Several cultures place a high value on shamanism. Several of ancient cultures are still in existence, but because of a lack of knowledge, modern people find it difficult to comprehend what shamans accomplish. They typically conjure up a horrifying image of a man beating a tambourine while wearing feathers to make it Amazon Basin.
We’ve chosen to interview someone who has had experience with shamanistic activities so they can explain how they function in order to learn more about that.
How did you come to the decision to travel to Peru for ayahuasca ceremonies?
Peru was not a last-minute choice. Along with four other people, I ventured deep into the Karelian taiga in the winter of 2011. We continued despite the bitter cold and snow. We were seeking fresh knowledge while being driven by authority. Reaching Mount Vottovaara, regarded as one of Russia’s most enigmatic locations, was the aim of our winter trip across the Karelian forests. It is claimed that whoever succeeds in doing so will receive new information, discoveries, insights, and inspirations. Each passenger receives something special. There, we came to the conclusion that we should visit the Amazon Basin to meet Peruvian shamans, who have been interacting with the spirits of native plants and ayahuasca for thousands of years.
Were you hesitant to enter such uncharted territory? Did you get any special training or information on the subject at the time?
We spent over a year getting ready for our vacation. We gathered a lot of knowledge about the region we would be visiting, about shamans, and about locations where ayahuasca ceremonies were held. Ayahuasca was not as well-known back then as it is today, and there was far less information available online about it. We meticulously planned every aspect of the vacation, including our route. A year later, our group was its route to an uncharted destination while seated in a snow-white airplane.
Did your group have any shared justifications, or did everyone have their own?
It’s crucial to realize that each person makes the decision to travel to Peru to experience an ayahuasca ceremony on their own. Each traveller has their own motivation for taking such a trip. Because of the events that were happening to me at the time, I set out on this quest. Some had their own explanations. Individuals might be looking for a chance to improve themselves or their lives, or they might be trying to find a cure for a sickness if other treatments don’t work. You may learn more about this ceremony at dmt.vision.
Nonetheless, in my opinion, almost everyone who embarks on such a voyage does so in an effort to make a difference in their life, learn something new, or engage in the ancient spiritual tradition, which has all but disappeared in contemporary western culture.
Where may one experience such a ceremony?
Ayahuasca ceremony participants have a number of alternatives. One can visit countries like Peru, Brazil, or Ecuador, as well as take brief retreats in nations like Europe where such rites are permitted. Brazil and Ecuador tours are less well-liked.
A novice may find it challenging to select a center inside his own nation. There might be fewer than in Peru, and it might be difficult to find information on them. For individuals who don’t want to travel far and would want to have the ceremony nearer to home in more comfortable surroundings, brief getaways are held across Europe. This choice, however, prevents one from experiencing the AmazonAmazon Basin ian healing customs in their entirety. These are carried out by shamans who travel to Europe for a while to lead such brief retreats. These ayahuasca ceremonies are held in rented homes, distant from the indigenous people’s ancestral homeland and culture.
This choice is the quickest and most practical, but it is less desirable in terms of the quality of the experience and the chance to accomplish individual objectives and resolve issues. If you have the time and resources, it is preferable to visit Peru to partake in your first ayahuasca rituals and obtain true experience.
So that’s why you decided to travel to Peru, then? What did you hope to get out of doing the ritual?
On the shamanic journey, as I previously mentioned, we had the idea to visit the Amazon Basin Rainforest. The shamans contacted us to impart their knowledge and power. We were persuaded to travel to Peru despite the fact that it is impossible to pinpoint how exactly that occurred.
My interest in shamanism began long before I traveled to Peru. I’ve seen and understood a little more than most people since I was four years old. It is referred to as “to see with the heart” in shamanism. I was left to manage and live with this gift by myself. But Eventually I saw that I needed someone to lead me and assist me to manage this worldview. My first teacher then approached me. He was the one who drove me and the other participants to Peru. I started learning about Peruvian shamanism and the healing practices of Amazon Amazon Basin ian indigenous people in a place where I first ingested ayahuasca. I simply followed my gut and did not make any decisions.
I often advise folks to listen to their hearts when they ask me how to choose a center to visit. This is exactly what occurred to us in 2012 when we flew to the Peruvian Amazon Basin region under the teacher’s guidance.
Tell us about the modern shamans. What is their function, and how should others view them?
A person who wants to learn from a shaman or try ayahuasca should first realize that shamans are just regular people. Many people have a tendency to romanticize everything that has to do with shamanism. I’ve observed a lot of people searching for saints or gurus. You won’t find them there, at least I haven’t personally encountered them, so I apologize if I disappoint you.
A skilled shaman is knowledgeable about spirits, energy, and herbs. Such a shaman can identify the root of a person’s issues, assist them in understanding the illness’s origins, and assist them in understanding what they can do to heal themselves and reach their goals. Many visitors to Peru are unaware that a shaman cannot perform the necessary work for them to alter their lives and heal their illnesses.
Here, people frequently come to obvious realizations, such as the necessity to alter their lifestyle or break undesirable behaviours. During such journeys, people discover the power to alter the things that the ceremonies with the Amazon Basin brew revealed to them.
Throughout Peru, Brazil, and Ecuador, I lived in various centers and studied with shamans. The majority of the shamans in the area are reluctant to impart their wisdom. The preparation for the trip and watching films online about Peruvian shamanism are completely different from the training and communication with people who come to Peru for local shamanic practices. When dealing with foreigners, the local shamans frequently employ techniques similar to those in Castaneda’s works, which can be shocking or upsetting.
It is crucial to respect local customs while on such a journey; avoid judging what is happening from your perspective and instead pay attention to the shaman’s work and advice.
Shamans in reputable, secure ayahuasca centers keep a tight eye on each participant throughout the ritual. Unless, of course, you know Spanish, you can communicate with them during the day with the use of an interpreter.
It is crucial to concentrate on the reason you came to Peru, to heed the shaman’s advice and the guidelines of the centre where you stay, and to pay as much attention to your experience and inner processes as you can. If someone is concerned about something, they may always discuss it with the shaman, who will take into account their current situation and keep it in mind when dealing with them.
Additional information about ayahuasca rituals
Maloka, a particular location that resembles a tent, is where ayahuasca ceremonies are held. It can be either circular or pyramidal in shape. Only at night are the ayahuasca ceremonies performed. Participants congregate in a maloka the night before the ceremony to wait for the shaman who will conduct it to start doling out ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca is consumed by each participant in the ceremony as they approach the shaman. The individual then reclines on his mattress. The ceremony’s participants begin to wait for a result as soon as the lights in the maloka are turned out. The effect is typically visible after an hour. The shaman, known as a curandero in Peru, then starts to sing unique melodies known as Ikaros.
They typically sing Ikaros in Shipibo. The most significant aspect of the ritual is when shamans work with the attendees of the ceremony using these songs. As the effects of ayahuasca wear off after a few hours, the participants return to their homes so they won’t bother one another and may unwind and process their Amazon Basin.
What is ayahuasca, and how is it used? How does it function? Is it true that it produces hallucinations? How harmful to health may it be?
Ayahuasca is a beverage produced from the ayahuasca liana and chacruna leaves. When making the drink, each family may adhere to its own customs and recipes. Shamans typically mix the drink from five to twenty different plants. Without chacruna plants, ayahuasca will have no effect and may merely produce vomiting. Pure ayahuasca is used by some shamans.
Yet, these are simply words, regardless of what you may read or how much your friends may share about their experiences. You won’t get at least 5% of the real experience from any movies, books, or stories. Maybe this is one of those enigmatic phenomena that has no known explanation, and all the stories about it are just shoddy attempts to communicate other people’s experiences or drab chemical formulas.
You must realize that ayahuasca is a spirit for shamans, a living material in the bottom of your glass and that it is safe if you go by certain guidelines, including a monthly diet. Ayahuasca is referred to be a medicine in Peru, where it is regarded as such rather than as a hallucinogenic drink. Depending on the individual, it has different impacts. At the initial ceremonies, they may either be hallucinations or have no effect at all. It is hard to foresee how it will operate.
How long is the retreat? What medical treatments did you have? Where did you reside? How many other attendees shared your lodging with you?
The first full retreat should typically last between 10 and 14 days, but you should keep in mind that the first three days of ceremonies are intended to cleanse the body; the work on your problem doesn’t start until after that. The steps vary depending on the facility you’re staying at.
Together with ayahuasca ceremonies, the centre where we are working right now contains a variety of other practices. They include a rapé ceremony for clearing the throat and nose, flower-showing, herbal steam baths, and much more. Of course, there are also diets that include unique herbs that a shaman chooses for each individual. The shaman links you with the spirit of your plant, which is the most crucial thing he performs for you.
You should lead an austere, solitary existence for the duration of your stay in the facility. There are other participants at the centre, but you won’t be bothered by them because everyone has their own home. Here, we refer to them as taboos. This is a crucial component of the diet. We organize trips for everyone on the weekends at the facility where I am currently employed, which is situated in the highlands close to the city of Tingo Maria. Beautiful caves, mountains, and waterfalls surround this picturesque location. The number of participants often varies from 5 to 20 persons depending on the Amazon Basin.
Did you succeed in getting the intended outcome?
Each experience is different. As a guide, I’ve experienced a variety of things, and it makes me pleased to see individuals get better. When someone has already succeeded in realizing themselves, it is also nice to receive sincere thanks over time. About my own experience, I can categorically state that the Amazon Basin healing methods have given me access to a new universe and assisted me in overcoming numerous concerns and issues.
Do many people oppose this type of medicine? Why do so many people have a bias against it?
The majority of nations throughout the world forbid the use of ayahuasca. It is regarded as a drug. This type of medicine has a sufficient number of opponents. Nonetheless, you should be aware that ayahuasca has been utilized for thousands of years by several peoples and cultures. Ayahuasca is acknowledged as a part of Peruvian culture. Shamans in Peru have a totally different culture from us.
To learn something, you must comprehend that. You should obtain them on your own. Each has the freedom to select their own truths and beliefs. Individuals who travel to Peru for such retreats obtain their own experiences in locations where ayahuasca has been taken for a very long period. And a person can only decide whether ayahuasca is a drug or medicine after having such an experience.
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