep. How can I sleep now? I stayed in my usual situation between sleep and awakening for a time I cannot estimate. Then I see some people bringing food for breakfast. It was nine o’ clock in the morning. I was suffering for 12 hours I stand up and to my amazement I can walk. I took my breakfast. Most of the participants were very happy and very satisfied. The two young girls, 11 and 12 years of age enjoyed the best. At nine o’clock in the evening they lie down and immediately fall a sleep. They were awakened by their parents at the time of the Ayahuasca drink and then back to sleep again. Following the breakfast was a shearing of all night experiences - this was a biggest surprise, when one after the other every person expressed his/her gratitude to the Ayahuasca spirit due to changes they where going through.
And although I had so much suffering and again I was thinking not to do this ceremony again, I took part in the Ayahuasca ceremony which was held at nine o’clock of the second day.
I asked the young singer how he can manage to drink the Ayahuaska drink and through the night to be able to sing for many hours. He said to me that in the beginning he was in a worst situation than me. But now he got used to it.
I am writing all these, and I have a sensation to vomit even now, after 15 days!
But something magic happened to me too! I feel it but I cannot explain.
“Ayahuasca” as a hallucinogenic substance does not refer to one single plant, but to a singular mixture of two very different plant species. There is no such thing as an “ayahuasca plant”. Ayahuasca correctly refers to a psychedelic combination of plants which varies in potency according to the skill of its maker.
While each shaman has his own secret formula for the mixture (with probably no two exactly alike) it has been established, that ayahuasca always obtains both beta-carboline and tryptamine alkaloids.
It is significant to note that neither of these plant substances by itself is normally psychoactive in oral doses.
It is 9 o’clock in the evening and 45 persons most of them young girls and boys sit in the circle, and it is cold. I cannot stand the cold, but the urge to take part in the Ayahuasca ceremony is very strong. The room belongs to a farmer and before it was used as a store. I am sitting on a kind of hard bed. There is sleeping quilt for me. This is the fifth Ayahuasca ceremony I take part. In the previous four I suffered so much. I was in hell. Then why I am again here? What I am looking for? Why I have to put myself in such a scary, tormenting, situation? How can I walk out of this big room to pee? During the first ceremony which was held in another place, I tried to go to the toilet to pee but my legs were not obeying. Actually I didn’t have a body. The first four ceremonies started at nine o’ clock p.m. and finished at 3 after midnight. I was suffering for six hours. And then for another 10 hours I was in a state between sleep and alert. And during all this time I was shouting “Never, Never” meaning that I will never do this again in my whole life. I was thinking that when somebody says that he or she is going to do something and let God put him or her in hell, it is because they don’t actually know what is hell. So, what are the reasons I am here to take part in the worst ceremony I had been in my life? And I have previous experiences. And the answer came. I like adventures. I like new experiences. I like to put myself in dangerous situations, specially when the result is promising.
Shaman, in the beginning, explains for one hour about the procedure and the program. Toilets are outside in the fields. He lights a mapacho tobacco and then one by one we take one sip. This tobacco is an offering to the spirits and also cleans the body. It passes from everybody and all of us take a sip. Then he whizes with a special whistle towards the four directions in order to explain to the local spirits that what we are going to do, it is for the good of the place. The rape is a powder from roots of white rododendron tree. Each of us passes in front of him and he blow a little in the left nostril and then to the right. A burning sensation is penetrating my mouth and my lungs and there are tears in my eyes...
Then again one by one passes in front of leader of the group and on our knee he gives us the Ayahuasca drink. The taste is very bad and I accompany it with a slice of lemon. It is obvious that everything and everyone is under the control of shaman, and I feel confident. When everybody takes the drink, Shaman starts to sing and play the drum for about an hour. Then somebody else is doing the same. I have a feeling of vomiting. But I can’t vomit.Something very peculiar is happening to my arms and legs. I am trying to let my eyes open to escape from that situation. But it is not possible. In front of my eyes pass one million things and colors. I am sick. I have pains and aches all over my body.Sometimes there are a few minutes silence. This relaxes me.May be this is the end of the ceremony. In a certain moment the urge for peeing is becoming very strong. I raise my hand. Somebody comes to me. I am unable to walk, unable to stand on my own. But the man is strong enough. With his two arms he raises me up. He takes me out of the big room. With a lot of difficulty I managed to pee. And then back to that cursed place. After many ours of suffering come times for sleeping. Even in usual situations I have some problems to sleep. How can I sleep now? I stayed in my usual situation between sleep and awakening for a time I cannot estimate. Then I see some people bringing food for breakfast. It was nine o’ clock in the morning. I was suffering for 12 hours I stand up and to my amazement I can walk. I took my breakfast. Most of the participants were very happy and very satisfied. The two young girls, 11 and 12 years of age enjoyed the best. At nine o’clock in the evening they lie down and immediately fall a sleep. They were awakened by their parents at the time of the Ayahuasca drink and then back to sleep again. Following the breakfast was a shearing of all night experiences - this was a biggest surprise, when one after the other every person expressed his/her gratitude to the Ayahuasca spirit due to changes they where going through.
And although I had so much suffering and again I was thinking not to do this ceremony again, I took part in the Ayahuasca ceremony which was held at nine o’clock of the second day.
I asked the young singer how he can manage to drink the Ayahuaska drink and through the night to be able to sing for many hours. He said to me that in the beginning he was in a worst situation than me. But now he got used to it.
I am writing all these, and I have a sensation to vomit even now, after 15 days!
But something magic happened to me too! I feel it but I cannot explain.
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