Ayahuasca's topics - tribe.net

Ayahuasca in Ecuador in 2009

wancho — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:03:32 GMT

Dear Tribe members,

I'd like to announce that there is still space for those who would like to learn from the Queen of the plants Ayahuasca in a beautiful setting of the Ecuadorian Amazon, close to the powerful Andes, under the guidance of one of the most powerful and authentic indigenous shamans of the Kichwa (Quichua) tribe - Don Luis Andy Grefa or Don Casimiro Mamallacta.

August 3 - 12, 2009 - 2 spots left on POWER OF THE WATERFALL
September 8 - 17, 2009 - 3 sots left on MAGIC OF THE FOREST
February 8 - 17, 2010 - 8 spots left on POWER OF THE WATERFALL

All the retreats are very unique and different from the Peruvian ones. I also did my best to keep the price down, in spite of the fact that Ecuador is much more expensive than Peru. We work with proper visionary Ayahuasca, under the guidance of true "sabios", those who know, with the help of powerful energies of the nearby waterfalls, underground rivers, caves and huge trees.

http://www.feathercrown.com/index.php?p=ayahuascaretreats

Also you might be interested in Advanced shamanism course in those dates:

October 8 -17, 2009
January 14 - 23, 2010
April 15 - 24, 2010

Apprentices will experience five different ceremonies with five great shamans of the Amazon, learn some of their secrets and attain shamanic strenght. For those with previous experience with Ayahuasca only.

http://www.feathercrown.com/index.php?p=apprenticing

The major part of the money goes to the indigenous families of the shamans who are hosting the retreats. Your contribution helps to overcome the thread of cultural and environmental destruction and help them to sustain their way of life.

I'd be honoured to meet some of you here in the Amazon, and work in authentic setting and with the help of the most interesting healers I met during 1 year of living and exploring the traditions here.

Bowing,

jan *wancho*

http://www.feathercrown.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 65 replies

Ayahuasca / Global Shamanism Resurgence talk and book launch in LA Wed July 8th @ Project Butterfly

Rak — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:46:50 GMT

Hi all,

anyone who's in Los Angeles Wed July 8th please come along I'd love to see you, or pass this on to your networks for people you know that might be interested and able to attend, and help seed the vine!

In Lak'esh

xx Rak

for more info see:

http://www.ayathebook.com/launch.html
http://www.projectbutterfly.org > see events > July 8

Project Butterfly welcomes Rak Razam to Los Angeles for the launch of his new book, 'Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey' [http://www.ayathebook.com].

'Aya: a Shamanic Odyssey' is part journalistic account, part adventure-memoir of Rak's travels in South America and the world of Amazonian shamanism.

What is Amazonian shamanism and why is it important to the world today, as we stand on the brink of environmental change and global transformation? Traveling on a magazine assignment to Peru, "experiential journalist" Rak Razam sets out to discover the answers. He joins a growing movement of Western tourists coming for the legal experience of ayahuasca - the "vine of souls" - a South American hallucinogenic plant that is said to heal, and connect to the divine.

In researching the mystery of ayahuasca, Razam undergoes his own shamanic initiation, undergoing numerous tests and trials in the jungle and the psychic landscapes the vine reveals. On the way he encounters a motley crew of characters from rogue scientists that conduct DMT-brain scans on jungle psychonauts; brujo-black magicians wielding their psychic darts; and dozens of indigenous and Western shamans that slowly unravel his cultured mind and reveal the magical landscape of the spirit world.

The evening will cover the booming international business of Amazonian Shamanism and the culture shock between the old world and the new. The difficulties presented given the mix of Amazonian shamanism and Western capitalism. And the ineffable mystery and magic of the ayahuasca experience itself, which cannot be commodified, although the West is certainly trying its best!

This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn more and to engage in dialog about plant medicines, shamanism, community and spiritual evolution. We look forward to sharing a wonderful night with you.

Wed JUL 8 :: 7:30pm

To reserve your space for this event please click on the link below::

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6361779

Location::
Project Butterfly Loft
821 Traction Ave #108
Los Angeles CA 90013

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

ayahuasca and phlegm?

Sailin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:53:03 GMT

And I'm not talking about the magical phlegm, or maybe it is, but not in a nice way...

It happens to me a lot when I drink, I keep spitting up strange mucus, and sometimes it feels like it is dripping out my nose, almost like a bloody nose, but i wipe and nothing is physically there. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I am thinking it is maybe the medicine trying to get rid of some kind of lymphatic or glandular infection, I feel it in my lungs and chest as well...during the ceremonies I always feel that it is cleansing, but I have to admit sometimes the next day I sort of wonder if I'm just allergic to something in the brew?

I think I have been fighting a nasty case of candida albicans for quite some time now and maybe this has something to do with it.

So any thoughts, anyone else ever have issues like this? I'm curious to hear about anything gross or unusual people expell during ceremony and what kinds of things they feel are being healed by it.

Gracias

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE IN PERU

CG — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:28:32 GMT

PROGRESS TOWARD PEACE IN PERU

Peru Amazon Peace

Peru's Cabinet chief Yehude Simon poses with Amazon Indians after submitting a proposal to Congress that would revoke two decrees contested by Indian groups in Lima (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)

Chris Kraul for the LA Times reports: Peru's Congress voted Thursday to revoke two laws enacted last year to open the Amazon to mining, oil and timber development, measures that enraged many indigenous groups and led to a bloody confrontation this month.

Legislators acted at the behest of President Alan Garcia, who went on national television Wednesday to acknowledge that he had committed a "series of errors and exaggerations" in pushing economic policies that spawned a wave of protests by indigenous groups, including road blockades and takeovers of two airports.

According to AMAZON WATCH: Daysi Zapata, acting President of AIDESEP, Peru's national Amazonian indigenous organization welcomed the President's comments and declared: "Today is a historic day. We are grateful that the will of the indigenous peoples has been heard and we only hope that in the future governments listen and attend to indigenous peoples, and not legislate behind their backs."

Zapata said that AIDESEP it is calling on our base organizations and communities to end their blockades and protests while also calling on the government to enter into a good faith and transparent dialogue.

The dramatic shift in the Garcia Administration's discourse is likely due to the unprecedented international and domestic condemnation of the attacks on peaceful demonstrations on June 5 in Bagua. Tens of thousands protested in cities throughout Peru on June 11 in support of Peru's indigenous peoples. Peruvian consulates and embassies worldwide have been the site of repeated vigils and protests. Tens of thousands have sent letters to Peruvian and US government officials. Celebrities including Q'orianka Kilcher and Benjamin Bratt, both part Peruvian as well as Nobel Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchu, have publicly condemned the violence in Peru while calling for a peaceful solution.

Leading international human rights bodies including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, and the International Labor Organization have pressed the Garcia Administration to end repression and uphold the rights of indigenous peoples.

Amazon Watch's Executive Director, Atossa Soltani, reacted to the news with the following statement: "The Peruvian Congress's repeal of the two decrees is a welcome first step in bringing indigenous rights in Peru back to where they were before the decrees were promulgated in 2008. The conflict has become a watershed moment for Peru's policies in the Amazon and has invigorated national debate about deep-rooted violations of indigenous peoples rights. Today's good news notwithstanding, indigenous peoples are likely to continue to be at risk by Garcia's policies to open up the Amazon to extractive industries."

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO TOOK ACTION

posted in Ayahuasca - 6 replies

ayahuasca and money

Michael SJ — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 19:07:50 GMT

There seems to be a big problem with people who are interested in ayahuasca and money.

Just recently we have had several threads where the idea has come up that ayahuasca retreats are somehow a grab for cash but instead should be sacred and be provided free for those intrepid souls who make their ayahuasca pilgrimage here to the jungle.

That´s just silly.

We could do a million mile long thread about the demographics of ayahuasca enthusiasts and the concepts of materialism or capitalism or socialism or whatever, but that stuff is not about the ayahuasca, it´s about the people.

I am here in Tarapoto working with my friend Lucho to build a center for plant medicine and ayahuasca ceremonies. We need money to buy the land and build the buildings and hire the staff and all the million things you need to run a business. I have spent a lot of my own money for the work we´ve done so far but I haven´t asked a centimo in return. Any donations for the ceremonies and dietas go directly to Lucho to cover his expenses and to care for his family.

We have been using a borrowed maloca for ceremonies so far but we will be buying the land to build our own center in February. Just the first phase of the project is going to cost somewhere near $10,000 and I´m headed back to the US for a while to start making the money. You can see where there starts to be a conflict with the idea of free versus me spending $10,000.

But back to the ayahuasca.

Before I drink I set my intention for what I hope to accomplish during the ceremony. I ask for guidance how to make our dream of this center to become a reality and how to best do the work we have to do.

The ayahuasca has proven to be a fountain of motivation plus incredible ideas for the funding, sort of like a little brown cup of distilled Tony Robbins mixed with Richard Branson.

That was the message Saturday night: "Don´t worry about it, brother. We´ve got the coolest, most generous people on the way. You just keep on keeping on and the good things that are supposed to happen are going to happen."

Ayahuasca doesn´t have a problem with money, it just wants it´s work done.

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

an organized retreat to Peru...

MJ — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:35:21 GMT

Hello, I am organizing a retreat to Peru for two weeks in August. It is a little bit different than some of the other retreats that are offered in that I will also be presenting some workshops. These workshops will be on shamanism and shamanic healing techniques based upon the common principles and practices of shamanism. If you are interested in checking it out, information can be found here:

http://www.myspace.com/plantspiritmedicine

posted in Ayahuasca - 114 replies

Peru~ July 11-27th come join my group! Into the Amazon Rainforest~~~

Asad — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:31:49 GMT

Peru- A Journey into the Heart of the Amazon
“Think Globally Act Locally” a 70's cliché that I heard from Dennis McKenna

Every so often a person has the opportunity that is presented to them to leave behind everything and explore the world. This journey I will be embarking upon will take me into the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, wherein I will be networking with like minded souls in the fields of art, healing, music, and planetary sustainability. My intention is to also participate in ayahuasca ceremonies with native elders whom have a vast understanding of plant medicine and shamanic tools to release toxins and blockages from people. My journey will be a total of 17 days. The former 8 days will be at a conference on the outskirts of Iquitos, Peru. This Conference is the 5th year where Shamans, healers, and artists gather to share a collective understanding of the way of shamanism and it's influence and direct correlations between art and healing. So if you feel that YOU are ready to let go and have an experience that can only be directly felt in the jungle, Please do not hesitate to email me at: ayahuascakhan@gmail.com. All of the details and logistics are listed below:

5th International Shamanic Conference in Peru
The dates for the 5th Conference: July 11th thru the 18th. It's from Saturday to Saturday night.

LOGISTICS

$612 if by check/money order or $627 by CC for the conference, including board at the soga-del alma or you can choose to stay at a hostel in Iquitos for a very cheap rate, but I am going to stay @ the Soga-del Alma just to connect with the people there. If we stay the Soga Del Alma it is included in the price. Around $35 per ceremonias includes up to at least 3 ayahuasca ceremonies in the 8 days.
Here is the link to the 5th Annual Shamanic Conference with all the details:

http://www.soga-del-alma.org/conferencesite.html

Those of you who wish to meet for just the retreat in the Amazon River Basin can meet in Iquitos after the conference. The 1 week stay with Percy Garcia at his compound will be $500. You can bring this $500 with you and pay once we arrive. This is an amazing price for 8 days that includes food, transportation, lodging, and several ayahuasca ceremonies. Here is the link to the Healing Retreat Center:

http://diosayahuascasana.multiply.com/journal/item/2

Dates for this above part of the journey are: July 19th-27th

Flight Details

I will be departing out of JFK on 7/10/09 @ 6:17 AM and arrive at LIM at 3:08 PM. We would depart Lima, Peru Monday 7/27 at 4:08 PM and arrive at JFK at 2:35 AM the same day. We can arrange a mutual friend or family member to pick us up from the airport. I just purchased my ticket a few months ago for $430, which is AMAZING! You must purchase tickets asap to get a good rate.

You can contact: Alan Shoemaker @ sogadelalma@yaho.com to receive help in finding the cheapest rates. Also, you will need a roundtrip ticket from LIM-IQT, which he can also arrange for approximately $150. Depending on which part of the journey you will take with me, if you take the entire trip we can correlate the times for: Departing LIM on July 10th @ 5:05 PM arriving in IQT July 10th @ 6:50 PM Flight # LP376 AND Leaving IQT July 27th @ 7 AM arriving in LIM @ 8:40 AM Flight # LP 395 This will give us sufficient time to make our flight back home departing LIM @ 4:08 PM.

Depending on which part of the trip you wish to join me on the prices will vary:

1) Conference: $612 plus $35 per aya ceremonies, potentially up to 3 ceremonies (optional) PLUS FLIGHT- roundtrip from US-Peru and roundtrip LIM-IQT, should be under $700

2) Conference & Retreat: $612 plus $500= $1100, with the ceremonies= $1200 plus flight.

I would also plan on bringing a couple extra hundred dollars for purchasing art from local villagers and for anything else. This is completely optional. The point in going is to
isolate yourself from all materialism and go deep within oneself to release any physiological, emotional, spiritual blockages that one has manifested since birth. All you really
need is yourself and the mandatory funds required to make this journey possible.

As far as health concerns, I personally do not recommend taking any shots or anything like that. If you are worried about Malaria, you shouldn't be.
If you do contract a rare case of this disease they have the proper medication available on SIGHT. You are going to be surrounded by healers and
people who have been doing this for many decades.

I feel like I have covered all the details about this journey, if you still feel unsure about anything do not hesitate to contact me @ ayahuascakhan@gmail.com

This website will answer any possible questions you have about ayahuasca:http://forums.ayahuasca.com/phpbb/index.php

Much love and I hope to cross paths with you and embark on this journey together!
Ciudate!
-Asad

posted in Ayahuasca - 3 replies

Anyone know anything about Ajos Sacha?

et — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:19:10 GMT

Has anyone out there dieted with this plant? It's been suggested to me...

Blessings,

et

posted in Ayahuasca - 5 replies

Ayahuasca Documetnary "Metamorphosis"

keith — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:15:30 GMT

Hi fellow Tribe Friends,
I just wanted to let you know that the documentary film that I recently completed is now starting the festival rounds and is available through the Metamorphosis website for those that are interested. So far the film has been well received within the Ayahuasca community and the small segment of the general public that has seen it.
Here is the link:

http://www.metamorphosisfilm.com

peace,

Keith

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Prime Minister Yehude Simon to quit, repeal laws

Steve — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:33:24 GMT

Prime Minister Yehude Simon to quit, repeal laws
Today, 12:31 PM
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Peru prime minister says planning to quit after clashes
Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:30pm EDT

LIMA, June 16 (Reuters) - Peruvian Prime Minister Yehude Simon said on Tuesday he plans to quit as opposition leaders demanded President Alan Garcia fire him for failing to avert deadly clashes between police and indigenous groups.

Simon said he will stay in his job leading Garcia's cabinet long enough to persuade Congress to repeal two controversial laws that tribal groups say would speed destruction of the Amazon.

Tribes have said they would call off lingering protests if legislative decrees 1090 and 1064, which they fear would turn the rain forest over to foreign mining and energy companies, are struck down. [ID:nN06294730]. Congress is expected to vote to repeal them in the next few days.

"Obviously, I am going to go for sure as soon as all is calm, in the coming weeks," he said on RPP radio, a day after apologizing to indigenous leaders and saying the government failed to win their support before passing the laws.

In the worst crisis since Garcia took office in 2006, at least 34 people died in police raids ordered 11 days ago to break indigenous blockades of roads and rivers in the rain forest that started in April. Both police and protesters died.

Before the bloodshed, Simon, acting as the government's lead negotiator, pleaded for weeks with tribes to lift their blockades. But he refused to review the disputed laws that were designed to lure billions in foreign investment to Peru.

Since the clashes, the government has backtracked to avert more violence. On Monday, Simon signed a pact with indigenous leaders in which he promised to ask Congress to overturn the laws.

Garcia, whose approval rating is at 30 percent, issued a series of decrees last year using special powers Congress gave him to implement a free-trade agreement with the United States. Tribes say he went too far and wrote laws that undermine their control over land and natural resources.

The government initially said revoking any of the laws would violate the free-trade deal, but Peru's trade minister later said the U.S. government agreed to support any changes if they helped avoid more conflict.

Simon, a former left-wing activist, was named prime minister last October to help Garcia improve relations with groups representing the poor. Left-wing and right-wing opposition leaders have called for his resignation following the fights. (Reporting by Teresa Cespedes and Terry Wade; Editing by Sandra Maler)

© Thomson Reuters 2009.

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

Colosseum

Geert — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 23:19:29 GMT

This is it.. the time has come.. batlle of the greatest...
A battle of wit, words and wisdom...
Who puts the spell on the other as to make him believe..
that HE... IS... .. THE MASTER OF POWEEEERRRRR!!!!!

Battle one...

anyone who wants to beat me will get their ear pulled...(ouch)
I'm the meanest fiercest bolt of lightning storming at you from Dutch ground..
Pounding streetbricks with my knuckles...
Chewing porcelain on a bull's back in a china shop
I'm here... I'm big... I'm GEEEEEERT......

Who dares to step in the ring with me.... Huh..?!
Anyone...? Anyone...? mmm? mmmm?

Step up... step up...step up to the ring...

posted in Ayahuasca - 52 replies

amsterdam

clancy — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:11:02 GMT

http://www.newdesignworld.com/press/story/17003

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

...An Amazonazing Oppertunity...

Jay — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:05:45 GMT

Hi,
we re a new community outside Iquotis Peru
and need help...

we re trying to create a sustainable community
where people can explore entheogens

if you want to come and help with things,
there is room from 1 or 2 people
( shared with me )
we ll work on projects like

building retreat huts and a tree house
landscape designing
dry toilets
pumps
expanding the swimmin hole
caring for the many plants trees
helping the workers with things
like making aqua'genta sugar cane spirits

minimun 1 week stay
a donation for food would be nice
or cook yourself
i m lookin for someone to work with me on projects
especially building

so if you have carpentry skills, great !
if you speak spanish=Awesome !
if your into entheogens...awesome
if you have green skills, awesome
if you want to stay a good while awesome

you can stay in your own tent too
lots of space, big beautiful land
less than 2 hour bus to Iquotis
get to know a really cool Indiginous family
lots of entheogens grow here

please write to my email
jayortner AT yahoo.com
with questions and info about you
we have bi weekly deliveries
i get my email bi weekly or so
so i ll reply asap

thanks
Jay

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Information on the situation in Peru - please read and act!

acudoc — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:33:50 GMT

Dear Pachamama Community,

There is currently a state of emergency in Peru, where the indigenous people
have been peacefully protesting the violation of their territorial and human
rights. On Friday, violent attacks on peaceful indigenous blockades in the
Peruvian Amazon left 25 civilians and 9 police dead and hundreds injured.

Pachamama in Ecuador has played a key role in supporting this movement by
providing important financial, logistical, communications, and legal support
to the member organizations.

Amazon Watch, a close Pachamama ally, is supporting and tracking this
situation very carefully on the ground in Peru and abroad.

We are encouraging people to take action in the following ways:
- Write a personal letter, and activate your networks, to send letters to
the Peruvian Government demanding an immediate cease to the violent
repression and a suspension of the state of emergency. With your help, we
can generate thousands of letters to key decision makers and this can make
the difference. You can use a sample letter at:
http://amazonwatch.org/peru-action-alert.php

- Make a donation directly to this effort. Amazon Watch has set up an
emergency fund to support: a) medical relief for the wounded, b) media
campaigns led by indigenous organizations, and c) legal defense for those
being charged. You can donate on-line:
http://amazonwatch.org/peru-protests.php

Below is the latest news release with more details.

Thank you for your partnership and support.

The Pachamama Alliance Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2009

Police Open Fire on Indigenous Blockade in the Peruvian Amazon
25 Civilians and 9 Police Dead, Over 100 Injured

Garcia Government Criticized for Orchestrating Violent Attack on Peaceful
Blockade While Censoring Congressional Debate on ³Free Trade Laws²

Peru Ministers Under Report Number Indigenous Peoples Dead and Injured

Interviews with Eyewitnesses and High-resolution Photos
<http://www.amazonwatch.org/newsroom/index.php?type=photo> Available Upon
Request

Bagua, Peru (June 6, 2009) In the early morning hours on Friday, Peruvian
Special Forces staged a violent raid on a group of indigenous people at a
peaceful blockade on a road outside of Bagua in a remote area of the
northern Peruvian Amazon resulting in 25 civilians confirmed dead and over a
hundred wounded. Over 600 police attacked several thousand unarmed Awajun
and Wambis indigenous peoples including many women and children and forcibly
dispersed them using tear gas and live ammunition.

Dramatic photos (available on www.amazonwatch.org) of the attack show clearly the police
brutally beating and shooting demonstrators at close range. At 2am police
began to approach the demonstrators as they were sleeping along the Fernando
Belaúnde Terry road. Demonstrators refused to move from the roadblock as
police in helicopters fired teargas grenades and live ammunition.

Eyewitnesses report that police also attacked from both sides firing live
rounds into the crowd as people fled into surrounding steep hillsides, many
becoming trapped. As the unarmed demonstrators were being killed and
injured some wrestled with police, fighting back in self-defense, which
resulted in the reported deaths of nine police officers.

In local radio reports the chief of police claimed that the indigenous
demonstrators were armed and fired first. This claim has been strongly
rejected by dozens of local eyewitnesses including local journalists who
confirmed that Amazonian demonstrators have been entirely peaceful and only
bear traditional spears and in no way provoked any violence. A point
highlighted by the fact that the blockades have been going on for 56 days
without a single incident.

Gregor MacLennan of Amazon Watch who is currently in Bagua gathering first
hand testimonies from blockade participants, local journalists and residents
stated: All eyewitness testimonies say that Special Forces opened fire on
peaceful and unarmed demonstrators including from helicopters, killing and
wounding dozens in an orchestrated attempt to open the roads. It seems that
the police had come with orders to shoot. This was not a clash, but a
coordinated police raid with police firing on protesters from both sides of
their blockade.

There have been many accounts of atrocities committed by the Special
Forces. Some have reported seeing the police throwing liquid on the cadavers
and burning them. Also local residents have given accounts of having seen
police throwing bodies of dead civilians into the river in an apparent
attempt to underreport the number of dead. We¹ve also received accounts that
some of those injured were being detained by security forces and denied
medical attention leading to additional deaths. There are many people
still reported missing and access to medical attention in the region is
horribly inadequate.²

Peru¹s Ombudsman¹s office issued a strong statement yesterday demanding an
end to the violence. Letters condemning the government¹s actions are pouring
in from thousands of Peruvians and international human rights activists and
organizations. Today, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the chair of the United Nations
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues issued a letter expressing ³shock and
deep distress at reports received of atrocities committed² and calling on
the government to ³Immediately cease all violence against indigenous
communities and organizations."

Indigenous peoples have vowed to continue protests until the Peruvian
Congress revokes the free trade decrees issued by President Garcia under
special powers granted by Congress in the context of the Free Trade
Agreement with the United States.

In the past two weeks, the Constitutional Committee of Congress has ruled
that legislative decrees 994 and 1090 were unconstitutional. The Peruvian
Congress was scheduled to debate the revocation of decree 1090 again on
Thursday, however, Garcia's political party, for the third time, prevented
the debate preferring instead to attack the peaceful blockades. The
government Ombudsman office has filed a legal action with the constitutional
tribunal regarding the unconstitutionality of decree 1064, which affects the
land rights laws in Peru.

Garcia has rejected several congressional debates on the decrees, opting
for violent attacks and brute force that will only worsen this conflict. It
is outrageous that the ministers are now attempting to blame the victims for
this incident and cover up the number of indigenous people dead,² said
Gregor MacLennan.

The protests have provoked national debate about government policies in the
Amazon that ignore indigenous peoples and encourage large-scale extractive
industries in Amazonian lands. Indigenous peoples assert that new laws
undermine their rights and open up their ancestral lands to private
companies for mining, logging, plantations, and oil drilling without their
consultation or consent.

AIDESEP, the national indigenous organization of Peru presented a legal
petition yesterday for "precautionary measures" to the Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights requesting intervention to prevent more
bloodshed. Orders for the arrest of leaders of AIDESEP, including Alberto
Pizango who is being charged with sedition, were put in effect on Friday.
A coalition of human rights and environmental organizations are urging the
Garcia Government to stand down and cease violent confrontations by the
military and calling for solidarity demonstrations at Peruvian Embassies
around the world. There were demonstrations on Friday at the Peruvian
Government missions in San Francisco and Washington, DC. More are planned
next week.

For Background information see www.amazonwatch.org
or www.aidesep.org.pe.

Media Contacts:
In Bagua, Peru: Gregor MacLennan + 511 - 993 916-389
In the U.S.: Atossa Soltani 202-256-9795 atossa@amazonwatch.org

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

Antipodes of the Mind - Ayahuasca - An Interview with Prof. Benny Shanon

Jan_Irvin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:05:56 GMT

Podcast #34 - Antipodes of the Mind, An interview with Professor Benny Shanon.
www.gnosticmedia.podomatic.com
www.gnosticmedia.com

Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew that is traditionally used by indigenous cultures in the Amazon basin. The brew is made with the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and Psychotria veridis - and other ingredients may or may not be added - including the very dangerous and deadly Datura. The brew also contains MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors) and DMT - the most powerful psychedelic drug on earth - which is also a natural neurotransmitter in all mammalian brains.

If the Ayahuasca experience were charted by a leading psychologist, what would the scientific research on its effects show? How do psychological studies on Ayahuasca differ from anthropological studies? What happens when the full-blown psychedelic experience with Ayahuasca is brought toe to toe with science? Can it be proved that the Ayahuasca experience real? Or is it only a culturally induced hallucination? Does Ayahuasca merely provide a single type "experience," or do the experiences progress through multiple uses? What if the experience of this mystical substance could be described in great literary detail that exceeds that of Aldous Huxley's Doors of Perception?

Today I interview Professor Benny Shanon, professor of Psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Israel. Benny Shanon holds the Mandel Chair in Cognitive Psychology and Education.

Born in Tel Aviv, Shanon studied philosophy and linguistics at Tel Aviv University and received his doctorate in experimental psychology from Stanford University. He is author of the 2002 book Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience published by Oxford University Press.

Benny Shanon is known for his controversial theory that the patriarch Moses was under the influence of hallucinogens when he received the law. Specifically, he believes that a psychedelic cocktail similar to ayahuasca may explain Moses's vision of the burning bush: "In advanced forms of ayahuasca inebriation, the seeing of light is accompanied by profound religious and spiritual feelings".

Order Antipodes of the Mind: http://astore.amazon.com/gnosmedi-20/detail/0199252939

Download:
http://gnosticmedia.podomatic.com/enclosure/2009-06-08T02_22_03-07_00.mp3

posted in Ayahuasca - 8 replies

ayahuasca and anger and hatred

Michael SJ — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:21:54 GMT

I´ve read a lot of people talking about rainbows and butterflies and whatnot when discussing their experiences with ayahuasca, but I´ve never heard people discuss what I experienced the other night.

I have a mortal enemy in my real life upon whom in previous sessions I have tried to work on understanding and forgiveness, but the other night when the thought of him came up in my session I was filled with a hatred and rage I have never felt before.

It was so powerful I got up and left the circle, and as I sat outside with my head in my hands I could feel the rage coursing through me and I could see a caustic black and red venom dripping off my body and pooling around my feet. As I saw his face and thought of his family I could see these bloody red flashes erupt from where my vision touched them. This went on for the remainder of the ceremony and I was still feeling odd for several hours afterwards.

I hear of people feeling fear of things they see in their visions, but I didn´t feel any fear for myself, just for those I was attacking. I know this sounds kind of crazy considering the average ayahuasca trip report, but has anyone else had a similar experience?

posted in Ayahuasca - 44 replies

Ayahuasca Tourism

Cyclura — Tue, 05 May 2009 15:12:28 GMT

Hi!

I am new to this tribe. I also wanted to get some opinions on what you all think about taking one of these tours to Iquitos in Peru.

I have a long history of use of entheogenic plants. The one that has taken me the furthest is San Pedro. I firmly believe that you do not need to travel great distances to get lessons from the teachers, but I also have always wondered how valuable such experiences would be. I have looked around the Internet and have talked to a couple of guides. I have always been quite interested in the cultures down there and have always thought that an experience with one of the shamans would be very valuable.

It seems to me that the plants are the best guide, sometimes serving as the shamans themselves, but I am particularly interested in Ayahuasca which I have never communed with and am considering being guided through it.

I have talked to the Blue Morpho tours and they were actually very pleasent. I also talked to Jaya Bear, but got a rather bad vibe from here. This was about 4 years ago. I told her that I used cannabis for a back pain problem. She was very anti-cannabis. I realize that Ayahuasca and cannabis do not mix and was not intending to mix the two, but she seemed to think all cannabis users were "recreational and irresponsible". I felt her tone was somewhat hateful towards cannabis which I think is a rather harsh attitude. Cannabis may not mix with ayahuasca, but it does have good medicinal qualities.

I am starting to get turned off by the whole thing. There is a guy named Martin Ball who was advertising a tour he is giving the summer in Peru using Ayayhusaca and San Pedro, but he admits to never having been to Peru. He is also, well, rather egotistical:

Here are some links to Martin Ball: http://www.entheogenic.podomatic.com/
http://www.martinball.net/

I would never pay this guy to do this kind of thing. He seems to think he is somehow the voice of God and only his reality is true,yet I am wondering how many of these American guides are like this? How does one differentiate from the honest people and the rather delusional ones?
Thanks

posted in Ayahuasca - 59 replies

Ayahuasca Tourism

David — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:57:20 GMT

Here is an article on Ayahuasca Tourism I found while poking around:

http://www.realitysandwich.com/will_real_ayahuasca_tourists_please_stand

I found it interesting and somewhat enlightening...

D

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Sacharuna Clinic Center - Employment Opportunity

sacharuna — Tue, 26 May 2009 18:20:08 GMT

We are looking for a suitable person to work with us for a position of:
Organization Manager for our Recreational & Spiritual Guests. What we require from this person is:

a) English language abilities
b) Spanish language abilities (at least basic and communicative Spanish skills, being capable to translate for English speaking guests)
c) previous experience of a long jungle stay and being adapted to that environment
d) fascination, dedication and knowledge about ayahuasca / healing subjects as well as previous personal experience in this field
e) previous stay and familiarity with the city of Iquitos and Peru
f) internet / computer / telephone skills
g) management skills (especially to lead a team of workers inside of our property)
h) positive outlook on life and desire of personal spiritual development with shamanic tools as ayahuasca and willingness to learn about medicinal plants and healing, share the knowledge with guests

The duties of our Recreational Organization Manager are basically to take care of our Guests, concretely meaning:

• greeting our arrival guests at the airport and depending the arrival time, accommodating them in the city or taking them directly to our jungle Center
• coordination of ceremonies with shamans
• coordination of shopping and food preparation with our kitchen team
• responsibility to maintain the cleanness of our property and individual houses of our guests

What we offer is:

• own house with bed and shower on our property
• monthly flat rate payment with opportunities for bonuses
• opportunity to study and take part in healing ceremonies directly from “our” shamans

Sacharuna Clinic Center
Iquitos, Peru

url:
http://ayahuasca.pe

e-mail:
ayamind@gmail.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

another report in the media on a trip to peru to drink ayahuasca

clancy — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:13:25 GMT

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Have-You-Ever-Taken-Ayahua-by-Alexander-Zaitchik-090525-632.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Article on the challanges of filming a documentary on Ayahuasca in the steamy Amazon!

keith — Mon, 25 May 2009 10:32:18 GMT

Here is a link to the article I wrote regarding the filming of "Metamorphosis", a feature documentary on Ayahuasca Shamanism.

http://www.livinginperu.com/travel-761-amazon-living-dream-independent-filmmaking-amazon

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Screening of documentary "Metamorphosis" in NYC - Saturday, June 20th

keith — Sat, 23 May 2009 13:35:57 GMT

Hi Tribe,
just wanted to let all of you know who reside near NYC that I will be having a preview screening of the film at "The Wild Project" at 195 East 3rd st., Saturday, 7:30 p.m. on June 20th. If you want further details, please sign up for my mailing list at www.metamorphosisfilm.com

Hope to see some of you there!
peace,

Keith

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

going to Iquitos, seeking advice

Dzikus — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:29:28 GMT

I'm planning to go to Iquitos later this year for 2 weeks for very specific healing. I'm considering two options:

1) two weeks with Percy Garcia, or
2) one week with Percy and the other with someone else - ideally one-on-one or small group sessions, wouldn't mind roughing it more than a bit to bring down the cost

Which one do you think would be the best, and if 2), whom would you recommend?

My command of Spanish is limited but I can learn it if it can help.

Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

posted in Ayahuasca - 11 replies

Rare recording of Richard Evan Shultes

acudoc — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:56:41 GMT

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/05/11/audio-of-richard-eva.html

part two is here:

http://www.archive.org/details/RESchultesHallucinogenicPlants

posted in Ayahuasca - 6 replies

5th Conference Flights

alan — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:45:36 GMT

We're booking lots of flights now, Lima to Iquitos roundtrip. most are for the Conference in July. It would help streamline the many emails and pm's if we received this information right up front: Your name as it appears on your passport, passport number and country of issue. what date and time you arrive into Lima and, being that most all flights arrive too late to make a connection to Iquitos same day/night, do you want to wait it out till the 4am flight or do you want a hotel and take the next day's afternoon flight to Iquitos. And what is the return date on your international flying out of Lima.
Thanks!

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

DMT and Death Experiences

RebeccaRose — Wed, 20 May 2009 15:26:33 GMT

http://vineofsouls.blogspot.com/

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Blending Traditions - Using Indigenous Medicinal Knowledge to Treat Drug Addiction by Jacques Mabit, M.D.Share

RebeccaRose — Thu, 14 May 2009 00:33:39 GMT

Abstract

Ancestral medical practices are based on a highly sophisticated practical knowledge and view the controlled induction of non-ordinary states of consciousness as potentially beneficial, even in the treatment of the modern phenomena of drug addiction. These ancestral practices stand in contrast to the clumsiness with which Western peoples induce altered states of consciousness. Drawing from his clinical experience in the High Peruvian Amazonian forest, the author describes the therapeutic benefits of the wise use of medicinal plants, including non-addictive psychoactive preparations, such as the well-known Ayahuasca tea. Within an institutional structure, a therapeutic system combining indigenous practices with contemporary psychotherapy yields highly encouraging results (positive in 2/3 of the patients). This invites us to reconsider conventional approaches to drug addiction and the role of the individual's spiritual journey in recovery.

The Backwards Approach
Moving beyond the strict position that the final objective of drug addiction therapy is complete abstinence, the Western world has responded to its failures and limitations by considering the possibility of merely reducing risks. The notion of substitution, as in methadone therapy for heroin addiction, indicates a certain tolerance towards altered states of consciousness. In this model, which treats these states as "inevitable" in some sense, one would now be satisfied with limiting their negative secondary effects. In the face of a Puritanism resigned to an almost constant failure, this attitude opens new possibilities in treating drug addiction. It now seems thinkable that drug addiction is an attempt, certainly clumsy and sometimes extremely dangerous, of self-medication. Users may be responding to a real need to escape the constricting mud of a dry and devitalized lifestyle, one lacking exciting perspectives or room to blossom.

Some take this new tolerance of drug use further, for example by proposing to ravers that they learn about the drugs they consume, the risks that they run, and the best way to avoid the negative consequences of their conduct3. In this model, the drug user is considered a thinking and consenting subject, who is invited to take responsibility for his actions. The "repressive machine" that tends to substitute itself for the subject, making his decisions, revoking his responsibility, and, in the end, reinforcing an internal pattern of dependence, gives way to an approach which appeals to the user's intelligence. This model accepts the authenticity of the user's quest, even if it is often unconscious, for a true liberty that can be confused with caprice.

While this attempt at finding meaning by exploring new realms of consciousness can be chaotic and confused outside of a controlled setting, it is reminiscent of more purposeful undertakings among traditional peoples. In fact, one finds the induction of altered states of consciousness for the purposes of initiation and therapy in all traditions. Such experiences, always guided by a ritual frame, often depend upon a fine understanding of the animal and vegetable substances that serve as their catalysts. One may also affirm that, sometimes, the same substances that serve as the "remedy" in indigenous cultures are the "poison" in Western society. Hence the coca leaf, which is well integrated into daily life in the Andean world, becomes a highly addictive cocaine-based paste when taken out of context. Similarly, cannabis, poppy, and tobacco may generate either remedy or poison according to the mode of consumption and the context of ingestion.

It is noteworthy that biologists observe that all animal species consume natural psychoactive substances with great eagerness when possible (Siegel, Ronald, 1990). In fact, Siegel considers this conduct a fourth instinctual instance of animal biology, as if life tends spontaneously towards a broadening of perceptions and a concomitant amplification of consciousness. It becomes difficult, then, to extract man from this vast biological movement that embraces all animal life.

Indigenous Knowledge
Our observations in the Peruvian Amazon yield a supplementary fact: not only do the natural psychoactive substances used by indigenous peoples not generate dependence, they are utilized to treat the modern phenomenon of drug addiction. This changes the way we understand toxicity; the Western obsession with "substances" (drugs) is replaced, or at least accompanied by, the concepts of the set (the subject, including genetic predispositions, life history, and preparation) and setting (ritualized or not). Indeed, psychoactive substances may be a treatment for "drug addicts," a fact that still seems paradoxical or impossible even to the specialists in question. And yet, the facts speak for themselves.

This phenomenon also works for ethnic groups strongly affected by substances such as alcohol, which represents for them, inversely, an imported product removed from its context. Hence, the healers of the Peruvian coast treat their alcoholics through the ritual use of the mescaline cactus with a high rate of success (around 60 per cent, after five years) (Chiappe, Mario, 1976). The Native North Americans reduce the incidence of alcoholism on their reservations considerably and quite rapidly by reviving their ancestral practices, including the ritual use of peyote and tobacco (Hodgson, Maggi, 1997).

The ritualization of induced modifications of consciousness, with or without substances, establishes a universal symbolic frame within which these experiences acquire significance by allowing the individual to inscribe himself within a model of cultural integration. In indigenous groups, then, such experiences frequently accompany rites of passage, particularly at adolescence, permitting the youth's appropriation of the discourse, images, and myths generated by the community. It is evident that the fundamental lack of cultural consensus in our fragmented post-modern society, along with the desacralization of the lived interior and exterior, and the disappearance of all authentic rites of passage, leaves us without the means to integrate experiences of altered states of consciousness into our daily lives. In other words, the drug user sets off randomly with neither compass nor map, often finishing badly.

These considerations lead to the following conclusion: not only must we no longer take a position of passive tolerance toward an inevitable consumption of psychoactive substances, but, on the contrary, we must actively explore the coherent therapeutic use of psychoactive substances without the outcome of dependence. Even more broadly, we must be open to every induction of altered states of consciousness through diverse methods (such as music, dance, fasting, isolation, breathwork, physical exercise, pain, etc.) This calls for the application of therapeutic techniques that create both a space of temporary containment and an authentic symbolic frame which, as in the indigenous ritual space, integrates therapists and users. Traditional peoples also teach us that substances consumed in their natural form, used with respect to the body's digestive natural barriers (that is, orally), do not induce dependence, in spite of their powerful psychoactive effects. The risk of toxicity is also lower because their active principles are similar, if not identical, to the neuromediators naturally secreted by our bodies. In case of overdose (which is generally difficult to produce given the extremely disagreeable flavor of the beverages), these substances are eliminated naturally by vomiting. This self-regulating phenomenon provides for safe prescription and is an integral part of the expected effects of ingestion, as well as those of purgation-detoxification (hence their special role in the domain of drug addictions). The context of ingestion requires rigorous dietary, postural, and sexual regulations. In the course of successive ingestions, sensitivity increases instead of creating a habit. As a result, the doses gradually decrease: their use in addiction therapy is not, then, a simple substitution.

It is remarkable that no visionary natural substance is addictive. Visions seem to be the proof of sufficient cortical integration, of a metabolization of the symbolic charge revealed during the experience of altered consciousness. Entheogenic substances (also misnamed hallucinogens) are hence among the best of those that may be used in a therapeutic setting. This has already been attempted in psychotherapy (LSD, MDMA, Harmaline, DMT, etc.), but generally without an integrating symbolic framework (or ritual space), without engaging the therapist in the method, with synthetic or semi-synthetic substances or extracts, and through processes of assimilation that violate physiological barriers (i.e., injections).

Ayahuasca
This highly psychoactive ancestral beverage is situated at the heart of both the empirical medicinal practices of Amazonian cultures and, recently, of explorations into the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants, in particular in the domain of psychopathology, including drug addiction therapy. The pharmacological sophistication of this preparation reflects the high degree of understanding of the Amazonian peoples, who are proven to have discovered Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs) at least three thousand years before Westerners. Tryptamines and beta-Carbolines, the major active principles of Ayahuasca, are present in many natural secretions as well as in the central nervous system (pineal gland) (Mabit, Campos, Arce, 1993).

The entheogenic or visionary effects of this beverage have been hastily called "hallucinogenic," stigmatizing a compound which could be a significant topic of research. Its potential as such risks being dismissed by the academic community due to a stance less indebted to scientific rationality than to society's collective fears. We have argued that the images stimulated by the use of Ayahuasca in a therapeutic context symbolically manifest the content of the unconscious. Moreover, these images are not without an object, whether it be psychological or otherwise, which differentiates them completely from the "illusions without object" that are by definition "hallucinations" (Mabit, 1988). The exploration of the unconscious through Ayahuasca permits the rapid extraction of extremely rich and highly coherent psychological material, which can then be worked through with various psychotherapeutic methods. Visions, like dreams, indicate the beginning of an integration at the superior cortical level. The effects of Ayahuasca are not merely visual, but embrace the entire perceptual spectrum, as well as the non-rational functions tied to the right brain and to the paleoencephal or so-called reptilian brain. The patient's clinical experience fosters the development of not only the projective but also the integrative functions of symbolization, enabling the progressive readjustment of personality structures. These explorations touch cross-cultural psychological depths and, hence, may be applied in extremely broad and varied contexts of human life.

After the observation for fifteen years of more than eight thousand instances of Ayahuasca ingestion under specific conditions of preparation, prescription, and therapeutic follow-up, we can affirm that the ingestion of these preparations has a wide range of indications, with a total absence of dependence. The expansion of the perceptual spectrum, which simultaneously engages body, sensations, and thoughts, permits the de-focalization of the ordinary perception of reality, thus allowing the subject to confront his habitual problems on his own and from a new angle. The intense acceleration of cognitive processes which accompanies this process may permit the subject to conceive of original solutions that fit his unique personality and situation.

The Center: A Pilot Project
Our ignorance in regard to the controlled induction of altered states of consciousness could greatly benefit from ancestral medical knowledge. The master healers of various traditions are ready to transmit their heritage to those willing to learn and to embark upon a path of initiation. Six years of teaching beside Amazonian healers has led us to develop a therapeutic method using the controlled modification of states of consciousness. Our system is based on ancestral techniques involving medicinal plants and natural methods of detoxification, sensory stimulation, and sensory deprivation. This pilot project attempts to combine ancestral knowledge with contemporary psychotherapeutic practices, working under the guidelines of ethical considerations and the requirements of the Western mentality.

The program, in which no method of coercion is exercised, accepts groups of no more than fifteen voluntary patients. The location is a five acre park bordered by a river, just outside the city of Tarapoto, in the Peruvian High Amazon, in the piedmont of the Andes (Mabit, Giove, Vega, 1996).

The therapy is based on a three-part method which includes the use of the plants, psychotherapy, and community life. The guided experiences of altered consciousness generate psychological material which is subsequently discussed and evaluated in the psychotherapy workshops and then directed towards expression in community life. In reverse, everyday activities supplement the therapeutic sessions (with or without plants).

The initial use of purifying, sedative, and purgative plants reduces withdrawal syndromes, rendering any return to prescription medication during the stay unnecessary. Then, the psychoactive plants intervene, powerfully facilitating the psychotherapy. From the brief sessions to the eight day isolation in the forest with rigorous rules pertaining to food, sex, external contacts and daily activities, each ingestion of psychoactive plants is governed by specific conditions. Each session is also facilitated by a trained therapist, and clearly inscribed into a precise and rigorous symbolic frame, which improves the chance of success for the session and its subsequent integration into the subject's life.

These techniques permit the exploration of buried memories and the re-emergence of censured situations or events. These "revelations" both relieve the addict's conscience and motivate him to face his sickness. A temporary reduction of critical functions and discriminations facilitates the cathartic expression of emotions. These experiences, with the help of psychotherapeutic work, may then correct the defective formation of the subject's emotional expressions and ideals. By plunging under the veils of ordinary consciousness and unblocking the paths of access to the deep Ego, this exploration of the subject's interior universe brings out rich material, in contrast to these patients' often insufficient symbolization. During the subsequent sessions, the subject will learn to translate and to interpret this material in order to explore subsequent dreams on his own. Dream life is stimulated by these practices, also benefiting the patient. One also observes an acceleration of cognitive processes and an amplification of the attention-span and of the depth of mental concentration. The clearly defined context, supplemented by a carefully regulated lifestyle, invites the resident to implement the knowledge obtained by this work. Hence, the space constitutes a laboratory in which the residents are at once the observers and the subjects of their observation. The medicinal plants play the central psychotherapeutic role, while caretakers offer guidance and security. The users are guided into liminal, or symbolically transitional, experiences in which they visit their interior gods and demons. These experiences simultaneously involve the subject's psychological state, the whole range of emotional sensations, and the spectrum of his psychological perceptions. In these experiences, existential questions may come to light and demand an engaged response. The guided and cathartic process can help the individual to transcend his or her ordinary mindset and access somatic memories. In the best cases, the individual is able to transcend the Ego, which can allow a healthy deflation of the Ego, a reconciliation with human nature, and an acceptance of our modest inscription in time and in matter, which is nevertheless exciting because of its perceived meaning. In other words, this is a process of initiation; it is a semantic experience which carries meaning that can respond to the chaotic and disorderly quest of the drug addict, which may be seen as a path of counter-initiation or as a savage initiation (Mabit, 1993). This therapeutic method does not, then, simply focus on abstinence, but also offers an adequate alternative. This alternative method, which respects altered states of consciousness, is able to respond to the drug addict's quest by furnishing it with clear ends and with non-dangerous means to reach them. This process supposes an internal structural change which goes beyond the palliative of a simple external behavioral change, which is never totally satisfying and most often ineffective.

The duration of the stay is, in general, nine months, and the follow-up is ideally two years. The centre has received patients of all social and cultural origins. The techniques, which mainly demand self-exploration through the senses, do not require any analytic verbalization or integration, which represents an enormous therapeutic advantage. One may even say that these experiences of altered consciousness give access to ineffable, inexpressible trans-verbal spaces, which are as much pre-logical or infra-verbal as they are ecstatic or supra-verbal. Here, the local alcoholic peasant meets the European college student dependent on pot, the urban bourgeois who functions on cocaine, the dealer addicted to a cocaine-based paste, or the delinquent pathological liar who smokes crack. To the contrary of what certain theorists say, the exploration of the interior universe by these methods does not require that either the therapist or the subject belong to the native culture of these practices. Rather, these practices give access to personal intra-psychical symbols which remain coherent to the subject and which touch depths that could be called transcultural by virtue of reaching universal psychological complexes (love, hate, rejection, abandon, fear, peace, etc.). At the same time, the accompanying psychotherapy allows the patient to better understand the experience of the session, to integrate it, generate new questions, and enrich the following session. We have now mastered these techniques ourselves, and we make use of them with patients from cultures other than our own. They are accessible to any Western therapist willing to fulfill the requirements of their long apprenticeship.

Results
Since its founding in 1992, the center has received more than 380 patients. One study has just been made (Glove, not yet published) of the first seven years of activity (1992-1998), examining drug addicts or alcoholics having completed at least one month of treatment and with at least two years of time out of the clinic - a sample of 211 courses of treatment (175 first-time patients and 36 returning patients). Note that the results of this study do not include data on the 32% of patients who leave during the first month before the first ayahuasca session, when the treatment is not yet considered to have started. 28% reached the sixth month of treatment, and 23.4% finished the entire treatment.

Two-thirds of the patients consumed mainly a highly addictive and debilitating cocaine-based paste. 80% consumed alcohol alone or in addition to other drugs. More than half of the patients (53.5%) had already tried treatment, one-third of which had tried psychiatric services. For 49%, the gateway drug was alcohol, and for 42%, cannabis. The average age was thirty years and the average duration of consumption of psychoactive substances at the time of entrance was 12.5 years. At 31.3%, with a tendency to augmentation, the index of retention (percentage of prescribed exits out of total exits) gives proof of the relative acceptance of this therapeutic method. The voluntary exits make up the majority (52%) compared to prescribed exits (23%), runaways (23%), and the rare expulsions (3%).

The evaluation of the results integrates qualitative givens, as well as the incidence of abstinence or relapse due to poor prognostic criteria. One should note that the patients leave free of any post-residential medication. In addition to evaluating the relation to addictive substances, especially those that the subject consumed before, we consider personal evolution (internal structural change), the indications of social and professional reintegration, and the capacity for familial restructuring. According to these criteria, we may distinguish three categories:

"good": favorable development, problems apparently resolved thanks to a true structural change manifested upon several life levels.

"better": favorable development with evident structural changes, but vestiges of the original problem still present.

"same or bad": relapse of consumption of substances, although often more discrete, no convincing structural change, frequent abandonment of substances for alcohol.

Out of the total, then, 31% were "good" and 23% "better," while 23% were the "same or bad" and 23% unknown. With hindsight, we can affirm that about 35% of those who have lost contact with the Center are, in the end, "good" or "better" (that's 8% of the total), which means that about 62% of the patients have, in the end, positively benefited from the follow-up of the model proposed at the center. When one only takes into account the sample of the patients with "prescribed exit," (those who have completed the entire program) the positive results are raised to 67%.

When the patients relapse or simply re-offend, 55.5% return to the center and 26% find other local practitioners of traditional medicine, which demonstrates their high opinion of this approach. When this occurs, purgative plants are more solicited than psychoactive plants. This choice demonstrates the absence of dependence on the psychoactive substances.

This method, officially recognized by the Peruvian authorities, has expanded into a number of programs including educational programs (for students), psychiatric and anthropological research, and outreach (written and audio-visual media, and seminars for personal development).

Conclusion

The mere repression of drug consumption represents a simplistic approach to the problem, with demonstrated ineffectiveness as a therapy. We may well call it illogical and even immoral since it omits the substances that are currently the most deadly (alcohol and tobacco). In addition, the accelerated development of new substances on the market outstrips any repressive attempt at control and relegates the game of penal interdictions to failure. We are hence condemned to approach the problem under another angle, whether we want to or not. Similarly, if harm reduction and substitution only indicate proof of failure and a last-ditch effort of pure social convenience, they are also, in our view, reprehensible and morally dubitable. This is because they consecrate a tacit rejection of healing, and the officialization, in a manner of speaking, of a population of second class citizens tolerated for lack of a therapeutic alternative.

The high degree of diffusion of the drug phenomenon in the 50's and 60's was born of the contact between a few intellectuals with traditional peoples, and, in particular, of North Americans with Amazonian Indians (Ginsberg, Leary, Alpert, etc., -- see Leary, Metzner, Alpert, 1964). These intellectuals believed that they could appropriate ancestral knowledge while only retaining the physical substance, reducing "the approach of the gods" to the consumption of an active principle, playing neurochemists like apprentice sorcerers (see Leary's delirious work, 1979). This oversimplified view of substances and their potential has generated a terrible drama. The phenomenon of substance addiction is characteristic of Westernized societies and continues to be practically unknown in indigenous populations or among peoples free from prolonged Western influence.

By approaching this ancient knowledge with respect and careful study, it seems possible to reinstate an authentic relation with the Mystery of Life by returning to true paths of initiation. By validating the legitimate quest of the drug user and redirecting it into a structured, meaningful experience, perhaps we may avoid the lax defeatism of the "anything goes" attitude as well as the rigid and useless bellicosity of "everything is forbidden."

Bibliography

Chappe, Mario. 1976. The use of hallucinogens in psychiatric folklore. Boletin de la Oficina Sanitaria Panamericana (Bulletin of the Panamerica Sanitary Office), 81 (2): 176-186.

Giove, Rosa. 2002 (to be published). The liana of the dead to the rescue of the life. Contradrogas (Anti-drug) ed., Lima 200.

Hodgson, Maggi. 1997. From Alcoholism to a new life: the eagle has landed. In: Indian communities develop futuristic addictions treatment and health approach, Institute of Health Promotion, Research and Formation, Alberta, Canada, 139, 11-14.

Leary, T. 1979. Graine d'Astre, Cosmos Ed., Canada, 204.

Leary, T., R. Metzner, R. Alpert. 1964. The Psychedelic Experience, First Carol Publishing Group Ed.

Mabit J. 1993. Amazon shamanism and drug addiction: initiation and counter-initiation. In: Revue AGORA, Éthique, Médecine et Société (AGORA Review, Ethics, Medicine, and Society), Paris, 27-28, 139-145.

Mabit J., J. Campos, J. Arce. 1993. Considerations surrounding the ayahuasca concoction and therapeutic perspectives. Revista Peruana de Neuropsiquiatría, Lima, LV (2), 118-131.

Mabit J., R. Giove, J. Vega. 1996. Takiwasi : The Use of Amazonian Shamanism to Rehabilitate Drug Addicts. In: Yearbook of cross-cultural medicine and psychotherapy, Zeitschrift für Ethnomedizin (Journal of Ethnomedicine), Publishing House for Science and Education, VWB, Berlin, 257-285.

Mabit J-M. unpublished. Ayahuasca hallucinations of the warriors of the Peruvian Amazon, Working Paper 1/1998, French Institute of Andean Studies, Lima, 15 p.

Siegel, Ronald. 1990. Intoxication, Pocket Books, New York, 1990, 390 p.

Sueur C., A. Benezech, D. Deniau, B. Lebeau, C. Zizkind. 1999. Hallucinogenic substances and their theraputic usages - Literature Review, Revue Documentaire Toxibase (Review of Drug Abuse Literature), 66 p.

posted in Ayahuasca - 14 replies

Aya specific instructions

Celeste — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:31:31 GMT

Hi all,

I took ayahuasca for the first time about a month ago.
My first time was an explotion of information about my life; how I was treating myself and others and an array of instructions on what to do and how to live my life.
I should move out of the place I'm in asap and got instructions on exactly where to move (what area) and with whom to live with.
I have been looking for a place matching the specific instructions that I saw in my vision but as of yet no luck. In fact so far no ad has matched the description of aya. I'm getting quite frustrated.....

My question to you guys is: how do you deal with so specific instructions? Has anybody received similar specific instructions? How does it work? Somebody told me aya does not take society or money into account.

posted in Ayahuasca - 17 replies

the possibility of dependence on Aya

et — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:58:03 GMT

I began drinking almost 7 months ago. After my first ceremony I went back monthly for more healing, more visions, more downloads of wisdom and more reprogramming. These past 7 months have been super intense to say the least.... I'm now feeling a call from somewhere within to allow myself to step back and allow myself to live a little more lightly over the summer than I have been since Halloween night. The intense confusion and sense of being torn by the idea of not taking part in ceremony for the next few months has thrown me for a total loop. I'm at a loss and am wondering whether this might mean I've become psychologically dependant on her? Any thoughts on this?

Namaste,

et

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

Amazonian Shamanism Conference FLIGHTS

alan — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:52:57 GMT

Just booking more flights today and if you can manage to get your international booked, roundtrip to Lima... I can book the LIma to Iquitos for you at $141 USDs total... That's an incredible price but it won't hold too long.
Just write to me at alanshoemaker@hotmail.com
I need your passport number, name as it appears there and country of origin. Then I need the date and time you fly into and out of Lima to return home. And if you want to wait 3 or 4 hours in the airport to catch the early morning flght to Iquitos or if you wish to take a hotel in LIma and get some sleep, then fly the next afternoon to Iquitos. I tell you this as Peru makes it so that most all flights arrive late at night, making it nearly impossible to make a connection to anywhere in Peru until the next day.

posted in Ayahuasca - 8 replies

Ayahuasca Documentary "METAMORPHOSIS"

keith — Sun, 10 May 2009 23:38:40 GMT

Hi Tribe,
just wanted to let everyone know that the film has been accepted to it's first festival in the U.S., the Breckenridge Film Festival in Breckenridge, Colorado, this June 11th - 14th. If any tribe members are in the area, I would love to see you there. Here is the link to there site:
http://www.breckfilmfest.com/home/index.php
I also just added a button to sign up for further information about the film (future screenings, dvd release), if anyone is interested. The link is:
http://metamorphosisfilm.com/METAMORPHOSIS/Contact%20METAMORPHOSIS.html

thank you to everyone who has supported this film!
peace,

Keith

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Screening "METAMORPHOSIS" this July at the 5th International Amazonian Shamanism Conference in Iquitos, Peru.

keith — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:56:04 GMT

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that my feature documentary on Ayahuasca - "METAMORPHOSIS" will be screening at the Amazonian Shamanism Conference this July. Hope to see some of you there.

peace,

Keith

http://www.metamorphosisfilm.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 3 replies

Clear Green Liquid

David — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:57:40 GMT

I'm re-reading "Wizard of the Upper Amazon", Bruce Lamb's wonderful book about Manual Córdova and his life in the Amazon. The ayahuasca in his stories is described as a "Clear Green" liquid. I wondering why there is such a discrepancy between the brown semi-thick liquid I'm a familiar with having never seen Clear Green ayahuasca.

He also stresses the importance of preparing it in an earthenware pot. Why does everyone use the aluminum pots rather than earthenware? Just because of its ruggedness?

Thanks,

D

posted in Ayahuasca - 21 replies

...Starting a Community in Peru...

Jay — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:02:56 GMT

Hi Everybody,

My friend & I plan to buy land
& start a little farm in Peru in Jan '10.

We'll own individual pieces of land right next to each other,
share some common costs & enjoy the spirit of community.

I’m especially interested in Entheogens
And hope to eventually host Retreats, Ceremonies and things…

A few more of my interests include:
Dzokchen (meditation), Music, Art, Medicinal Plants,
Permaculture, Farming, Exploring, Celebrating…

If your interested in our community,
Please send me a message.
I’ll be in Peru in June.

Best Wishes,
Jay

posted in Ayahuasca - 27 replies

Ayahusca as a healing path: Q/A evening

Suchness — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:38:46 GMT

When
Friday, May 15, 2009 7:00 PM 20090516T020000Z
RSVP: http://www.meetup.com/transformation/calendar/10063921

Details
If you are curious about the Amazonian healing path of Ayahusca and would like to ask questions directly with a number off individuals who have gone to Peru and experienced this powerful transformational medicine, then this is the night for you.

We will gather pot luck style, share food and direct experience.

Bring a dish and your inquiring mind.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

I´m in Peru now and doing an Ayahuasca retreat.

Spyrel — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:24:49 GMT

I´m keeping a travel blog if anyone is interested you can read about my journey at www.shutterstarr.com/blog
I´ll be updating it every couple days.

posted in Ayahuasca - 10 replies

Sushi as proper diet prior to ayahuasca intake.

Geert — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 05:36:53 GMT

I was wondering if sushi would fit as a proper diet prior to the intake of ayahuasaca.
As it's main ingredients are fish (tuna, salmon a.o), seaweed, rice, avocado, cucumber, wasabi, sesameseeds. .
In all cases (sushi forms) the ingredients are fresh and unmanipulated,
I remember reading somewhere that some ayahuasceros diet contains only soft boiled fish and vegetables. Proteines and vitamins.
I don't know.
It feels perfectly right to me, easy to make and delicious. .
I could survive on sushi solely and feel fresh and healthy.
What do you think.

posted in Ayahuasca - 34 replies

The Invisble College 5th Edition

Gwyllm — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 18:07:04 GMT

A commercial/non commercial moment.

Just to let ya know, the 5th edition of The Invisible College Magazine is now available in print and printable down load editions
Some of what is in this edition:

Photo Essay - "A Visit With Albert Hoffmann - Jon Hanna Photos from the last month of Albert's life
Featured Artist:
Leo Plaw..
Amanda Sage..
Gwyllm Llwydd..
Featured Poets:
Clark Heinrich..
Dr. Con/Juris Ahn..
Novalis..
Featured Writers:
Mike Crowley..
Padraic Colum ..
LyterPhotos..
Will Penna..
& An interview with Rak Razam Editor of "The Journeybook" and more..

You can look at the free on line PDF version here: http://www.earthrites.org/invisible-college.htm (not the full edition)
Or you can check out the printed or downloadable print versions here: http://stores.lulu.com/Gwyllm

Hope you enjoy!
Always looking for art, poetry and articles.

Blessings,
Gwyllm

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Kymatica

in-PHI-net — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 17:59:11 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akOESmaSLk&feature=PlayList&p=61376B4F58F324C5&index=0&playnext=1

Valuable insight into understanding the world political scene, religion, shamanism, the power of sound, logos, healing ourselves, energy, our responsibility on this planet and beyond....

xo

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Codex Alimentarius areal threat to world health'

mutumbawarrior — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:43:07 GMT

The Codex is targeted to go into full global effect by January 1st 2010.

"There will be in the next generation or so a pharmacological method of making people love their servitude and producing dictatorship without tears, so to speak, producing a kind of painless concentration camp for entire societies so that people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them but will rather enjoy it through brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods."

In January 2010' they shall attempt to take all our plants away from us' all herbs' vitamins and minerals are to be listed as prescription only medications'
That means no more online companies selling entheogenic plants' becasue even herbs the likes of garlic and vitamins the likes of Vit C shall be regulated and only available for purchase through government outlets'
This is against the constitutional rights of all peoples of earth'

Read on' standup and be counted' do something about this atrocicity'

More and more people are becoming concerned about the shady, secretive organization that is Codex Alimentarius - the thinly-veiled propaganda arm of the international pharmaceutical industry that does everything it can to promote industry objectives whilst limiting individual options to maintain health (which would diminish members profits).

Codex alimentarius is one of the major bodies behind the effort to limit access to nutritional products and information. Its motivation is not rocket science and neither is the source of its funding - money that somehow expected to return a profit to its members . . . Most of the information available regarding codex alimentarius refers to its role in the USA, but it is not a US-specific body. Far from it, Codex has wiggled its dirty little tentacles into just about every national or international body concerned with public health. Posing as a benefactor, it then uses its significant financial and political clout to do its masters bidding.

As you can read in the excellent article below, there is much to be concerned about when considering codex alimentarius - ignore it at your peril.

Codex Alimentarius - The Sinister Truth Behind Operation Cure-All
(From an original article by Ruth James)

What's really behind Operation Cure-All? Is it just the FDA and FTC taking their power too far? Or is there a deeper, more sinister purpose to this campaign? Who are Codex Alimentarius?

How could a country that prides itself in its freedom of speech, freedom of choice, and freedom of information be facing such severe restrictions in health freedom and dietary supplements? Haven't the people made their will known? Didn't our government pass the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act of 1994 to insure our right to health supplements?

Indeed, our government did. But the FDA and FTC have found ways to get around that. The laws put in place to protect us are being ignored. And what's worse is that those laws are about to be superseded, if the powers that be have their way.

OPERATION CURE ALL IS JUST ONE MEANS TO AN END
You see, Operation Cure-All is just a tactic, a vehicle, in a much bigger overall plan. It is a result of "Codex Alimentarius" (meaning food code) -- a set of regulations that aim to outlaw any health information in connection with vitamins and limit free access to natural therapies on a worldwide scale.

WHAT'S BEHIND CODEX ALMENTARIUS?
Behind the Codex Alimentarius Commission is the United Nations and the World Health Organization working in conjunction with the multinational pharmaceutical cartel and international banks. Its initial efforts in the US with the FDA were defeated, so it found another ally in the FTC. Now Codex, with the FTC and the pharmaceutical cartel behind it, it threatens to become a trade issue, using the campaign of Operation Cure-All to advance its goals.

Codex began simply enough when the U.N. authorized the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization to develop a universal food code. Their purpose was to 'harmonize' regulations for dietary supplements worldwide and set international safety standards for the purposes of increased trade. Pharmaceutical interests stepped in and began exerting their influence. Instead of focusing on food safety, Codex is using its power to promote worldwide restrictions on vitamins and food supplements, severely limiting their availability and dosages.

REAL GOALS OF CODEX
This is to bring about international 'harmonization.' While global harmony sounds benign, is that the real purpose of this plan? While the stated goal of Codex is to establish unilateral regulations for dietary supplements in every country, the actual goal is to outlaw health products and information on vitamins and dietary supplements, except those under their direct control. These regulations would supersede United States domestic laws without the American people's voice or vote in the matter.

HOW CAN IT BE POSSIBLE?
Americans gasp at the thought. It goes against everything America stands for. Many believe this can't be possible. The truth is, it's not only possible, it's required by the Codex Alimentarius agreement.
In fact, under the terms of the Uruguay Round of GATT, which created the World Trade Organization, the United States agreed to harmonize its domestic laws to the international standards. This includes standards for dietary supplements being developed by the United Nation's Codex Alimentarius Commission's Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Use.

The Uruguay Round Agreements carry explicit language clearly indicating that the U.S. must harmonize to international standards:

"Members are fully responsible under this Agreement for the observance of all provisions.... members shall formulate and implement positive measures and mechanisms in support of the observance of the provisions.... by other than central government bodies." [WTO TBT Agreement at Article 3.5]"

In other words, the federal government must NOT ONLY CHANGE FEDERAL LAW, but must ALSO require state and local governments to change their laws as well to be in accordance with international law.

Not only that, but Codex Alimentarius is now enforceable through the World Trade Organization (WTO). If a country disagrees with or refuses to follow Codex standards, the WTO applies pressure by withdrawing trade privileges and imposing crippling trade sanctions. Congress has already bowed to this pressure several times and so have the governments of many countries.

While the exemption clause (USC 3512(a)(1) and (a)(2) was created to supposedly protect our laws from harmonization to international standards, it has proven to be totally ineffective. The United States has already lost seven trade disputes despite the exemption clause. Due to the enormous pressures put on them by lobbyists from multinational corporations (who contribute millions to congressional campaigns), Congress bowed to pressure and changed U.S. laws.

It appears our government (as well as al others) is being manipulated one way or another to serve the goals of the UN, the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization. Food control equals people control -- and population control. Is this beginning to sound like world government and one-world order? Could this be the real goal behind Codex Alimentarius?

The United States, Canada, the Europeans, Japan, most of Asia, and South America have already signed agreements pledging total harmonization of their laws including food and drug laws to these international standards in the future.

WHAT CODEX WILL BRING
What can we expect under Codex? To give you an idea, here are some important points:

* Dietary supplements could not be sold for preventive (prophylactic) or therapeutic use.
* Potencies would be limited to extremely low dosages. Only the drug companies and the big phytopharmaceutical companies would have the right to produce and sell the higher potency products (at inflated prices).
* Prescriptions would be required for anything above the extremely low doses allowed (such as 35 mg. on niacin).
* Common foods such as garlic and peppermint would be classified as drugs or a third category (neither food nor drugs) that only big pharmaceutical companies could regulate and sell. Any food with any therapeutic effect can be considered a drug, even benign everyday substances like water.
* Codex regulations for dietary supplements would become binding (escape clauses would be eliminated).
* All new dietary supplements would be banned unless they go through Codex testing and approval.
* Genetically altered food would be sold worldwide without labeling.

According to John Hammell, a legislative advocate and the founder of International Advocates for Health Freedom (IAHF), here is what we have to look forward to:

"If Codex Alimentarius has its way, then herbs, vitamins, minerals, homeopathic remedies, amino acids and other natural remedies you have taken for granted most of your life will be gone. The name of the game for Codex Alimentarius is to shift all remedies into the prescription category so they can be controlled exclusively by the medical monopoly and its bosses, the major pharmaceutical firms. Predictably, this scenario has been denied by both the Canadian Health Food Association and the Health Protection Branch of Canada (HPB).

The Codex Alimentarius proposals already exist as law in Norway and Germany where the entire health food industry has literally been taken over by the drug companies. In these countries, vitamin C above 200 mg is illegal as is vitamin E above 45 IU, vitamin B1 over 2.4 mg and so on. Shering-Plough, the Norway pharmaceutical giant, now controls an Echinacea tincture, which is being sold there as an over the counter drug at grossly inflated prices. The same is true of ginkgo and many other herbs, and only one government controlled pharmacy has the right to import supplements as medicines which they can sell to health food stores, convenience stores or pharmacies."

It is now a criminal offence in parts of Europe to sell herbs as foods. An agreement called EEC6565 equates selling herbs as foods to selling other illegal drugs. Action is being taken to accelerate other European countries into 'harmonization' as well.

Paul Hellyer in his book, "The Evil Empire," states: "Codex Alimentarius is supported by international banks and multinational corporations including some in Canada, and is in reality a bill of rights for these banks and the corporations they control. It will hand over our sovereign rights concerning who may or may not invest in our countries to an unelected world organization run by big business. The treaty would make it impossible for Canadian legislators either federal or provincial to alter or improve environmental standards for fear of being sued by multinational corporations whether operating in Canada or not.

This will create a world without borders ruled by a virtual dictatorship of the world's most powerful central banks and multinational companies. This world is an absolute certainty if we all sit on our hands and do nothing."

This is the future the FDA and FTC are striving to bring us via Codex harmonization. Is this a future we are going to willingly accept or prevent?

WHY TARGET THE INTERNET?
It is no accident that the FDA and FTC are targeting Internet health sites through Operation Cure-All. We are standing in the doorway of an unprecedented revolution -- the information revolution brought about by the Internet.

Now all people everywhere have the ability to learn about anything that interests them with just a few clicks. History has shown that informed, educated people change civilizations -- they change the flow of thought and they change the flow of money. They can even change the direction of a country. When similar transitions have happened in the past, the powers that existed did not give up willingly. The Catholic Church fiercely protected its practice of selling 'indulgences' as a forgiveness of sin. When the practice was abolished, the Catholic Church lost a great deal of power and money.

When the printing press was invented, books were banned and printers were imprisoned by the authorities, who feared an educated public could not be governed. In the same way, the medical monopoly (and the UN) now fears that a public educated in health and privy to the shortcomings of modern medicine could not be controlled. Loss of control means loss of revenue and loss of power. And they are doing everything they can to stop progress so they can contain their losses and strengthen their power.

The printing press changed the world. Can you imagine what life would be like today if the book banners had their way? But because the printing press won out, society progressed and freedom was embraced. The Internet is changing the world in an equally significant way. While the entire Internet can hardly be suppressed, the pharma-cartels and their backers are looking to protect their interests by restricting as much information as they can on the Internet.

Will we, the people, win out again -- or will the UN and the World Health Organization agenda and the pharmaceutical cartel change the course of history and take us back to the "dark ages" of medicine?

WHAT CAN WE DO?
Step number one is learn as much as possible about this issue. Here are some websites where you will find a great deal of information:

John Hammell's International Advocates for Health Freedom
website: www.iahf.com

"The Health Movement Against Codex Alimentarius" - article from Dr. Rath's website: www4.dr-rath-foundation.org/PHAR...m#top

'U.S. and European Leaders Agree on Principles to Harmonize Dietary Supplement Regulations: 'www.crnusa.org/shellnr112000.html

Federal Register where the FDA states its intention to harmonize with Codex standards: iahf.com/codx-fda.txt

Read, "WHOSE TRADE ORGANIZATION? Corporate Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy" by By Lori Wallach and Michelle Sforza,

Public Citizens Global Trade Watch:
www.tradewatch.org/publicat...obook.htm

Sign the petition - Click on 'Sign Health Freedom Petition:'
www.iahf.com/index2.html

Also sign the European Anti-Codex petition at: www.laleva.cc

Signing petitions is fine, but not nearly as effective as writing to your congressmen and congresswomen. Write to them insisting we hold a PROPER Oversight Hearing on Codex. An oversight hearing was held in March, but the truth was not allowed to come out. Witness who could have exposed what was going on, and who wanted to testify, were denied the opportunity to testify. Congress is strongly resisting another Codex hearing, telling their constituents it is not necessary. This could not be further from the truth.

Contact information for representatives: www.house.gov
Contact information for senators: www.senate.gov

Copyright 2001 Ruth James rjames@therealessentials.com
www.therealessentials.com

CTM Comment: Codex is of course the single most virulent assault on human freedoms in recent times. The desire to control of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutritional factors has ironically come about as a result of the inability of orthodox medicine to destroy the practice of the public practicing health without drugs. Now government and the chemical industry will seek to control and profit from that which was available directly to the public in times gone by.

Overturning the Codex by a mass public backlash is CTM’s sworn goal. This can be accomplished only with large numbers of the public all committed to this endeavor. As the above article states, the Internet itself has been able to grant access to information freely to anyone seeking it, and this has destabilized the flow of money and profits to institutions which have traditionally believed their highly lucrative monopolies to be safe.

posted in Ayahuasca - 6 replies

The Chacapa

Krazy Shaman — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:24:12 GMT

I've been wanting to ask this question for a while. I attended ayahausca ceremonies with don Jose Campos in March of 2008. He used what I believe to be a traditional rattle made of dried leaves called a chacapa. At one point during the ceremony, Don Jose walked around the lodge rattling the chacapa and singing his icaro. As he came to each person, he fanned them with the chacapa and bopped them on the head with it a few times. There seemed to be a fantastic aroma coming from the chacapa, that seemed to deepen the visions incredibly! My question is does this aroma come naturally from the leaves in the chacapa, or is something added to it to create this amazing smell? What kind of leaves are chacapas made from? I'd be interested in hearing of other experiences with the chacapa.

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

ayahuasca in the news

clancy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:54:13 GMT

http://www.livinginperu.com/blogs/travel/729

http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/135585/the_black_smoke_of_ayahuasca:_a_cancer_patient_finds_a_cure_and_love_in_ecuador/

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1889631,00.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

ceremony with percy garcia..a personal account.

RebeccaRose — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:45:41 GMT

sorry if this is a bit lengthy, i thought i might share a recent experience i had in ceremony with percy garcia. its because of this forum and the great reviews i have gotten that inspired me to drink with percy the other night, so here it is:

i have been in iquitos, peru for about a week now. i figured that while i was here, i might as well drink ayahuasca with the famous curandero, percy garcia.

i met up with alan shoemaker at his place on wednesday to connect. his house, filled with interesting books on entheogens, shamanism and travel, had a genuine feel of a welcoming family home. he gtreeted us kindly and we sat down in his office surrounded by drawers and drawers of pressed jungle plants and began to converse.

"so, you want to drink with percy," he began.

i can stop right here and say that i dont normally seek out medicine in this manner. hunting down curanderos in the jungle like theyre food. infact, i usually wait for the opportunity to come to me. but after being a part of the ayahuasca forum on this site for almost 2 years now and hearing dozens of dazzling reviews on the integrity of his work and the quality of his work environment, i had to experience the ethics of percy garcia. i had a little spare time anyway.

so we arranged to be picked up at alans place the day of the ceremony. when percy showed up, i felt a comfortable sense of normalcy that neither impressed nor detracted me, and took it to be a sign that i was in good hands. no mumbo-jumbo. a real human being with no delusions of grandeur.

it took about 45 minutes to make it out to the center. the first thing i noticed about the DIos Ayahuasca center was the thick slices of wood that had been placed on the walkway. they had been crafted for the delicated-footed people, to prevent slipping and falling in the inevitable mud when the rain comes, a thoughtful idea for sure.

the second thing i noticed was the feng shui of the place. the maloca had been build directly over a lightly running stream, with a porch going all the way around it, and a bridge connecting it to two (very clean) bathrooms on either side. the various doorways to exit and enter the maloca made for great navigation around the place, and the screens gave a feel of safety from the elements of the jungle.

i fell asleep right away. i dreamed i was completely naked, standing before a dark-skinned man with glasses on who gave out the same professionalism and seriousness that percy does. i assumed it was him. he asked me various questions about my health, my family history and my background, filling in the informaiton in a little notebook on his lap.

when i woke up, it was time for the ceremony. percy sat at his tall, wooden chair with towering altar. despite the height of his chair, i still felt quite equal to him. then carlos, his assistant, sat at his shorter, but identically shaped chair, in front of his shorter and similar-looking altar.

"its like mini-me from autstin powers," my friend commented later.

we began the ceremony. his ayahuasca tasted incredibly sweet.

"te gusta mi ayahuasca?" percy asked when he saw the smile on my face after drinking.

i nodded and he smirked in carlos' direction.

"es por el azucar," he said, chuckling.

"sugar?" i lifted my eyebrows, following his obvious joke.

"no, no puedo decir que pongo en mi medicina," said percy, grinning grandly.

i nodded. then it must be good stuff. some of the best things are kept secret.

i sat down. the icaros started quickly. they were simple, skilled and short, compared to what i am used to.

i lie down. it was one fo rthie first times in a while that i had taken the opportunity to simply relax during ceremony and just watch my visions. my body ached. my back was killing me as the medicine moved through my stomach, my intestines and my bladder, grinding and churning inside me.

this went on for about an hour. i purged once and lie back down, this time involved in a deep meditation. overwhelmed with sadness in my heart froma recent expereince, i watched my relationshipo with someone close to me morph and change into something different. i greived the loss of what was before.

percy continued singing. then a tunnel opened in my mind to the future. i saw myself, with a wash basin in front of me, dousing my clients in a water and perfume. the medicine listed off all the plants to put into the mixture and gave instructions for how to apply it.

ok. i will make note of that. the icaros continued for just a little longer, and soon carlos came to give me my limpia. peaceful.

then we drank a little more medicine, and the ceremony was open up for others to sing. percy and carlos left.

i sang an icaro i had learned while alone at the maloca in tarapoto a few months back, and then got up to go to the bathroom. percy and carlos were standing in the walkway, and after i passed them i heard percys deep voice calling after me.

"yes?" i managed to say, despite my dizziness with the ayahuasca.

"bonito tu icaro."

his compliment was clearly sincere, and i felt a rush of confidence trickle over me. the famous percy liked my icaro. i decided it was ok to pat myself on the back for that one.

i re entered the maloca and the energy was thick. people were expressing their proccesses in slightly irritating audible sounds, so i lay back down, feeling the effects of my second dose of ayahuasca.

after a little bit, i heard someone approaching me.

"are you sleeping?" andrew asked.

"not really, i said," sitting up.

"i have something to show you," he said, taking my hand and putting it on his heart. it was pounding hard.

i closed my eyes and felt the force exiting from his body. it was pink and blue, radiating the peace of pure, unconditional love.

"is that too intense?" he asked.

it surely wasnt. i sunk my hand into his chest, taking all that compassion in, until i was completely full. bursting, infact.

"you can sing it, " he whispered.

funny, that was just what i had been thinking.

the sounds came, and as they did, i felt the people in the ceremony responding to it differently than the previous song. they were recieving the prayers more quickly. more effectively.

"this is how your prayers can be when you have true love by your side. when you know that you are truly loved." the medicine told me.

ten times more effective. i meditated on that later and i recalled that the times when i felt loved deeply, by someone or something, my service and songs were so much more powerful.

after chatting and singing a little more, we all fell asleep. i dreamed of water flooding my home, which seemed appropriate, given that i was sleeping over a river.

so that was it. we left quickly the next morning, bidding goodbye to percy and his father, while we walked over the wooden stumps once again, back to iquitos.

another learing expereince to put into the files of my spirit..

namaste.

posted in Ayahuasca - 45 replies

Starting a plant medicine center in Mexico near Puerto Vallarta

Sailin — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 02:30:43 GMT

I recently purchased some very beautiful jungle land a few kilometers from the beach, 3 hours south of Puerto Vallarta. It is about 5 acres, full of lush banyan trees and a nice stream.

My dream is to turn this into a botanical garden containing medicine plants from Peru such as Ayahuasca, chacruna, brugmansia, brunfelsia, tobacco, ajo sacha etc etc and those indigenous to mexico as well. There would be small bungalows discreetly distributed around the property for visitors and a ceremony maloca suspended over the stream. I have spent some time dieting in the amazon and am planning several more months of apprenticeship this year. I am planning to bring curanderos up from Peru for 1 to 3 week periods, so if any of you know good healers that my be interested in a paid working vacation to Mexico, please hook me up with some contact info. Of course there are many indigenous Mexican shaman that I hope to bring in as well.

I am posting this idea here because I'm sure there are others out there interested in contributing time, money and skills to a project like this.

I'm also looking to hear from folks what they think of the idea of going to an Ayahuasca retreat in Mexico, such as 'I would love to!' or 'I would just spend the extra 5 hours on the plane and go to Peru'.

Open to any and all responses. Thank you.

posted in Ayahuasca - 32 replies

the 48th kilometer - drinking with Percy Garcia

Elle — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 21:43:30 GMT

Although I am still processing thoughts and realizations from my week spent at Percy Garcia's center, I am compelled to share a piece of the experience here.

Upon my arrival, Percy's father, Alcie, showed me to my cabin. His warm smile made me feel welcome and safe as he showed me how to use the bathroom and asked me what I'd like for lunch. The smile never faded over the next seven days as he worked hard from sun up to set. Even though the work I did at the center was challenging, I looked to Alcie's smile for encouragment throughout the days. I chose to go on the strong diet, consisting only of farina and ajo sacha tea, with the occasional biscuit. Fasting was a critical part of the experience, and Elsie made it a bit easier with his cheerful mood.
Another strong feature of the center was Carlos, Percy's assistant. He is one of the most genuine caring souls I've ever come across. He answered my questions, and supported my process without judgment. Much more than a translator for Percy, he was an accessible and reliable guide for me.
Percy's ceremonies went beyond my expectations. His dedication to the medicine, and those who seek it, is unwavering. It seems Percy does the work of three men. His civic involvement in the community, treatment of workers at the center, and services to those in need make him an honorable shaman. His medicine was strong, but his icaros were soothing and eased me into my journeys.
Although the ayahuasca and I danced beautifully throughout the long loud jungle nights, I feel I only scratched the surface after drinking it four times. She taught me much, but my tale of realizations are not for this post. I only intend to recommend the center to anyone looking for a safe and supportive space to journey.
Percy plans to expand his center throughout the coming years, and I look forward to visiting again to see its progress (and my own).

Namaste

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

News Media portrayal of Ayahuasca - hippies and other shit.

keith — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:59:45 GMT

I just wanted to see if anyone else saw the GMA piece the other day on ABC News. It's cool that it's in the news, but the few times they mention it in the mainstream media, they always preface it with a few shots of stoned out of their mind hippies dancing around, etc., etc., which in my opinion really colors the piece in a negative way. And except in possibly a very cursory way, what the hell do stoned-out hippies dancing around have to do with Ayahuasca ceremonies performed in a proper setting? Just curious to get people's opinions...

posted in Ayahuasca - 15 replies

Ayahuasca Wearable Art* OneWeaR

innessa — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:39:40 GMT

Cute Hats I made with the Shipibo Tribe*
wanted to show you guys what we made! =)
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6747999

Gracias Medicina(((~
one

posted in Ayahuasca - 12 replies

Online source of a broad range of news and research related to Ayahuasca.

CG — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:01:03 GMT

Welcome on the web page of Paris Second Spring Symposium about Hallucinations in Philosophy and Cognitive Science.

http://hallucinations.risc.cnrs.fr/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=47&Itemid=74

The war on drugs is insane.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/31/cafferty.legal.drugs/index.html

Understanding the Santo Daime, case - correction
March 31, 2009 – 22:47
By Bia Labate and Matthew Meyer

http://www.bialabate.net/

Cultural negotiation: the dialogue between rituals and globalization

http://www.nomadit.co.uk/asa/asa09/panels.php5?PanelID=542

All these stories and more appear on the web site of Bia Labate.
I subscribe to her email updates and suggest you may want to do the same. It's always informative and well researched.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

crockpot brewing

Sailin — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 01:21:46 GMT

so i've been experimenting with some crockpot brewing, letting 150g of vine and 50g of dried chacruna cook for 2 washes at 24hours per wash...
i add no vinegar and use water from a mountain stream which supplies my drinking water. when reduced down the brew is dark reddish brown, syrupy, and tastes and smells like good ol madrecita.

upon consumption, the effects of the vine are felt clear and strong, but the chacruna is strikingly weak or absent.

so my theories are:

1) the water is acidic enough to extract the MAOIs but not the DMT? is this possible? i plan to test it when i can get to town and buy some ph strips, i believe it should be 4-5 correct?

2) the leaf is old and weak, and i need either a better leaf source or much more leaf.

3) she has decided that visions are a distraction and not what i need right now (i can understand and accept that gladly, the hours of relaxation and bliss all coiled up in the vine are plenty great)

any ideas or similar issues out there?

paz y luz

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

Shamanism Conf. TALK FOR BEGINNERS

alan — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:49:17 GMT

To the surprise of Dr. Richard Grossman and myself, we had over 40 newcomer´s to ayahuasca at the 4th Amazonian Shamanism Conference and so Richard and I held a ¨getting to know ayahuasca¨ talk that went very well. This year at the 5th Conference we wil be doing the same and it will happen on the beginning day of the Conference Presentations, July 11th. This is not just a ¨Presentation¨, it´s mostly a question and answer situation.

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

P. Maldonado

Sun, 29 Mar 2009 07:17:23 GMT

Any good maestros or places para dietar en Puerto Maldonado Jungle????

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

Ayahuasca retreat in Ecuador in 2009

wancho — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:34:43 GMT

Hello Tribe friends, I've got news for all who would like to do a deep work with Ayahuasca and learn about the shamanic tradition in Ecuador.

We've prepared two Ayahuasca retreats/workshops for 2009 in the Ecuadorian Amazon on those dates:

May 4 - 13, 2009.- Available
Sep 8 - 17, 2009 - Available

During this unique retreat, eight dedicated participants will journey deep into their inner selves with the help of the master teacher plant Ayahuasca, under the supervision of an indigenous shaman ("yachak") from the Napo Runa tribe.

We will explore several traditional shamanic methods for facilitating holistic healing and expansion of one's awareness. We will connect with the ancient shamanic knowledge and contact powerful spirits of the nature. This retreat aims at cleansing and strengthening of one's body, mind and spirit, acquiring shamanic skills and experiencing unique Ecuadorian plant shamanism in its best shape.

The goal of this retreat is also to provide an experience which is different from the commercial Peruvian retreats. It offers more traditional and genuine experience of the Ayahuasca ritual. Expect the retreat to be deeply transformative and profoundly healing. Our goal is to empower individuals so that they have the strength to defend Mother Earth and be a transformative force, bringing the wisdom and the messages from the plant kingdom.

If you feel interested, check out complete info at:

http://www.feathercrown.com/index.php?p=ayahuascaretreats

It would be an honour to meet with some you here in Ecuador.

Bowing,

Jan - Wancho

http://www.feathercrown.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

Ayahuasca Distribution????

Dan — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 04:10:42 GMT

I dont know if this topic has already been brought up (i didnt see it) but there are two vendors that are selling ayahuasca.
Fisrt off, if anyone had the inclination to risk braking the law.....i would think it a lot cheaper and safer to to either brew it yourself or make an ayahuasca analogue via extractions.
Personally, i think ayahuasca should be legal along with many other ethneogens,which is besides the point but this seems a little dangerous and also seems as if it were to have the potential of attracting unwanted attention to some of the plants that are legal in the United States.
I was on another forum and apperently some guy did order some from one of these companies and it did make it to his front door.
They claim to send it in powdred balls and all you have to do is add boiling water to it.
Granted this does take away from the ritual of working with the plants and the spiritual aspect of blending the sacred vine w/ chacruna or mhrb in order to make this sacred brew.
I visited the websites and they seem very well intentioned (looks can be decieving) and they do have a disclaimer on the laws of the different countries that youy might live in. Here's the disclamer they put for the U.S (i hope no one minds a copy/paste)
****** Quote *****
Laws

Traditionally prepared ayahuasca is not illegal under international law (see declaration of the INCB1)

The use of Ayahuasca in religious ceremonies is also guaranteed by the IRFA (International Religious Freedom Act) of 1998.

USA
The most common plant constituents of Ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi & Psychotria viridis) are not specifically scheduled in the United States. Neither is the ayahuasca brew specifically named as a scheduled substance. However, P. Viridis contains DMT which is DEA schedule 1. The DEA has recently been making the argument that a plant or brew is illegal if it contains DMT or any other controlled substance. However finding DMT in Ayahuasca is an almost impossible task, which would require quite expensive laboratory procedures.
In 2002 the federal court ruled that the groups that use ayahuasca were protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
********************** ************************ **********************************
I was just wondering what some of you think of this. Is it irresponsible for these vendors to sell to people who may not be aware of the powerful effects? Is it irresposible by putting people at risk by potentially incriminatining themselves?
Or are these vendors just trying to make this brew available to people that might otherwise not have access to it...in order to spread this spiritual visionary experience?

These are just questions i was asking myself and i wanted to know what some of your opinions were on the topic,

posted in Ayahuasca - 10 replies

Congreso Internacional sobre “Medicinas Tradicionales, Interculturalidad y Salud Mental” - Tarapoto

Rodrigo — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:57:33 GMT

I am forwarding the announcement of the international congress that is to be held in Tarapoto, Peru, in between 7 and 10 of June, 2009, and organized by the Takiwasi Center of Jacques Mabit.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Estimados Señores

Me dirijo a Ud. para informarle que el Centro Takiwasi se encuentra coordinando la organización de un Congreso Internacional sobre “Medicinas Tradicionales, Interculturalidad y Salud Mental” a llevarse a cabo en Junio de 2009.
Varios miembros (fellows) de la Fundación Internacional Ashoka que trabajamos en el campo de las Medicinas Tradicionales americanas (MT) y específicamente en el tratamiento de las adicciones, consideramos necesario señalar, destacar y promover el valioso aporte que las MT hacen para resolver los acuciantes y crecientes problemas contemporáneos en salud mental.

Por ello creemos adecuado fomentar un encuentro entre practicantes de las MT y representantes indígenas, participantes de proyectos que articulan las MT con la medicina convencional, representantes del mundo académico y autoridades gubernamentales y de organismos internacionales.

El Congreso tendrá lugar en la ciudad de Tarapoto, en la Alta-Amazonía peruana desde el 7 al 10 de junio de 2009. Esperamos reunir entre 200 a 300 personas para intercambiar conocimientos y debatir sobre las Medicinas Tradicionales, principalmente en sus dimensiones terapéuticas, académicas y legales. Se transcribirá la Memoria del encuentro con las distintas intervenciones. Asimismo apuntaremos a conformar una Red Regional Americana que pueda fiscalizar las políticas de salud mental que reconocen el valioso aporte de las MT.

Porque consideramos de suma importancia la participación de su institución en este Congreso, lo invitamos a auspiciar el mismo. Encontrará en documento anexado las distintas formas de auspicio tanto académico como económico.

Quedando a su entera disposición para responder preguntas o inquietudes y agradeciendo de antemano su amable respuesta, le enviamos nuestros cordiales saludos.

Atentamente,
Dr. Jacques Mabit, M.D.
Presidente Ejecutivo del Centro Takiwasi (www.takiwasi. com )
Fellow de la Fundación Ashoka (www.ashoka.org )
Presidente del Comité de organización
www.takiwasi. com/congreso2009
Secretaría del Congreso: Gabriela Montenegro congreso@takiwasi. com

1. OBJETIVO

La OMS define la salud como un estado de bienestar que abarca todas las esferas de la vida humana y promueve las políticas de salud que incluyen los valiosos aportes de las medicinas tradicionales ancestrales (MT). La Salud Mental ha llegado a ser una prioridad de la OMS , desplazando las clásicas endemias.

Específicamente en el campo de la Salud Mental , poco se ha hecho para responder a estas recomendaciones de la OMS. Este Congreso se propone crear un espacio que permita compartir experiencias de aplicación de las medicinas tradicionales para resolver problemas de salud mental y reflexionar sobre ellas. Asimismo, deseamos ver surgir una Red Regional Americana que pueda proseguir la exploración de este campo de estudio y de sus posibles aplicaciones en las políticas de salud.

2. PROBLEMÁTICA

Las Medicinas Tradicionales ofrecen respuestas a problemas de salud mental que muchas veces se han considerado como propias de las culturas de donde surgen y por ende solamente eficaz en dicho contexto. Sin embargo, la experiencia médica de terreno parece demostrar lo opuesto, señalando que los aportes terapéuticos de los pueblos originarios o nativos alcanzan dimensiones transculturales y responden a un nivel de constantes humanas invariables o arquetípicas. Además, sus instrumentos son lo suficientemente adaptables como para ofrecer respuestas innovadoras en campos donde la medicina occidental es bastante deficiente, tal el caso del tratamiento de las toxicomanías. Sin embargo esas diversas experiencias se encuentran dispersas geográficamente, son poco conocidas, sus actores no disponen de eje de coordinación o estructura de intercambio, y, naciendo de iniciativas personales, no cuentan con apoyo estatal.

Cuando la medicina oficial o convencional acepta considerar los aportes de las medicinas tradicionales en salud mental, se enfrenta a una serie de resistencias o dificultades que merecen mencionarse. Por ejemplo:

- la no separación en dimensión mental y dimensión espiritual en la MT.
- el uso frecuente de plantas o sustancias psicoactivas y técnicas de inducción de estados modificados de la conciencia
- la implicación voluntaria y necesaria en la relación terapéutica de la subjetividad, tanto del paciente como del terapeuta lejos de la recomendada y supuesta objetividad científica
- la dimensión vivencial más que técnica de la práctica terapéutica de las MT

Al mismo tiempo, existe en la actualidad una búsqueda errática de numerosos occidentales para encontrar alternativas a sus padecimientos mentales, morales, existenciales o espirituales. Ello los lleva cada vez más a viajar lejos de su contexto cultural para adentrarse en sociedades tradicionales en busca de curanderos, chamanes y practicantes de esas medicinas. Aparte de las frecuentes incomprensiones interculturales que se dan, este movimiento ha generado un neo-chamanismo dudoso y un turismo chamánico que amenaza con degenerar las Medicinas Tradicionales y destruirlas. En conclusión, la propia salud mental de los pueblos indígenas también está en juego.

Numerosos jóvenes investigadores que desean realizar sus estudios en este campo tienen mucha dificultad para encontrar soporte académico, espacio de aplicación y presupuesto adecuado. Sin embargo es considerable el terreno a explorar y urgente la necesidad.

3. METODOLOGÍA Y DESARROLLO
Se propone organizar las presentaciones en varias mesas temáticas:

Políticas en Salud Mental e integración de las MT
Legislación y manejo legal de las MT
Toxicomanía y Estados Modificados de Conciencia
Salud Mental y Pueblos indígenas

Se considera necesario reunir representantes de:

proyectos de integración de MT con medicina convencional en el campo de la salud mental
de las MT, practicantes indígenas y mestizos
del mundo académico
de los gobiernos y organismos internacionales

Programa general:
domingo 7 de Junio de 2009 : Apertura del Congreso
Lunes 8 – martes 9: presentaciones y debates en mesas temáticas
Miércoles 10: plenaria y clausura del Congreso
11 y 12 de Junio: Post Congreso. Paseos turísticos, visita al Centro Takiwasi y encuentros con representantes de las MT.

Sede: Hotel Río Shilcayo (Tarapoto)
Participación prevista: 4 mesas temáticas con 50 personas y 100 personas de público general, total de 200 a 300 personas.
Idioma oficial: español (traducción de las presentaciones, simultánea en inglés y consecutiva en francés).
Costos de participación (incluye acceso a las conferencias y carpeta del evento):
- Antes del 1º de Marzo del 2009 : Profesionales 60 US$ - Estudiantes : 25 US$
- Después de esa fecha : Profesionales 100 USS$ - Estudiantes : 30 US$

Contacto-informació n : congreso@takiwasi. com
www.takiwasi. com/congreso2009
Secretaría : Gabriela Montenegro

4. ORGANIZADORES

La iniciativa es de varios fellows de la Fundación ASHOKA ( www.ashoka.org) que trabajan en el campo de la salud mental asociando recursos de las MT con la medicina convencional. El Comité Organizador se compone como sigue :

Coordinador:
Dr. Jacques Mabit, médico, Centro Takiwasi (Perú) ( www.takiwasi. com )
Miembros:
Lic. Sacha Domenech, psicólogo clínico, Asoc. Runa Wasi (Argentina)
Dr. Jorge Hurtado, psiquiatra, Museo de la Coca (Bolivia) www.cocamuseum. com
Dr. Brendan Tobin, abogado, MT y legislación (Perú)
Colaboradores:
Dr. Germán Zuluaga, médico, Centro de Estudios de Medicina Intercultural (CEMI) (Colombia), www.cemi.org , Grupo de Estudios en Sistemas Tradicionales de Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad del Rosario www.urosario. edu.co
Dra. Françoise Freedman, antropóloga, Universidad de Cambridge (Inglaterra)
Ghislaine Bourgogne, psicoterapeuta, Asociación " La Maison Qui Chante" (Francia)
Auspiciadores:
Fundación ASHOKA
Gobierno Regional de San Martín, Tarapoto, Perú
Asociación Peruana de Psiquiatría Transpersonal
Consejo Interamericano Sobre la Espiritualidad Indígena (CISEI)
Asociación Runa Wasi (Argentina) http://runawasi. blogspot. com/
Fundación Asistencia Internacional (Suiza-Italia)
Centro Regional para la Salvaguardia del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial de América Latina- CRESPIAL www.crespial. org
Facultad de Medicina - Universidad del Rosario – Bogotá – Colombia www.urosario. edu.co
Asociación “Actuar por su salud” (Francia) http://agirpoursasa nte.free. fr
Comunity Informations and Epidemiological Technologies, CIET. www.ciet.org
Comunidad Tawantinsuyu, Lima, Perú, www.comunidadtawant insuyu.org
Asociación de Médicos Vegetalistas de Iquitos (ASMEVEI), Perú.
Fundación Desde América, Buenos Aires, Argentina www.desdeamerica. org.ar
Fundación El Emilio, Cosquín (Córdoba), Argentina www.fundacionelemil io.com.ar
Centro de Investigación de la Medicina Tradicional (CIMT), Lima, Perú
Fundación Mesa Verde, Rosario, Argentina www.fundacionmesave rde.org
Centro de Investigación de la Medicina Tradicional (CIMT), Lima, Perú.
Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú, Lima.
Heart Walk Foundation, Utah , Estados-Unidos, www.heartwalkfounda tion.org
Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Área de Salud, Sede Quito, Ecuador.
Asociación Masacalli, México, http://masacalli. blogspot. com
Universidad Antonio Ruíz de Montoya, Lima-Perú http://www.uarm. edu.pe
“Intercambios”, Asociación civil para el estudio y atención de problemas relacionados con las drogas, Buenos Aires – Argentina http://www.intercam bios.org. ar

AUSPICIOS

Para la óptima realización del Congreso, el Comité Organizador propone a continuación diferentes formas de auspicios del evento. Se requiere asimismo un documento formal de su institución que especifique la modalidad de auspicio ofrecida y autorice el uso de su nombre y logotipo si fuera el caso.

Auspicio participativo

Consiste en enviar a uno o varios representantes de su institución, debidamente acreditados, para participar en las presentaciones y debates, apuntando a la conformación de una Red Regional Americana de seguimiento de las políticas de Salud Mental que consideren positivo el aporte de las MT.
Cada representante deberá asumir el pago de la cuota de inscripción al Congreso.

2. Auspicio académico

Consiste en otorgar un reconocimiento fehaciente del interés de su institución a este Congreso, y en la medida de lo posible mandar uno o varios representantes. El nombre de su institución figurará en los afiches y documentos del Congreso en la categoría “Auspicio académico”. Si lo desea, se le añadirá el logotipo de su institución si lo recibimos antes de fines del 2008.
Cada representante deberá asumir el pago de la cuota de inscripción al Congreso.

Auspicio económico directo

Consiste en la colaboración económica de su institución al Congreso, cuyo presupuesto figura en el anexo. Se puede destinar su aporte a un ítem específico del presupuesto (gastos de edición de Memoria, traducción, pasajes y estadías de practicantes de las MT, de representantes indígenas, etc.). El Centro Takiwasi le otorgará un documento contable de recepción de fondos y a los 3 meses post-congreso le dará un balance contable del evento.

El nombre de su institución figurará en los afiches y documentos del Congreso en la categoría “Auspicio económico”. Si lo desea, se le añadirá el logotipo de su institución si lo recibimos antes de fines del 2008.

Cada representante será eximido del pago de la cuota de inscripción al Congreso si el apoyo es de un mínimo de US$ 500.

Auspicio económico indirecto

Consiste en una ayuda no financiera material al Congreso, por ejemplo pasajes aéreos, material de oficina, alimentos, pago directo de estadía de representantes indígenas, préstamo o donación de equipos, etc.

Puede consistir también en la prestación gratuita de servicios como traducción, edición de Memoria o de material audio-visual, difusión, etc.

En esos casos, el nombre y logotipo de la institución, así como la exoneración de la cuota de inscripción de participantes, se atribuirá por un aporte estimado no menor de US$ 500.

Contactos e información: congreso@takiwasi. com
www.takiwasi. com/congreso2009

Coordinador Comité organizador: Dr. Jacques Mabit
Secretaría: Gabriela Montenegro

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

Animal spirits.

CG — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:02:47 GMT

Inspirational film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSX444hQ5Vo

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Legal News

acudoc — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:19:39 GMT

http://www.samefacts.com/archives/religion_and_politics_/2009/03/another_court_win_for_another_ayahuasca_church.php

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

Oregon gathering of 13 Grandmothers

CG — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 22:36:11 GMT

http://www.grandmotherscouncil.com/docs/Aggie_reg2.html

ONE LIFE —
ONE TRIBE —
ONE CHANCE

International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers
6th Council Gathering
Honoring Agnes Baker Pilgrim and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz

Lincoln City, Oregon
August 3rd-7th, 2009

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

...How can WE Help Ayahuasca...

Jay — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:03:27 GMT

Hey Everybody,
I'll be going to the Peruvian Amazon in June
and am curious about...

Projects that would Support the Ayahuasca Tradition & Communities.

What Problems does the Tradition & Commnunities Face ?...
How can a Westerner help ?...

Any Ideas & Links would be Great !

Thanks : )

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

Ayahuasca Documentary

keith — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:12:33 GMT

Hi guys,
In 2006 I went down to the amazon and had my first experience drinking ayahuasca. I drank 5 times over 8 nights which was not an easy thing to do as it was potent ayahuasca and some of the vision were dark and chaotic. Thankfully I also had an experience of divinty and profound healing. It was because of this incredible experience that I decided to make a documentary on ayahuasca, the shamans that hold the ceremony, and the people that come down to the Amazon to drink it. Anyway, I just wanted to share the link to the website with the tribe. I have a blog on there as well, please feel free to add your comments. Thanks for reading.
Here's the link: http://metamorphosisfilm.com/

peace,
Keith A.

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

any aya enthusiast's in the miami area?

Dan — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 04:24:49 GMT

I live in miami beach and i'm just looking to meet up with like minded individuals.

posted in Ayahuasca - 3 replies

Percy Garcia Curandero, giving talk at Shaman conference

andym — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 07:49:20 GMT

Percy Garcia Curandero, giving talk at Shaman conference, this is in four parts on You tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y03TcWM8dc8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRQGPrKDgh8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9TiDyfCby8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP9OwL2xxGk

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

...Affordable Diets, Retreats, Apprenticeships in Peru...

Jay — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:25:58 GMT

Hi,
I'll be going to Peru in a few months
and am looking for a Shaman/Community
where I can have Experiences with Aya & San Pedro
at an Affordable Price...

I'd like to live in Peru for a few years
and Diet & Apprentice, BUT...

Everything I see is between $300-$1000/ week
which, for me, is Way Too Expensive.

Any General Ideas ?...
Any Specifics ?...

I'd Really Appreciate Any Ideas...
Thanks !

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

two new articles on ayahuasca in the press

clancy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:28:46 GMT

http://tinyurl.com/ah6fu4

http://tinyurl.com/bwh6rl this guy lied about his preparation and had a bad time. no surprise.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Peru Flights: Great News!

alan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:45:22 GMT

Peru issued a "Supreme Decree": Beginning on the 7th of March, all flights going to Iquitos and all flights leaving Iquitos will no longer be charged the Peruvian 19% tax.....

If you need assistance with National Peruvian flights or with International flights roundtrip to Lima, you may contact me at: alanshoemaker@hotmail.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

ayahuasca and the word "shaman"

Michael SJ — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 14:07:47 GMT

Hi,

I'm in Peru working with my friend Lucho, a curandero near Tarapoto, to help him build a garden and ceremony site. As we do this he is teaching me the basics of his work and helping me understand some of the intricacies of the ayahuasca and medicinal plant culture here in the Peruvian selva.

I'm not an expert in this field and my limited Spanish makes it difficult understanding fully what I'm told, but I have been reading this forum a lot lately, telling Lucho what has been written here, then asking him to clarify and offer his opinions. As he isn't an internet kind of guy and doesn't speak English he has never read these forums and enjoys hearing what people are talking about.

One thing we've talked about lately is the word "shaman" and the way people use it in regards to ayahuasca. To quote Inigo Montoya from "The Princess Bride": You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Lucho is a curandero, a traditional healer using plant medicines (including ayahuasca) to help people with medical and other various needs. In his work the ayahuasca has healing properties for the patient in itself, but in particular the ayahasca also "tells" Lucho what is the problem in the patient and what plant medicines or other procedures need to be administered. This is the predominant method of use of ayahuasca in this area, more for healing, somewhat less for self-exploration.

As I haven't spoken to a shaman to hear an explanation of what he does I only have a curandero's description, which was a little bit vague and reserved. From what he told me they are pretty rare and work with a much different set of tools. A "shaman" here is something different, with less emphasis on the healing aspects and leaning more to the "magical" side of things. In Lucho's explanation of what a shaman does I don't recall him even mentioning ayahuasca. He acknowledges their work and their place but I got the impression that a real shaman isn't what people think he is, and for ayahuasca seekers from outside not really what they're looking for.

This seems to be a linguistic misinterpretation which leads to confusion and messes things up a bit. My totally hypothetical scenario here seems likely:

A gringo comes to town asking for a shaman. The locals wonder "Why does this person need a shaman?" The gringo explains he's looking for ayahuasca. The locals think "Okay, he's not looking for a shaman, he's looking for ayahuasca." Since the locals know curanderos who use ayahuasca they introduce him and everything goes from there.

It's likely the curandero won't take the time to explain the difference since the gringo wants ayahuasca, not a lecture. Besides, most curanderos are broke on a level you can't imagine and his family needs the money so he'll avoid telling you anything that will jeopardize food on the table. He's not lying to anyone about anything, he delivers exactly what is asked and everyone is happy.

However, the gringos go on to tell about their experience with the shaman, and the locals tell their friends about the gringos who asked for a shaman when looking for ayahuasca. Extrapolate this a bit and you end up where we are now in regards to shamans and ayahuasca tourism. Not that any of this is good or bad, just that it is.

To sum this up, the word "shaman" is a convenient term for us to use in English to discuss this topic, but when you are standing in the jungle and you ask for a shaman you are asking for something else. You'd be better served to just not use the word "shaman" but instead explain your search for ayahuasca.

Take care,
Michael

posted in Ayahuasca - 13 replies

botanical garden of psychotropic plants article

clancy — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:19:24 GMT

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Doors-of-Perception-My-to-by-Jane-Stillwater-090306-10.html

garden of mexican ethnobotany http://www.xplanta.com/?page_id=15.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

don luis vasquez

RebeccaRose — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:10:50 GMT

..has anyone worked with him or know how to find him in the iquitos area? i had an epiphany last night. chao.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Snakes and the origin of life?

jumpcut — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 05:08:40 GMT

I found this to be fascinating. There has been much discussion here of snakes and how various cultures view their significance in regards to the origin of life. Here is a more modern emergence of the archetype: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/03/snakes.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca healing

Zorro — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:13:05 GMT

Hi friends,
the musician Margaret de Wys speaks about her healing experience with Mother Ayahuasca and a Shuar shaman

http://www.futureprimitive.org/interviews/128

"No me dejes, no me dejes, Madre Mia Naturaleza"
best wishes
Zorro

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

blue morpho article and slide show in the global post

clancy — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:11:37 GMT

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/the-americas-at-large/090226/real-trip

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

TV show involved in Aya ceremony

Jason — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:42:03 GMT

So I caught an episode of "Mark & Olly: Living With the Machigenga" on the travel channel the other night. Briefly, I'll write up an overview of the show for those who might be interested. This had to be one of the most authentic looking filming of an Aya experience I've seen. And done with some objective respect considering it's a tv show.

***Please keep in mind that I personally neither condone nor disapprove of contact with indigenous tribes, I suppose I'm pretty neutral since my world view must include all things. However, near the places these guys have been staying there are still tribes who wish to have no contact, under threat of death even and I think this is a good thing. Rare but good.

Anyway's the program I saw involved these two having to undergo a ceremony with the shaman in order to be brought along an annual pilgrimage to the tribes most holy site. They are lead to the shamans place far from the village (because everyone is deathly afraid of him and the shaman lives on his own), where they proceed to be tested by the shaman of their able ness to take the medicine. First he shoots snuffs of tobacco from a pipe up their noses (looked pretty painful,haha). Then he makes them chew coca leaves (looked much more enjoyable), & all the while the shaman is closely studying their reactions. First he deems one too sensitive, but decides in the end to let them both drink. One of them has an issue with a lost(killed) former girlfriend and sets his attention to the guilt and baggage of that. Needless to say he looses it at one point during the night. They drink this dark, dark brew and are feeling the effects pretty quickly. You can completely see in their faces as they enter spirit world and are awed beyond belief. One of the coolest things were these rocks that the shaman shows them (before they drink) at a river which have been carved with various markings..circles and lines. The shaman tells them that they were carved by the spirits and show the good monkey and the evil frog battling for the control of the universe. Late into the session one of them (I think Mark) is down by these stones and is actually able to explain how his visions are showing him exactly that written into the rocks. Pretty amazing. Olly meanwhile is on his freak out(the one with the issue) and after they restrain him from running away into the jungle, he's crawling around touching everything. Later he says that their were faces in everything and they were watching him. They trip all night into the next day. Eighteen hours or something ridiculous like that.

Well, of course there was so much more to the story... in short they both come out feeling renewed and grateful for the experience and the one who freaked is even feeling optimistic for his future with a new girlfriend. They return to the village and by telling of their visions (under strict scrutiny from the villagers) are allowed to participate in the pilgrimage. Which was insane cause they built these balsam wood rafts to navigate swift rapids down the river to get to the holy site... a waterfall/cave of the most spectacular beauty where the tribe believes that all of their souls reside after death. It was pretty powerful to watch and I was glad to see it.

Just thought I'd throw this out there if anyone wants to catch it or if you've seen it and care to comment.
Unfortunately I don't have a link to the actual episode but here is one to the show itself. I'm going to end my rambling here and wish all many blessings... & have a nice day :)

http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Mark_and_Olly

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

help save organic farming

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:27:47 GMT

Hello,
I know this Group is about Ayahuasca, but many of use this vine (or other plants) are also interested in Organic farming or ways of farming that are good for the environment, animals, and people. For this reason, I hope the moderator will allow this post to stay..If not, I understand..

If you are for Organic and sustainable forms of farming and raising food and animals, then please take the time to read the following article by going to the link below, and then take 2 minutes to take the action necessary described below.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Monsanto-bills-being-rushe-by-Linn-Cohen-Cole-0\90217-758.html
Monsanto bills being rushed through Congress, set to destroy organic farming.

After Reading, then take action by sending the PRE-WRITTEN email to your senator and congressperson here: (doesn't get any easier than this!!)

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/568/t/1128/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26714

Feel free to send this to anyone who cares and/or repost it anywhere where you feel it's applicable..there is only a 2 week window of opportunity for this to be stopped.

Thank you all who will send your emails,
Luigee

posted in Ayahuasca - 6 replies

...Cannibus Use in Peru...

Jay — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:39:22 GMT

Hey Folks,
Just curious...

Do Shamans in Peru use Cannibus ?...

with Ayahuasca or San Pedro ?...

Is it illegal ?...
Easy to Get ?...

Thanks : )

posted in Ayahuasca - 8 replies

Ayahuasca Retreat with Nagual Lujan Matus

jilita — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:59:06 GMT

Hello Everyone~

Just wanted to pass along some info that there will be very special retreat at the Tierra Vida Healing Center in Peru this October.
The Nagual Lujan Matus will be teaching a series of energetic movements called the Dragon's Tears, heightening ones awareness and clearing blocked energy. There will also be three traditional ayahuasca ceremonies included during the retreat stay.
This will be a profound life transforming experience for any warrior looking to expand their consciousness and strengthen their physical and spiritual energies.
For further info: tierravidahealing.com, tierravidahealing.com/DragonsTears.html
parallelperception.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies

RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

CG — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:56:39 GMT

Since we started discussing this in another thread I thought I'd put this link up.

http://daccess-ods.un.org/TMP/6064838.html

Here's the first part of it.

UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE
RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES*

PP1 Affirming that indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing
the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as
such,

PP2 Affirming also that all peoples contribute to the diversity and richness of
civilizations and cultures, which constitute the common heritage of humankind,

PP3 Affirming further that all doctrines, policies and practices based on or advocating
superiority of peoples or individuals on the basis of national origin, racial, religious, ethnic or
cultural differences are racist, scientifically false, legally invalid, morally condemnable and
socially unjust,

PP4 Reaffirming also that indigenous peoples, in the exercise of their rights, should be
free from discrimination of any kind,

PP5 Concerned that indigenous peoples have suffered from historic injustices as a result
of, inter alia, their colonization and dispossession of their lands, territories and resources, thus
preventing them from exercising, in particular, their right to development in accordance with
their own needs and interests,

posted in Ayahuasca - 1 reply

DMT found to be specific brain receptor's target.

Pluma del Tigre — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:45:59 GMT

If you are interested in the chemical / neuroscience side of ayahuasca, you might want to read this. Dr. Strassman and others have spoken about DMT being endogenous in humans - it's something we have heard about, but I also have read some things claiming this is "unproven" or perhaps unmeasured (therefore suspect). The blog article is from Laura Mariani, a first year neuroscience PhD student who quotes a Science magazine paper by a Dr. Arnold Ruoho about his lab finding the specific functioning location of DMT in our brains. Apparently, there is a receptor (a sigma-1 receptor) that no one knew what it's connecting partner chemical or ligand is. Turns out it is DMT.

She gives a lot of the technical specifics and then writes near the end of her article:
"This study suggests that our bodies use low levels of a hallucinogenic compound to regulate normal physiological processes. I find this especially interesting, since DMT is classified as a Schedule I drug in the United States. This means that the government has decreed a naturally-occuring brain chemical to have "no currently accepted medical use" with "a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision." This classification implies that all of us are criminals for possessing this drug in our brains."

I don't have access to the official Science article, but It is certainly interesting and heartening to hear that sort of expression coming from at least one source in the science community.

Here's the link:

http://lauraemariani.blogspot.com/2009/02/mystery-receptor-ligand-is-endogenous.html

She includes this link to the story at the Royal Society of Chemistry:
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/February/12020901.asp

Related article:
http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2009/02/ethenogen_and_hallucinogen_nn-.php

Blessings!

posted in Ayahuasca - 10 replies

The Lone Initiate

Kenneth — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:29:26 GMT

This is my first post and I would like to start by thanking all of you for guidance and wisdom throughout this process. I have carried many of your words and concepts with me in this lone journey (esp. Nobu, Embrace, and Richard - Thank You).

A little about me for context: I’m in my mid 20s, healthy, philosophically trained and chemically experienced. I consider my body highly resilient to many things. I also, for the first time, feel my mind and body ready for ascension – hence this pursuit.
For the past month, I have been experimenting with various brews consisting of yellow caapi + p.viridis (various strengths), yellow caapi + m. hostiles, and yellow caapi then m.hostilis. This week I plan on brews consisting of yellow caapi + d.cabrerana, and black caapi + d.cabrerana.

I am confident that my brews are strong and made properly. I make enough for six full doses for the week. My days are occupied by an engineering job, leaving little time for ceremony and ritual. I feel a deep connection and understanding from Aya on this point and thus allow the little free time I have (driving to/from, shower, eating, etc.) to act as my mental/spiritual ritual.

So far, I have not had any sort of visuals (other than slight distortions) and not a single purge. I lie down and quiet my mind after drinking the brew. I feel certain physiological effects that tell me She’s working; however, I have not read a single account of a similar experience with Her. She allows me to open my subconscious, but in a non-vivid and exploratory manner. This is welcome as I am alone in this journey and do not necessarily want a terrifying experience (yet).

My questions to the lone journeyers out there:

What methods did you take to introduce yourself to Her and by what manner did She make herself known?

Is there something She’s working on inside me BEFORE these grand visions and wonderful purges I read about?

Is what I’m doing safe? I felt an immediate connection to Her the moment we met; yet, I’m worried that my first “breakthrough” experience will be terrifying. What can I do to mitigate these effects (alone) if needed?

Thank you all.

--
k

posted in Ayahuasca - 29 replies

Shipping Ayahuasca back from Peru to the States

prajna — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:32:00 GMT

Wassup peeps! Im going to come back to the states soon, and have loaded my suitcase with vine...

Can't I simply waltz up to customs and with a straightforward demenor say: "Yes, I have such and such pounds of BANISTERIOPSIS CAAPI vine in my suitecase."

It's legal in the Staes, and is even sold on ebay...so what's the worry?

posted in Ayahuasca - 6 replies

Ayahuasca in London (UK)?

Chris — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 14:26:23 GMT

Hello all - enjoyed reading your posts, lots of interesting and inspiring stuff. I was just wondering if anybody knew how to get hold of Ayahuasca around London in the UK. I believe its possible to get the component plants, but I'm after a ready-made brew (if this is possible). Many thanks for any advice, Chris.

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca and the necessity of processing

rareworlds — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 08:16:48 GMT

I met someone recently who came away from a popular, well known lodge with severe symptoms of anxiety and panic. Apparently not only was ceremony led by someone in training, they do three per week then within a day or so you leave.

This persons last ceremony lasted approximately nine hours and the person who was conducting the ceremony could not help him.

Does anyone else see the irresponsibility in this? And this, mind you, is one of the more popular and costly places in Peru.

posted in Ayahuasca - 30 replies

Fear & Doubt

Cielo — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:10:16 GMT

I feel a little awkward asking for advice from you guys, since I haven't really been much of a contributor to this tribe - but my situation is kind of desperate, so I hope you're okay with that anyway, and that someone will finds some words of advice for me.

To sum up as quickly as possible the situation...I've previously done Ayahuasca, in a legal and ceremonial setting. I have the chance to do so again in a couple of weeks, and I really want to, as I haven't yet had the kind of breakthrough I need. Some years ago there was a time in my life that was full of anger, fear and sadness. My instinctive reaction back then, as I had no other way of dealing with that, was to bottle it all up, and learn to "live around" these unprocessed feelings and situations. Now I feel how all of this is dragging me further down every day, mentally and physically I feel chockfull of these very feelings, only I have no way to let them out. They color my every experience and make life a terrible place most of the time. And they stifle every creative impulse and drive to live.

During my first meetings with Ayahuasca I got glimpses of that terrible place inside of me, as it was pulled up for the purge - and I couldn't help but react like back then, just keep it in and resist the purge. Reflecting on the ceremonies afterwards I got a better understanding of the things I outlined above, and I think I might be able to let go in future ceremonies. Only now I'm full of fear, after having looked inside - I feel confronting these things is literally gonna kill me, or at least damage me forever. Looking at this rationally doesn't help me very much. There's a part of me that trusts in my strength and in Ayahuasca, but most of the time it's really hard to connect to that part, and I feel like I'll be obliterated when that stuff is gonna come up again in ceremony. Maybe because these things I bottled up robbed me once of my will to live, and I fear that facing them again, I will not find the strength to resist and just give up and die.

I know I have to connect to my strength and calmly face whatever comes up and let Ayahuasca take it out...but I also know I'm full of this irrational fear, and I wonder what you think about approaching a ceremony in that state, with these kinds of bad expectations. Any input on other aspects of what I wrote is welcome also, of course.

Thank you & blessings !
Cielo

posted in Ayahuasca - 23 replies

WAKE UP!

George — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 20:08:18 GMT

Its time for all of us to take a stand and fight for what is right. Our world needs to realize that they are sleeping on their feet and that there are attrocities being played out everywhere, in our own fucking country! We will not sumbit to this dehumaniztion. We have a voice and it must be heard. Dont let the powers that be control your life we are amazing creatures god damn it and our lives have value. Why do we continuely claw on top of each other to "earn" this monopoly money, this green paper that has NO value, there is no gold or anything of "value" backing this currancy up yet we still strive for it. WAKE UP! GET ANGRY! DO SOMETHING WITH ME!

www. zeitgeistmovie. com

posted in Ayahuasca - 36 replies

The 2nd Annual Ayahuasca Monologues

andym — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 23:09:53 GMT

http://www.realitysandwich.com/ayahuasca_monologues

From the same site:

http://www.realitysandwich.com/ayahuasca039s_global_concern

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

A couple of podcasts about the Ayahuasca experience

andym — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:49:14 GMT

http://www.realitysandwich.com/node/642

http://www.realitysandwich.com/interview_itzhak_beery

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Psilocybin therapy for cancer depression/anxiety

andym — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:34:56 GMT

Johns Hopkins are investigating the effect of mystic experience on cancer patients who are "feeling down" or anxious about their cancer. We evoke this experience with psilocybin, a psychoactive substance found in mushrooms used as a sacrament in some cultures, given in a comfortable, supportive setting. Questionnaires and interviews will be used to assess the effects of the substance on consciousness, mood, and behavior.

www.cancer-insight.org

Maybe they should try Ayahuasca as well?

posted in Ayahuasca - 16 replies

Biggest Snake Discovered

Geert — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 08:13:19 GMT

I am fascinated with our serpent brothers and sisters, so I thought this was amazing. I met a great anaconda during my ayahuasca experience. Perhaps it's spirit was captured in the heart of the Banisteriopsis vine. As the vine coils itsself around the tree as the anaconda does.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090204-biggest-snake-fossil.html

"The world's biggest snake was a massive anaconda-like beast that slithered through steamy tropical rain forests about 60 million years ago, says a new study that describes the ancient giant.

Fossils found in northeastern Colombia's Cerrejon coal mine indicate the reptile, dubbed Titanoboa cerrejonesis, was at least 42 feet (13 meters) long and weighed 2,500 pounds (1,135 kilograms). "

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Can the Blind have visions?

Toc — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 06:09:40 GMT

???? I know their physical eyes dont work, but how does this effect the minds eye ???? Would someone blind from birth have visions? What would they see?

posted in Ayahuasca - 49 replies

Ayahuasca in the Amazon a father and daughter journey together

andym — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:42:42 GMT

http://www.maps.org/news-letters/v14n1-html/ayahuasca_amazon_father_daughter.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

The Ayahuasca Foundation

andym — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 04:44:54 GMT

The Ayahuasca Foundation was conceived in the spring of 2008 by Carlos Tanner, an american and long-time student of curanderismo. The Foundation is the culmination of four years research and experimentation into how best to spread the ancient wisdom of Plant Spirit Medicine. Carlos has led healing retreats since 2004 and has assisted with the teaching of his six-week Ayahuasca Initiation Course since the first course in 2006. He recently directed the Amazon Curandero Seminar in April 2008. In the organization of this special event, he met with and drank ayahuasca in ceremony with numerous curanderos, and in February 2008 he was given the honor of manifesting the Ayahuasca Foundation into a reality. He quickly set out to acquire the proper certification to be a recognized non-profit organization in both Peru and the United States, to secure the funding for the prelimenary stages of the project, and continued to let the concepts and ideas flow into the project. The right people have arrived at the right time, and the project has advanced miraculously in a very short time. We have all arrived at the right time, for we all have a role in the events that are about to unfold. Ayahuasca can help us understand our individual roles, as it has and continues to help Carlos and the dedicated Ayahuasca Foundation staff.

It is our strong desire to educate as many people as possible as to the potential of the human spirit, and the inter-connectedness of all spiritual beings. We hope that you will contribute to this education effort, even if it is simply informing your friends and family about ayahuasca and encouraging others to visit this site or do their own investigations into the science of plant spirit medicine. Humanity has many challenges ahead, with global warming drastically altering our environments, war and violence destroying our communities, power and greed decaying our life philosophies and the lives of our children, and many people feel overwhelmed with despair, but by again finding our spirits and reconnecting with nature, we can remember that love truly does conquer all. With our spirits guiding us, peace will prevail over the earth, and the spiritual traditions of ayahuasca and plant spirit medicine will show us the way back to our spirits, back to health, and back to harmony with all beings.

http://www.ayahuascafoundation.org

posted in Ayahuasca - 2 replies

Interview with Francesco Sammarco

andym — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:12:44 GMT

http://releasethereality.com/elmundoprinto.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca in Modern Mechanics, 1932

adam — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:38:41 GMT

Haven't really posted or been involved with this community in a while, but thought I'd share this link, a short article from a 1932 issue of Modern Mechanics that mentions Yage:

http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2009/02/02/drug-said-to-cause-clairvoyance/

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca and other entheogens video

andym — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:57:23 GMT

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=DD7QYL1u848&NR=1

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca and Using Ayahuasca video

andym — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:35:30 GMT

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=RUEhV67pj8E&NR=1

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Ayahuasca experience in Peru on Youtube

andym — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 06:21:21 GMT

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=eLPfg_Jrj0E

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Percy Garcia Interview

andym — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:52:07 GMT

An interview with Percy Garcia, Curandero from Iquitos Peru.

http://undergrowth.org/percy_garcia_interview_by_rak_razam

If you go to the bottom of this webpage you can download the entire article in PDF format.

This one may be of interest as well:
http://undergrowth.org/talking_with_kevin

Here are some more interesting interviews by Rak Razam
http://undergrowth.org/blog/shazaman

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Bruce Parry from the BBC taking Ayahuasca

andym — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:44:48 GMT

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/amazon/2008/01/bruce_prepares_to_take_ayahuas.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/amazon/2008/01/the_ayahuasca_ceremony.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/amazon/2008/01/mother_ayahuasca_versus_bruce.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/amazon/2008/01/a_conversation_with_a_snake_1.html

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Interesting Ayahuasca blog

andym — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:04:36 GMT

Mandala Journey: Entering the Labyrinth of Soul.
Entering the realm of La Medicina, and inviting the spirit of Ayahuasca to guide my path.

www.mandalajourney.blogspot.com

posted in Ayahuasca - 0 replies

Does Ayahuasca work with other plants?

inspeyere — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 19:38:34 GMT

A friend of mine had interesting experiences recently working with San Pedro, which is normally a very subdued experience, but came on with intense jungle images and alot of ayahuasca energy.

Do any of you know of ayahuasqueros that also work with San Pedro, and if the 'lines of communication' get crossed as a result?

posted in Ayahuasca - 25 replies

CAUTION! Miguel Kavlin, shaman acting inappropriately and out of integrity

julia — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:43:22 GMT

On June 7, 2007 I attended an Ayahuasca ceremony with Miguel Kavlin in Asheville, NC. The experience I had with Miguel was deeply disturbing and I am choosing to post my experience because I believe it is important that women and communities are aware of Miguel’s tendencies to try to seduce and take advantage of women who are in ceremony with him. I want to make it clear that I am in no way attempting to demonize or bash Miguel. However, there is a serious problem with the way in which Miguel has been and is carrying out his shamanic practices

The Ceremony

To spare the reader all the lengthy details, the short version of what went on between Miguel and me, is that he made advances toward me directly after the ceremony while I was still intensely experiencing the Ayahuasca medicine. While I was incapacitated to the point of not being able to walk about easily and at times was seriously contemplating the possibility that I might never come back to sanity, Miguel constantly played the line between presenting himself as a guide to "help" me through my experience and as a potential lover who was putting the moves on me. He repeatedly encouraged me to "lay beside him," which eventually I did. He then threw his leg over me, as a lover would do, which I turned away from. When he got up to finally help another ceremony participant who had been vomiting for a very long time, he kissed my cheek and said he would be right back, again as a lover would, after which I sat up, disgusted and disturbed. After that he kept attempting to persuade me to lie down again. He began caressing my back and hips to "comfort me." Later, as he was again caressing me around my waist and hips, I realized his hand was on my inner thigh under my skirt, at which point I pushed his hand away aggressively. Eventually, close to day break, I told Miguel that I thought I probably should lie down and that I was going to lie down on the living room couch, emphasizing that I wanted to be BY MY SELF, which I did and at which point he went up to his room.
My experience is not an isolated event, just two days after my experience another woman from my community had a disturbingly similar experience with Miguel. As in my case, this woman also had a second cup of Ayahuasca late in the ceremony and Miguel was conveniently there to "help" her through her experience where he constantly tried to persuade her to "lay" with him and made her extremely uncomfortable.

My Concerns

First of all, it concerns me that Miguel has made and makes advances towards women while they are still under the influence of the medicine, to the extent of having intercourse with them in some cases. For myself, like I said, I was incapacitated in many ways. It was difficult to move. I felt insane. Visions, images and sensations were constantly bombarding me. Throughout parts of the experience I felt extremely sensual and even erotic, which is not an uncommon experience with the Ayahuasca. As far as the erotic nature of the medicine goes, Miguel’s actions glimmer in the light of something akin to using a date-rape drug. Even if this explicitly erotic or sensual element is not present, the space of being altered is a vulnerable and susceptible place to be which seems obviously inappropriate to be putting the moves on someone when they are in a vulnerably altered space.
This brings me to another of the huge factors, which is Miguel’s role as the guide and leading shaman of the whole ceremonial experience. In my situation, his intentions were absolutely blurry between assisting me through an intense experience with the medicine and making romantically/sexually motivated advances toward me.
Since this experience of a role's ambiguity plays into power it brings up the concern that Miguel's actions are a gross exploitation the position of power and status that he holds as a "shaman." Making advances towards women under his guidance takes advantage of the almost innate desire for people to seek special attention and treatment from a teacher, mentor, guide, or leader.
Another concern of mine is the possibility that Miguel has a predatory pattern of how he chooses women to attempt to seduce. Seeing the similarities between my experience and the other woman's from this community is disturbing.
Lastly, I want to mention the disappointment in Miguel for his lack honesty about what he is doing and his tendency to lie about, rationalize and belittle the reality of what he is doing. I have experienced his tendency to say what people want to hear and to say what ever he needs to protect himself and not admit to anything that would endanger his reputation.
In the days following the ceremony I attended, I realized that I needed to have a conversation with Miguel and express to him that I felt his actions with me had been totally inappropriate, had made me uncomfortable and that I felt they were absolutely out of integrity. A lot of my concern was for other women who he might have or would put in a similar situation as mine. On his last day in Asheville, I did end up having this conversation with him. I confronted him straightforwardly with these above-mentioned concerns. His immediate reaction was a defensive, "All I did was hold your hand." I quickly corrected and reminded him of what actually happened. Although he made me feel listened to from that point on and assured me that he "apologized for anything he may have done that had made me uncomfortable," just days later he sent a defensive email to our community claiming that he "did not improperly touch or impose himself on anyone," and that he only "held hands and embraced a couple of us," negating and belittling what had really gone on.
When I asked about other women who, as he put it, he got a "calling" to "hold," he lied and implied to me that he would and had never slept with women directly after ceremonies. He also directly lied to the other woman who he was inappropriate with when asked these kinds of questions about the nature of his other relations with women.

I do not want other women to have to go through what I went through. I feel that women deserve to be warned before contemplating entering into ceremony with Miguel. I sincerely pray that this issue can be resolved, and that Miguel and other shaman’s who are engaging in this kind of manipulative and out-of-integrity behavior can see their behavior and motivation for what it is. I don’t think this is a small issue. I think it is a big issue. I think it is a complete misusage and dishonor of the Mother and of our grandmother Ayahuasca, and of the sacred tradition of ceremony.

From my heart to the community, Julia

posted in Ayahuasca - 166 replies

Ayahuasca, Anacondas, and DNA

Patrick — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:34:22 GMT

HOOO

How many people have seen anacondas or DNA with Ayahuasca? I'm curious to know, because supposedly its a reoccurring theme. My shaman said I would see anacondas and the ayahuasca vine, I saw both of them. I saw an anaconda and it turned into a vine. Then the vine turned into the coiled DNA. Back into a vine and into an anaconda again. From there I could see inside the anaconda. His entire ribcage spread out like a platter and his internals. Saw many other things, but this stands out to me the most. I was wondering if anyone else had anything similar?

-Pat

posted in Ayahuasca - 4 replies