Shamans Of The Mighty Amazon - The Dark Side of Ayahuasca

• published: 09 Apr 2015
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Ayahuasca and Amazonian Shamanism An informative and compelling exploration of Shamanic use of Ayahuasca, the extraordinary visionary brew. - Rick Strassman MD, author DMT: The Spirit Molecule Human Future will be designed on how conscious we will be able to make ourselves and if there are plants that can accelerate consciousness then we must seek out and utilize these things. Something could jump out of some unexpected dimension and change everything. - Terrence McKenna Shamans of the Amazon by Dean Jefferys is one of the best documentaries available on the use of ayahuasca in contemporary context, in traditional cultures that are being destabilized by the forces of globalization. As Jefferys' documentary makes clear, the revival of traditional shamanic practices with ayahuasca is proving to be a potent political and propaganda tool for reaffirming and preserving cultural values and identity in indigenous societies that are buffeted by environmental, economic, and societal forces beyond their control. - Dennis McKenna PhD, co-author The Invisible Landscape In a time when indigenous people, their culture and the natural environment are experiencing dramatic changes, this in-depth series of programs examine what these SHAMANS OF THE AMAZON, their hallucinogenic rituals and their special relationship with nature have to offer humanity at this crucial time in history. Discover how westerners around the world are using Ayahuasca and other Shamanic plants to receive knowledge, to understand their relationship with nature and to seek visions of how best to deal with deep personal, spiritual and environmental questions. In a say no to drugs era, there is a new subculture emerging, based on an ancient ritual of hallucinogenic plant use. Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant mixture that is capable of inducing altered states of consciousness, usually lasting between 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. Ranging from mildly stimulating to extremely visionary, ayahuasca is used primarily as a medicine and as a shamanic means of communication, typically in a ceremonial session under the guidance of an experienced drinker. The main ingredient of this jungle tea is a vine, Banisteriopsis caapi, which like the tea itself is also called ayahuasca (which means ‘vine of the soul' or 'vine with a soul’). The secondary ingredient is either chacruna (Psychotria viridis) or chagropanga (Diplopterys cabrerana), plants that contain a relatively high amount of the psychedelic substance DMT. Nobody knows for sure how long this drink has been used. First recorded Western contact with ayahuasca was made in 1851 by Richard Spruce, the famous ethnobotanist from England. When taking into account archeological evidence of comparable native plant use, it seems likely that its use dates back to at least two millennia ago. Ayahuasca induces a psychedelic, visionary state of mind and this effect is employed by various people for various reasons. Shamans or medicine men take ayahuasca to communicate with nature or to see what is causing a patient’s illness on a spiritual level. In Brazil several religions can be found that pivot around gatherings where ayahuasca is taken by all participants. Drinking ayahuasca and singing together takes them into a healing and inspiring kind of trance. In the past few decades ayahuasca is slowly gaining interest from Western society as well. Not only academic researchers in the field of psychotherapy have shown an increased interest. Psychonauts, i.e. people who practice responsible and conscious use of mind-altering substances, use ayahuasca to confront themselves with the richness of the mind, the infinity of the universe, and their deepest fears, so as to experience ecstasy resulting from facing and overcoming these fears. One effect of ayahuasca is that it makes a lot of people vomit and many drinkers get diarrhea. One tribe calls ayahuasca 'kamarampi', which stems from 'kamarank': to vomit. It is also called ‘la purga’, as it purges the body through this physical effect, and purifies the mind through the meaningful psychological experiences or visions. You usually feel totally refreshed and reborn after a strong experience. Although not unique to ayahuasca, there are many fascinating reports about people who have been healed from comprehensive problems, like addiction or depression, during one or more sessions. This, however, can also be achieved using LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, iboga, other psychedelics or various breathing and meditation techniques, and always involves heavy psychological work. Ayahuasca is not a miracle cure in the sense that you drink the brew and all your troubles have vanished within a couple of hours. It is a miracle cure though, in the sense that it brings unconscious and seemingly other-worldly processes to surface, which enables you to work with it while the effects last.