Psychedelic Adventure: Ayahuasca

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My First Ayahuasca Ceremony : I Had No Idea What I Was Getting Into

From this picture, you may be thinking that I was ready and confident going into my first Ayahuasca ceremony. But this was not the case at all. I was very nervous and had no idea what to expect. I really don’t blame myself because I was in the middle of the Amazon rain forest, where the closest form of normal civilization was miles away, and I was about to take one of the most powerful hallucinogenic substance known on Earth, with people and Shamans I had just met. Luckily for me, some of my family members were with me which gave me comfort, but I knew they were just as nervous as me.

I did do extensive research on Ayahuasca and knew the ins and outs of it. I also did read up on hundreds of experiences to get a feel of what to expect. I realized now that this did not help me prepare much and I really had no idea what I was getting into.

MY FIRST CEREMONY:

It was dark. Sounds of animals were emanating from the jungle around me. I went into the maloka (a place where ceremonies were held) and waited my turn to take a shot of Ayahuasca. It had a deep, dark red color to it and tasted horrible. Imagine drinking boiled tree bark. I was sitting there waiting for the trip to come on. After about 15 minutes I could hear the jungle sounds getting more and more vivid. I was becoming more and more aware of how much stuff was actually going on around me. The jungle noises were furthering my experience. The birds, insects, monkeys and whatever else was out there created a jungle symphony. It was like I was aware of the jungle and it was aware of me.

Then things started to get a tad bit insane. I started to see these tribal snake like patterns. The only way to describe these visions would be to say that there were these intense, vivid, colors behind my eyes. But it wasn’t like watching TV, I was fully immersed in these visions and at the time seemed as real as reality itself. These snakes started to wrap around my body and I started feeling this immense pressure in my body and in my forehead region. It was as if these tribal, vivid colored snakes were squeezing my body. Surprisingly I was not too frightened by this, but it was very intense, uncomfortable, and a lot to handle.

Then I started to really lose my grip on reality. I was freaking out. This all was too much to handle. After this point I am not sure if the events are in correct order; I just have memories of extremely intense moments. The Icaros (songs shaman's sing) had not begun yet, and I was waiting for it. It felt like eternity, and I was thinking this whole thing was a sham. I kept asking in my head why they weren’t singing. I started losing my grip on reality. I was lost in this crazy world of absolute darkness, and did not have a ground on reality. I was terrified. Then the Icaros began. It was very odd and profound at first. I was wondering how someone could sing something so beautifully, but I was still freaking out. I was thinking there must be a mic and speakers somewhere I couldn’t see. My senses were extremely heightened and this could have led me to think this.

Then things started to get really insane. Keep in mind that during an Ayahuasca ceremony you lose your perception of time. Everything got magnified by a billion. When I say everything I am referring to everything in my awareness. Every thought I had was leading me to the exact same feeling of being magnified a billion times. I completely lost my sense of reality and had no idea where I was. I was stuck in some cycle and I felt like I was going around a race track at the speed of light, over and over again. To say it was extremely overwhelming would be an understatement. At this point, I was terrified and I thought I would be stuck in this loop forever. It truly felt like an eternity. While all of this was happening, I was also throwing up vigorously, and moaning at the top of my lungs. It felt as if my insides were my outsides and my outsides were my insides, almost like I was turning inside out from within.

The more I yelled, the more I would hear a voice telling me to be quiet, and calm, saying I was disturbing others. The more I heard this voice, the more I wanted to yell. It was just pure insanity. I had no idea where this voice was coming from or who was speaking. It was like a roller-coaster ride, and I kept moaning as I was launched higher and higher. There was such a vivid smell of the Ayahuasca coming out of my body when I was throwing up. It was almost kind of nice, and I will never forget that smell. I kept trying to find peace, but I couldn’t. It was too overwhelming, and I couldn’t handle it. I would moan, throw up vigorously, be so overwhelmed, throw up some more, cry, and then laugh about how I was stuck in this cycle. It really felt like an eternity. A voice told me to focus on the Icaros. As I did, it guided me through, but I could not focus on it with all my effort. My reality was too distorted.

It felt like an eternity. Finally, I started getting moments of peace, and when I found that first moment of peace, I knew everything was okay and that I was fine. I was still going through this cycle, but I had moments of peace. These moments of peace were getting longer and longer. I finally felt this calm feeling. It was okay, and I was okay. Then I was getting a grip of myself. I started drifting toward reality. The rest of the trip was pretty smooth. I kept thanking Richardo (the Shaman) in my head for guiding me through this and making it easier. I was so grateful that I had a grip on reality. I became tranquil. I was like “wow, how did I survive that?” I was so glad I did.

The ceremony finished. I walked outside, and it was so bright. The moon and stars illuminated the atmosphere. I started to understand that I had to focus on myself and not worry about others. This worry from my experience was what I do subtly in real life— worry about what other people are thinking too much. I feel like this is why my experience was extremely rough. Ayahuasca was cleaning me of that. Apparently I was only going through that cycle of throwing-up and moaning for about 15 minutes. To me it felt like I was stuck in that cycle for eternity. I went to bed but couldn’t fall asleep properly until the sun rose.

I was in Peru for 9 days and partook in 5 ayahuasca ceremonies. My trip to Peru completely transformed me and the way I view life. It was a very difficult, terrifying and uncomfortable experience to say the least but the gains I got from it heavily outweighed the pains. I really understood myself more on a whole new level and developed this sense of inner peace which is still growing till this day. This is just a brief overview of what happened in my first ceremony. I went a lot deeper into the experiences in the ceremonies that followed.

You can check out my book “Trip to the Infinite – The Ayahuasca Experience” available on amazon.com to learn more about what ayahuasca is; how it affects your mind, body, and soul; my detailed ceremony reports explaining what exactly happened to me in the South American Jungle; and the ways in which I transformed afterwards.

I also included some ways to prepare if you are looking to have an ayahuasca experience of your own.

Author : Amar Sahota, http://asahota.com/

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Reassessing Life in Deepest Peru

Cosmic ૐ Oneness Ayahuasca , Consciousness 0 Comments

AFTER some 18,000 kilometres of travelling, consisting of five flights, a bumpy two-hour drive, a boat ride and an exhausting trek, I finally arrived at my location hidden deep in the Peruvian Amazon. The journey I would go on shortly after my arrival, however, would take me far beyond anywhere else I had ever been.

The plant medicine Ayahuasca has been used in South American shamanic cultures for thousands of years, yet only now are Westerners, like myself, learning of its incredible powers which fuel one’s curiosity to take the strenuous journey to drink it.

Ayahuasca is a psychedelic brew comprised of two natural ingredients which are boiled together for three to four days: first, the chacruna leaves which contain large quantities of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a naturally occurring chemical produced in the brain. Consumed alone, the DMT would be broken up by a gut enzyme, which is why the second ingredient, the banisteriopsis caapi vine, is vital as it switches this off.

When combined and then consumed, these two induce an intense visionary state which takes you on an internal journey of around four to five hours, delving into the subconscious mind, stripping away the ego and the layers of conditioning picked up throughout your life, subsequently providing new perspectives, thought patterns and information.

I had not taken any drugs before, and nor can Ayahuasca rightfully be labelled as such. Though a Schedule I/Class A drug in the United States and Europe respectively, it is in no way addictive. In fact, it is notorious for curing long-term drug addictions and dependence on harmful anti-depressants. Taking Ayahuasca is not for a thrill-seeker looking to score a good time, it is a demanding ordeal and there is a fair amount of preparation involved in terms of research, diet and lifestyle.

My intentions were purely for self-development and the exploration of consciousness. As a curious deep thinker, my aim was to learn more about this incredible computer we have in our heads that we know so little about and use so little of. I wanted to travel inside the subconscious where, whether we like it or not, emotional clutter is not only stored but plays an active role in our decision-making, as well as to gain clarity on some long-standing dilemmas swirling around my mind.

Under Ayahuasca, the entire brain region where we store emotional memory is hyperactivated and therefore we can access deeply hidden memories and subsequently rewire the brain to create new, more positive thought patterns.

Held in a ceremonial setting in pitch darkness in a round hut called a Malocha, you are provided no shortage of warnings that your first experience will be dark and unpleasant; after all, Ayahuasca’s purpose is to get to the root of deep lying issues, phobias, harmful personal traits, and present them to you in such a stark way that you will be led to reexamine them.

Despite a grueling three-day journey with very little sleep topped off by being woken up from a brief nap to join the ceremony, my first time, strangely, was quite the opposite.

I walked into the Malocha and took my place on one of the vacant mattresses dotted around the room. Soon enough, I was called by the Shaman to take my cup of the brew. I had read all about its horrific taste and texture, and it was no overstatement. Imagine if you will, a tar-like thickness, black liquorice flavour and the bitterness of ten espressos rolled into one tall narrow cup.

It typically takes 30 minutes to an hour for the visionary effects to kick in. Sitting in a meditative pose awaiting to be flipped into another dimension, my heart began to race. After about an hour, I noticed my perception begin to alter.

After some initial unpleasant images which left me feeling slightly queasy, I was fortunate to feel the positive effects of Ayahuasca from my very first experience.

Upon coming into contact with an intense female energy, I was swiftly led on a tour of a serene jungle where nature was brimming with life. I soon felt myself begin to vibrate with my surroundings and eventually became immersed with all the plants, trees, rivers and animals around me, experiencing that much fabled ‘oneness with everything’.

It is important to stress that this is not like a dream state where you are simply watching images sail past, you are fully conscious and the vision state is felt fully, in fact, more intensely than everyday reality.

With this, a spontaneous outpour of tears began gushing from my eyes in what felt like a rebirth, a reconnection with the feeling of pure love and elation which, prior to my trip, I had lost touch with as a result of becoming constantly worried about the future, fuelled by my rather harsh levels of self-expectation.

The brew is made from plants found in the jungle
The brew is made from plants found in the jungle

In shamanic culture, Ayahuasca is commonly referred to as ‘abuelita’, or little grandmother, and is described as an all-loving female energy, the spirit of Mother Nature manifested into this plant to assist humanity, with whom many come into contact during their experience with the medicine.

Rather than a sequence from one to the next, visions in each ceremony are unique, as I would soon find out. In stark contrast to the first, my second ceremony saw me submerged into a gloomy underworld – I had the feeling that I was sinking into my mattress and ended in a room where serpents slithered past my body and sewer water flowed beneath me, bringing about a strong need to purge. These nightmarish visions would go on even after the ceremony had ended and I had returned to my cabin.

However, any rough experience you may have, Ayahuasca’s purpose is to bring you onto a noble life path and the shedding of jealousy, lust and other malignant traits picked up throughout life. ‘Bad trips’ tend to be a visual representation of negative tendencies and vomiting is a fundamental part of shedding certain emotional baggage.

In our society, we are quick to brand or slander something we have little to no knowledge of, and Ayahuasca, a mind-altering brew which takes people into different states of reality, certainly has not escaped this treatment.

Governments, media and pharmaceutical companies, whose industries rely on a passive and obedient general public, are quick to brand such substances as drugs, a sentiment which has precipitated into the minds of most. Research into psychedelics gathered momentum in the 1950s but once their benefits came to light, they were quickly thwarted by the aforementioned trio.

A mere mention of psychedelics is often met with startle or suspicion, yet our society is not without its mind-altering drugs, they simply are not presented as such. Sugar, cigarettes and alcohol are the cause of millions of deaths every year but are perfectly legal, in fact incessantly hammered into the public psyche. After all, they serve the current system to a tee while Ayahuasca, on the other hand, will shatter the illusion that this power structure maintains.

We are at a point in time where much of humanity has lost its way; our ego-dominant culture has made us numb to the treatment of animals, our environment and our fellow human. We squabble for temporary power and possessions and have consequently lost touch with soul and spirit.

But like an organism producing antibodies at a time of illness, psychedelics like Ayahuasca have resurged in the West in similar fashion at a time where our society needs healing the most. If we are to claim to be an advanced society then the way in which these plants are represented must change and more intelligent debate must take place.

Opening ourselves up to Ayahuasca and its worldly benefits could be the key to liberating ourselves from this mental cage we have unknowingly trapped ourselves in.

Author : Andreas Vou

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Ancient Shamanic Teachings for Harmonious Living

Cosmic ૐ Oneness Ayahuasca , Consciousness 0 Comments

Modern society and our educational system has little or no understanding of the underlying spiritual fabric of our existence on all planes across all space-time.... Ancient shamanic teachings which are still practiced and followed by a few people in our world today beckon us to awaken to our deep connection with all there is .. to go beyond our fears of the spiritual realms and to understand our true nature, as consciousness ... divine and omnipresent.

The word Shaman is an English translation of the Tungus word Saman. The Tungus are an indigenous people of Siberia located in the Altai Mountains. The literal translation of the Tungus word Saman, means, “To know”. Other research indicates that the word Shaman was derived from earlier peoples, perhaps even the Vedic people of northern India. One such example is that the Tibetan word for a Buddhist monk is Samana.

Regardless of the words true origin, it has come to represent on a global level all that practice Shaman like techniques.

Shamanic teachings show us how to rewrite our stories about our lives, to do what the shamans call “dreaming the world into being.”

These invaluable Shamanic teachings, known as The Four Insights, were kept under wraps for a very good reason. The Laika realized that this knowledge about our capacity to manifest our dreams is tremendously powerful, and could be easily abused by those lacking ethics. Nevertheless, these devoted “Earthkeepers” recognized that the Four Insights belong to all people on the planet, not just to the Inka. When they met a white person who did not possess the arrogant, hostile mindset of the conqueror, they were willing to share their wisdom teachings for dissemination to the world.

The Four Insights

The wisdom of the Laika Shamanic Teachings consists of Four Insights, each of which has four practices that allow us to move beyond mere understanding to actually experiencing shifts in perception that help us transform ourselves and our world.

Insight 1: The Way of the Hero
Practices: Non-judgment, Non-suffering, Non-attachment, Beauty

Insight 2: The Way of the Luminous Warrior
Practices: Fearlessness, Non-doing, Certainty, Non-engagement

Insight 3: The Way of the Seer
Practices: Beginner’s Mind, Living Consequently, Transparency, Integrity

Insight 4: The Way of the Sage
Practices: Mastering Time and Keeping a Secret from Yourself, Owning Your Projections, No-mind, Indigenous Alchemy

Through the Four Insights, you’ll learn that there’s a spiritual solution to every problem you encounter in the physical world, in your mind, and in your soul. You’ll learn that you can’t eliminate scarcity in your life by getting another job. You can’t heal feelings of abandonment or anger by understanding your childhood wounds. You can only fix these problems at the level above the one in which they were created.

When we shift from one level of perception up to the next, we retain our ability to function at the lower realm, but we still retain that wider view of what we’re experiencing. Einstein said, “Problems can not be solved at the level at which they were created.” Being able to shift to a higher realm of perception can help us to find solutions to our problems, resolve conflicts, heal disease, and experience oneness with all of creation when, before, we were experiencing distress and separation.

If you want to begin living your life differently and perceiving your experiences through new eyes, it’s important to go beyond mere understanding of the insights and actually follow their practices.

Condensed from Alberto Villoldo’s introduction in his book, The Four Insights ...

Alberto Villoldo’s best-selling book, “The Four Insights.”

Taoism has its roots in Shamanic Teachings. As a result this means the Personal Tao site also offers a collection of spiritual teachings to help people explore a modern Shamanic Life. Experiencing the movement of spirit is something that goes beyond physical words. The materials on this site are just a starting point for people on their spiritual journey.

While modern culture has many preconceived notions of what a Shaman might look like, it turns out shamanic teachings are much more varied than what people think. Shamanic teachings are not out of place in this modern world. In fact, the exact opposite is true, shamanic teachings offer tools to help a person find a healthier lifestyle and perspectives that balance the sensibilities of a modern life.

Many different “maps” and paths exist in shamanic teachings. Julie and Casey help shamanic students access and then begin exploring the spiritual aspects of life. We first teach a person a larger overview of Shamanism. Then based on a person’s nature, help each person focus down a path that matches their soul.

Spiritual activities appear magical to many, since in perspective how we see spirit varies so much from person to person. Yet no one can deny the larger mysterious universe that goes beyond our day to day stories of life. This larger reality around our physical base essence is what is known as “Spirit”. It’s the desire to move with connection to spirit and explore the spiritual worlds that calls to us in shamanic practice. Shamanic practice is an art of lifestyle that connects a person’s heart back to nature and to the roots of our history. Shamanism is the art of helping each person connect to and expand their life with spiritual exploration.

How do Shamans perform their Work?

Shamans primarily perform their duties on an energetic level, meaning that they take into account a “mind, body, spirit” connection when performing their work.

The basis of Shamanic technique is to honor the life system as a “whole”. Instead of addressing challenges as a symptom, a deeper cause for that symptom is sought. Many times it is a matter of speaking to the patient to identify direct life factors that play into a particular problem. A Shaman may very well provide practical counsel; however the treatment is centered around performing energy work and ensuring that the patient is provided support for on non-physical levels of reality.

Shamans utilize several techniques to perform there work. Some of the more common techniques are journeying, chakra based and dimensional energy work, meditation, counseling, performing ceremonies, and entering altered states.

What is Journeying?

Journeying is leaving "this world" reality to enter the "Otherworld" while in the altered state of “ecstasy”. It is the actual traveling through the various levels of the Worlds: Siberian Shamans have 9 levels and usually travel on the back of a goose or a horse. American Indians have 3 levels and travel in accompaniment with their totem guides. African Shamans, depending upon the tribe have multiple layers of the Otherworld and travel with their ancestors. Although each culture has their own methods of traveling they all have some kind of journeying to the Otherworld.

According to Tom Cowan, when a Shaman journeys he/she is letting their spirit leave their body to journey to the astral plane or spirit realm. There are many ways of obtaining this state of ecstasy or altered state. This altered state of consciousness has many levels including full awake, dreaming, and daydreaming. Unlike drug induced or dreamed realities, Shamanic journeying is intentional, focused and directed at all times. (Pocket Guide to Shamanism pages 111-112)

What is a Guided Journey?

A guided journey is a learning journey. It does not necessarily have to begin with the ecstatic state; often it can take place in deep sleep or in a guided meditation. A guided journey occurs when a spirit guide or animal guide (totem) takes control of the dream and "guides" you to where they want you. A guided journey is not always pleasant. This is where the Shaman learns more about him/herself and grows into their powers, it is where they meet and grow to know their guides and spirit teachers. It is also where they face their fears and overcome them so they are able to journey into the Otherworld and battle spirits.
What are the Principles of Shamanism?

The Basic Truths of Shamanism

Basic Truth ONE
All power comes from within - (We are all equally connected to our source).
Everything has power and all power is equal. Just the levels of which the person can control the power makes it look like some are stronger than others. Power comes from authenticity. This means you must have faith or trust in your own authority/ability. In other words be confident. One must be grounded and centered. It is very important to understand that your personal power comes from within and it is not outside of yourself.

Basic Truth TWO
Everything is relative and connected – (Microcosm / Macrocosm – Interconnectedness is truly universal).
In other words, cause and effect. You can not do anything without it affecting something. Positive thoughts and energy have positive results. Negative thoughts and energy destroy positive results. Example: If you attempt to control a force of nature/spirit world it will rebel. Nothing likes to be controlled. You need to learn to work as an equal partner with all. Man, nature, and the spirits are all connected for we all are all made of power.

Basic Truth THREE
The Shaman’s world with its 3 planes, Upper, Middle, and lower (read about them on page 35-36 in Celtic Shaman) is what you make it – (We operate on all dimensional levels, even though our energy is focused primarily on the physical)
This reflects upon your ability to use your power to understand that there are no limits to what you can do. In other words, the Shaman that says I can do this is the one that can.

Basic Truth FOUR
Effectiveness is the yardstick of ability – (Self assessment and introspection are a key foundation and life is about building a sustainable foundation of practice).
If you make it happen then you have gained the skills to make it happen. Just because you couldn’t make it happen doesn't mean that it can't happen. It only means you may not have found the right way yet. Do not get down on yourself just because you have not yet accomplished something.

The Aspects of Balance

There are 4 aspects of balance. These are mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. This means not going over board in any area of your life. At times, tunnel vision can be an asset but only for the duration of the need. It is important to learn not only how to be balanced, but how to balance those you are healing. Shamans endeavor to heal all aspects of the individual.

The Mental Aspect
This is how we process energy with our conscious thoughts.
Shamans need to understand how the person gets information and how certain information affects the person. Criticize someone too much and all they hear is that they are a failure. Tell them that they are doing better because of the results you see, and they will assist you in helping themselves heal even faster.

The Physical Aspect
This is how we process energy with our bodies. This reflects how we take care of ourselves. A healthy body allows the Shaman the strength to journey. You may be thinking I journey with my mind, which is true, but all is connected, -everything affects everything-. We need to reach high levels of physical strength and stamina to journey to the Otherworld and do the healing we are here to do.

The Emotional Aspect
This is how we process energy through our reactions to others. We all let others effect how we react, though we are the ones in control of how we react. First impressions are a good example: most know right away if they like someone or not. But what most don’t think about, is why we don’t like them? We need to look at the whys. You will usually see yourself in there someplace.

The Spiritual Aspect
This is the processing of the energy of our souls or spirits. Sometimes this is the strongest and least controlled energy in our four energy system. Spirituality is living in harmony with the 4 points of the medicine wheel, which represents your material life, as well as your non-material life. It is believing in something that is greater than a single human body. It is also everything we believe without affixing labels to them.

How Does One Learn to Become a Shaman?

There are two traditional kinds of instruction a Shaman receives and many forms a neo-Shaman can use. The traditional methods as stated by Mircea Eliade in his book Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy are:

1. Ecstatic
2. Traditional

Training by the ecstatic method is through visions and dreams. Often the apprentice spends months, even years in solitude living in a cave or forest in a most deplorable manner. This instruction is given by previous ancestors, spirits and guides and involves an initiation in the Otherworld. The conditions lend themselves to the ecstatic state through starvation and isolation. This is one reason why there are so few Shamans and why the lineage is not being continued in the hereditary manner.

Traditional training is usually done by the current Shaman as he or she tries to produce an heir for the tribe. Often a Shaman will spend 20 or more years training his or her apprentice. The traditional training includes the names of spirits, history of the clan (tribe); herbalism and other skills Shamans need to do their work.

Neo-Shamans sometimes try to glean the information they need from various books, seminars or Shamanic schools. They can however receive traditional training if they find the right teacher and are qualified to do so. In today’s world, there are fewer Shamans than ever before. The balance of the realities lies in the Shamanistic work being done. The lack of current Shamans is evident in the imbalance being seen in this world today. So the traditional teaching of apprentices is being allowed now by those few Shamans who have the proper mind and heart to keep the practice clear and focused on its own purpose.

Please keep I mind that the path of Shamanism is not a hobby or something to be taken lightly. If one embarks on this path without guidance, protection, and the proper mindfulness, one can cause harm to others as well as themselves.

References :

The Mirror of Spirit : Ayahuasca Documentary Film

Cosmic ૐ Oneness Ayahuasca , Documentaries 1 Comments

João Meirinhos created a compelling and sublime documentary that reaffirms the power of the world's greatest traditional medicine, Ayahuasca. Assembling an impressive cast of traditional practitioners, aficionados and western converts, 'Mirror of the Spirit' bubbles like the brew itself to reveal the essence of the ayahuasca experience. And, like the ayahuasca vine, it entwines the viewer with an authentic and compelling message that is hard to resist.

Grounded in strong ethnographic roots, 'Mirror of the Spirit' captures the spirit of this eclectic mix of contributors all of whom have been transformed by the power of the medicine in a myriad different ways. Once again we are reminded that the message of Ayahuasca is more relevant today than at any point in our history.

- Gavin Searle

Research questions:

- Why are, nowadays, mostly foreigners interested in going through the harsh processes of shamanic initiation?
- Do Western and Amazonian shamans share the same cosmological views about the possibility of life after death?
- Has the replacement of religious beliefs for science, reason and capital left a metaphysical void in modern societies?

For more information please visit: - www.facebook.com/mirrorofthespirit or contact: [email protected]

With the academic and technical support from the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology / University of Manchester.
Many thanks to all the Kickstarter campaign backers, especially Associate Producer Lily Spencer.
Dedicated to the inspiring memory of Pablo Amaringo and Terence McKenna.
World Premiere at the World Ayahuasca Conference 2014 in Ibiza.
All sound and images were collected during fieldwork.

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Preparing yourself for an Ayahuasca Retreat

Cosmic ૐ Oneness Ayahuasca , Healing 0 Comments

Taking part in an Ayahuasca retreat can be a life changing experience and preparing for your first Ayahuasca session is critical to the efficacy of this powerful jungle medicine. The following article shares more light on the things to keep in mind before you take Ayahuasca ...

Recent scientific discoveries have shown that certain foods are contra-indicated for the type of spiritual practice that we will be engaged in. These foods increase the probability of purging, nausea, headache or increased heart rate.

We recommend that you avoid these foods for 3-7 days prior to drinking ayahuasca.

You can read about the MAPS research into diet here.

As a general rule: foods that are aged or fermented to enhance the flavor are to be eliminated. Examples: blue cheese, roquefort, parmesan, romano, cheddar, smoked brie, etc. miso, braggs, soy or tamari sauce, sardines, herring, smoked fish, chicken livers, snails, red wine, vermouth, beers (including non-alcoholic), strong coffee, chocolate, cream, yogurt and sauerkraut. As much as possible omit salt from your diet.

Other food types to avoid include: Dried fruits, canned figs, raisins, walnuts, overly ripe bananas, avocados, beans (particularly broad beans such as fava or lima). Nutritional yeast, Brewer’s yeast, all vitamins, any supplements and protein drinks containing the amino acid TYRAMINE.

All the above foods contain high quantities of the amino acid L-Tyrosine that produces the contra-indicated chemical tyrosine in the body that causes the potentially negative reaction. This substance can be stored in the body for up to three days. Avoiding the above items is highly recommended.

All narcotics, barbiturates, antihistamines or analgesics, ephedrine (in some herbal stimulants and cold remedies and often times included in Chinese herbal remedies), and alcohol must be free from your system prior to drinking ayahuasca. Any prescription or other drug use must be discussed with the Spirit Vine facilitator prior to sessions.

We suggest abstinence from reading newspapers, watching TV, etc. the day of the session and as many days before as works for you will help to purge your mind of unwanted thoughts and influence. Practicing meditation is an ideal form of preparation.

It is also recommended to abstain from sex before during and after the retreat. Sexual orgasm is an intense energetic shift in the body’s’ energy field and it has been said by some shamans that it can create leaks or allow in other energies. By sealing your aura and energy body during an ayahuasca experience, the spiritual energy will remain intact within you. There are many schools of thought on this and we recommend at least three days abstinence before and after an ayahuasca ceremony.

These guidelines can assist you in having a more beneficial and enjoyable experience.

Source

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