What is San Pedro cactus?

San Pedro - Trichocereus pachanoi

The oldest cacti date back 20.000 years ago. Its special looks are because of its ability to survive extreme dryness and heat. The thorns are of course the most qualifying characteristic of cacti, these are actually leaves without any moisture, which turned them into thorns. They are also to protect a cactus against bright sunlight and being eaten by animals. But, some kinds do not have thorns and protect themselves with poison/drugs. Examples are the Peyote, Sunami, Pata de Venado, Pezuna de Venado, Tsuwiri, Bishop's cap, Aztekium Retterii and Astropytum Astrias.


Huachuma

Mitch Schultz, director of DMT: The Spirit Molecule, invites you to join this 45 minute excursion deep into the heart of the Peruvian rainforest to experience the magic of the 3000 year old plant medicine: Huachuma. Distilled in the lost tradition from the San Pedro cactus by the last master Huachumero, Huachuma was the sacrament that formed the foundation for pre-Incan civilization, the Chavin. Follow Aubrey Marcus (founder of Onnit) and a group of friends in this moving meditation that reveals the true transformative power of this sacred technology.

Preparation of San Pedro Cactus










A San Pedro Ceremony with Leslie



San Pedro aka Trichocereus Pachanoi is the most well known from the Trichocereus family. According to researchers like Backeberg the Trichocereus has 47 kinds, which al originate from South-America. Others say there are just 13 kinds. Besides the T. Pachanoi some other kinds do also contain mescaline. The amount of mescaline depends on the specie and age of the cactus.

Botanical

The San Pedro is a cactus with pillars with 4 to 9 ribbons. It grows quite fast, has a strong root system and branches of from the base of the stem. The San Pedro just keeps growing until it succumbs under its own weight. The fallen cactus will in nature root again and produce many new branches. This is why San Pedro is used as a grafting stem for other, difficult to grow, cacti.

The older the cactus gets, and the more heat it has withstood, the more mescaline it contains. This is to be found right under the 'skin'.

History

In 1960 Turner and Heyman found that San Pedro contains mescaline and called this cactus Opunita Cylindtica. The name San Pedro originates from the idea that apostle Petrus is the keeper of the key to heaven. This shows how strongly the catholic religion has influenced other religions, habits and ideas.

San Pedro cacti were (and still are) used by Indians from the area around the Andes: Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. Use has hallucinogenic experiences as effect, which is needed be able to do specific predictions and to trace spiritual causes for diseases.

Chemistry

Mescaline (3,4,5-trimethoxy-B-phenethylamine) percentage : 1 to 10 % of dried material (Erowid).

The San Pedro contains besides mescaline also tyramine, hordinenine, 3-methoxytyramine, anhalaninine, anhalonidine, 3,4-dimethoxyphen-ethylamine, 3,4-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-B-phenethylamine and 3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxy-B- phenethylamine.

Effects

Approximately 1-2 hours after consumption the San Pedro will reveal itself to the user; effects can last 8-15 hours. Effects can be amongst others: extreme sensitiveness to light: being able to see and feel every ray of light and see people and things 'radiate'. Forgotten memories can return, being able to hear and see sounds and voices from far away, seeing the 'magic light'. Besides that, emotions come out as laughing, crying, screaming, feeling pleasure, fear, love, love for everything that is and everything that is not.

The effects of San Pedro are in many ways more pleasant than those of peyote. To begin with, its taste is only slightly bitter and the initial nausea is not as likely to occur. When the full psychotropic experience takes hold it is less overwhelming, more tranquil and not nearly as physical as that from peyote.

Medical use

San Pedro has no commonly accepted medical use. But it has been used in a medical sense by several Indian tribes: by consuming this cactus, the unknown causes of a persons disease can be traced.

Usage

The traditional use of San Pedro is cooking (for a long time) the pieces of a whole cactus with some herbs added, like micha (Brugmansia suavenolens) and cimorillo (Coleus blumei). The additions depend on the results intended by the shaman.

Nowadays cacti are eaten dry. Dry them in parts of 1 cm thickness and put them in the sun. The thorns and the wooden stem are not to be eaten. Best is to grind the edible parts into fine material. This is to avoid stomach problems. Between 20 and 50 grams is consumed of which the skin is the biggest part, often with water and citric acid to support a good assimilation by the body. Best is not to eat six hours before you start eating this cactus.

Contraindications

As with other psychoactives, eating San Pedro also gives a hangover before the actual trip starts. Fever, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting could possibly occur, but will disappear within one hour or so.

Warnings

Make sure you always have an experienced but sober person with you, for support and safety!

The active compounds lead the user into a hallucinogenic trance which is comparable to a psychosis. So whatever you do, don't drive a car or participate in traffic otherwise. Only take San Pedro when you're in a safe and familiar environment. Never trip by yourself. When things go wrong Seresta or Valium can help to bring fears down to an 'easy to handle' level.

Growing

San Pedro loves warmth and light. On the hills where it usually grows the soil contains many nutrients, so add now and then some plant nutrients, but not too much because it still is a cactus. Giving it some extra water on warm days is really helpful. When you grow the cactus indoors, behind a window on the south-side is best. The first requirement is that sunlight comes through it.

San Pedro is easy to grow and easy to multiply. To start growing means choosing between starting with seeds, a cutting or a plant. The plant only needs water and some nutrients. A cutting has to dry first (it has a cutting wound) and root in the ground before it starts growing, this can take up to a year.

Growing from seeds asks for a lot of time (years) and effort.

Source : Erowid


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Breaking through Life's Density

Humanity is in the throws of a truly sensational transition. More and more people are waking up and beginning to fully release themselves from "the drama". We're feeling into the blocking density, not retracting in fear and denial, but beginning to penetrate and break out. Steadily, progressively, we're realising our magnificent light. However, its not an easy ride. To attain the lightness of being to truly launch ourselves into multi-dimensionality we have to make many breathroughs. In particular, we have to process and release our karma. So what exactly is karma and what is its purpose? Here's a point of view based on my own personal experience...

Karma: A Learning Experience

Our universe is moving to ever increasing vibrational harmony. We're seeking and finding ever finer ways of experiencing pure presence. In order for us to do this, every aspect of consciousness must be harmonised - because everything is interconnected. There is one unifying web. Just as in nature, if a vibrating fly lands in the middle of the spider's web, the spider at the centre is going to feel it no matter where on the web the fly is.

We've come from a place of maximum separation. When the universe miraculously exploded into being, it attained maximum multiplicity of form. As consciousness flowed outwards like ripples on a vast ocean, the vibrations of energy slowed down and condensed into matter - a superlative illusion of separation from the 'All That Is'.

And we as Unity Consciousness - the glue binding the separation together - dreamed an opportunity: to infuse ourselves as apparently separate souls into the multiplicity of form, forget our true nature and fully identify with the separateness.

The Master 'Plan'

It wasn't a plan as such, although to some, it may have seemed that way. It's simply the case of 'the One', exploding into being, through interrelated flows of consciousness and then losing itself in the relativity. In other words, becoming identified with the illusion of reality. In a way, karma is what makes the illusion seem real. It creates the experience we're having, the harmony we manifest; until we process what we need to, break through and create a higher harmony.

In forgetting ourselves, over time, we re-awaken and remember again. Thus we gain a taste of the miraculous. A feeling and positive experience of the everything that we are - pure harmony, unity and interconnectedness. Things that can only be experienced having first tasted absolute isolation.
In our departure from the unifying presence, our decent into darkness was rapid. We contravened all the natural laws of the universe. In our exploitation, we shaped reality according to our selfish needs and desires. In so doing, we built up eddy currents of convoluted and blocked energy within the natural flow. So compelling, nightmarish even, were these eddy currents that our very souls became swallowed up into them.

Karmic burden

It's not our fault that this happened of course, as individual souls, we are protagonists in a much greater story: the One coming from consciousness through unconsciousness - bringing light into the darkened recesses of the universe. We are (unfortunately!) at the front end of that. I say 'unfortunately', but of course the breaking free - back into the Source - is the most sublime, the most exquisite of experiences. It's what makes life living.

But even we - as Unity Consciousness - couldn't begin to dream of the distortions we'd take on; the actions we would perpetrate against other sentient beings. Take for example humanity's treatment of Mother Earth and the animal and plant kingdoms.

So we built up negative energy - a karmic burden - as a result of our actions. Upon leaving an incarnation at death, the soul moves into the angelic realms to review its life experience. It takes with it the energy it generated in the previous incarnation held within the causal body. It relives the experiences in a non-judgmental way. From a higher, non attached perspective, it gets to relive all the choices it made and the effects on other sentient life.

If there is confusion, lack of understanding and self acceptance in relation to what the soul perpetrated, then that energy remains in the causal body acting like an anchor and preventing ascension into the higher realms. This 'ballast' is our karma and it must be processed out if we are to proceed higher.


Confronting the good the bad and the ugly

It is also important to realise that karma is identification - both to the 'good' and the 'bad'. It is a common misconception therefore that by performing 'good' actions we will store up 'good' karma which will help us advance. Ascension is about non-attachment to physical experience. Full stop. The soul will inevitably ascend into higher harmonies when there is no mind trying to shape events and circumstances.

The only way to process this karma is to reincarnate and reconfront the experiences. So we choose another incarnation and take the karma with us in our causal body. The karma is now the consciousness that manifests externally and shapes the outer world creating a mirror by which we can now see ourselves - assuming of course we choose to look!

In the reconfrontation, we're being invited to bathe in the pain of the past life event and not identify. We're being invited once more into the temptation of separateness and resultant ignorance so that we may instead make the higher choice and thereby transmute the eddy currents of energy holding us. It is done by experiencing it again, but in the midst of the experience, coming from the place of pure presence and directing in the harmonising light of Unity Consciousness.

A personal sharing

I'll share an example from Chris Bourne's personal story:

"I was once drawn into an experience to test my trust in the divine order of things; to see if I could remain connected to absolute presence in the midst of excruciating mental, emotional and physical pain. It happened on the battlefields of World War Two. I strayed into a minefield, but I trusted absolutely in the divine and that I would guide not only myself, but also my colleagues through it to safety.

However my faith was blind. Yes with my right, intuitive side I could feel to proceed, that if I stayed present, I would find a way through safely. Although I trusted in the divine, I didn't trust in my own ability to sense the divine. With my left side - the physical embodiment of the divine - I was clumsy, insensitive, underdeveloped. You can imagine the outcome. I lost my left leg and injured the right. Furthermore, others who trusted me suffered too.

So in this lifetime, once more I awoke to the divine order of things and trusted in the directing flow of Unity Consciousness. However, I retained the karmic energy in my causal body. This created a life of insensitivity to the divine through my physical body. I trusted in guidance but was still clumsy in applying that guidance.

It manifested frequently through vocabulary. I'd know what the natural flow of the moment was and what the universe was inviting me to say, but found difficulty in articulating in a way which would empower, inspire and uplift others. I frequently found myself pushing buttons in other people and exploding emotional mines!

As my vibration raised, I found myself time and again activating emotional touch points in the people around me. It tested my trust in the divine and in myself to the limit. But I did trust and I did activate and confront my limitation. I worked through the inner density as it manifested in my life's journey in the outer world. Consequently, I now find myself with increasing physical sensitivity. I find I can more accurately navigate the emotional minefield of spiritual awakening with fewer unnecessary explosions!"

No need to Remember

It is important to say that we don't have to remember the events and circumstances of the past life to process the energy. We simply have to experience the karma again. This will happen naturally. It can be done through purposeful regression therapy such as that we conduct here at Openhand. However, it is also essential to say we don't have to undertake regression therapy to process the karma. It will happen naturally of its own accord if we keep raising our vibration, peeling away inner distortions and following our true pathway in life.

It is also vital to say that we won't process the karma if we're not ready for it. Regression therapy will be completely ineffective if our vibration isn't high enough to expand into the causal body and to hold presence there. This can only be fully possible when the density in the lower three bodily vehicles (the physical body, the emotional body and subconscious mind) has been mostly transmuted. There is no short cut on the path of self-realisation.

Riding the Thermals

Whether we know it or not, we're all here working to activate, confront, process and release our karma. It is only this which will truly make a difference to our lives and our evolution. Without it, we will simply keep recreating the same drama albeit with different circumstances.

Our time has come. A wave of human souls is moving into the higher vibrations. It's time to delve deep inside, to break up the density contained in our energetic fields. It's time to break out and ride the thermals into the higher vibrations, towards our next higher evolutionary state.

It is not an easy undertaking. However, we are each seeded for success and although at times life may get very tough, it is through these trials and tribulations that we attain true mastery. It's all about transcendence...



About the Author:

Openhand is the name we’ve given to the Benevolent Consciousness of the Universe. It is that energy which works within the weave of the fabric of life, helping to unravel karmic blockages, infuse soul and thereby catalyse spiritual evolution. Openhand works as a synchronistic mirror, revealing what is holding us back and how we can take our next evolutionary leap. Openhand Foundation works on behalf of this energy, helping ground its presence in this realm.



Connect with Open at OpenhandWeb.org and Facebook.com/OpenhandFoundation.


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A study published in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice reveals that Zen meditation and its secular sister, mindfulness meditation, effectively reduce depression, anxiety, and pain—and are “beneficial for general psychological health and stress management in those with medical and psychiatric illness,” its authors write.

It’s the latest of many studies suggesting that a practice honed by Japanese monks in remote temples 1,400 years ago can combat such maladies as breast cancer, asthma, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, HIV, PMS, and irritable bowel syndrome.



Mindfulness meditation trains the brain to release fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions. This lessens stress and boosts the immune function, as thoughts and emotions actively shape our brains, for better or worse.

“Mental activity requires neural activity; neural activity sculpts neural structure,” says neuropsychologist Rick Hanson, founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom and author of Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom . As new neurons form constantly, he says, “changes in the mind associated with changes in the neural system leave lasting traces in the structure of the brain.

“Neurons that fire together wire together. Mental states become neural traits.”


Like a wet washcloth, “the mind takes the shape of whatever it rests upon. If you routinely rest your mind on self-criticism, anger, or anxious rumination, your mind will take a negative shape.”

MRIs reveal that even eight weeks of mindfulness meditation create a “positive shape”—structural changes in the hippocampus “that calm down the brain’s alarm system,” Hanson notes.

That’s surely why, in 2007 alone, health care providers advised more than 6 million Americans to use meditation and related mind–body therapies, according to a Harvard Medical School–affiliated study released last year.



Could an ancient spiritual practice put antidepressants, painkillers, and other pharmaceuticals to the test?

“Mindfulness-based approaches may effectively replace medications for some patients,” asserts University of New Mexico associate professor of psychology Bruce Smith, who led a 2008 study examining meditation’s powers against depression, stress, binge eating, and pain.

“Of course, medications are readily available, well marketed, and fit with the value our society places on quick fixes,” Smith adds. “The challenge regarding mindfulness is to motivate people to practice enough to where they begin to really see the benefits.”

Hanson instructs those under his care to start by meditating just one minute per day.

“One,” he says, “is infinitely more than zero.”

Reference : Zen Medication : Can Meditation Heal Us


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On a spiritual path, some of us are often confronted by difficult experiences which seek to awaken the warrior spirit within us. A peaceful warrior who stands up for a cause which affects more than oneself and acts from a place of awareness of the true self. According to the Random House Dictionary, the term "warrior" has two meanings. The first refers to "a man engaged or experienced in warfare." The second refers to "a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness, as in politics or athletics." The term "warrior" is often associated with images of power, confidence, accomplishment, integrity, chivalry, honor and integrity.

Given the darker, survival driven side of human nature, it has and still is common practice for some individuals, tribes, cultures, corporations and nations to use raiding, theft, looting and plunder as a means of gaining wealth, power or even survival. It is also intrinsically true that those from whom they take do not give voluntarily. Thus, some cultures have a warrior class that act as raiders while others have a warrior class that acts as defenders or protectors. In fact, the warrior class often serves both roles, sort of like taking turns. It may, in some cases, even become a sport of sorts even developing an ad-hoc set of rules. Regardless, the strongest and boldest warriors are generally admired and enjoy an assortment of privileges within their own group.

In our culture we think of medieval knights as generally being honorable and noble (except for the black knight, of course). The truth is somewhat less romantic.

"We have ravaged women, burned houses, slain children, exacted ransom from everyone, eaten their cows, oxen, sheep, stolen their geese, pigs, capons, drunk their wines, violated churches……..For God's sake, let us march on the pagans!" -- Bertrand Du Guesclin- Legendary Fourteenth Century Knight

Regardless of the moral or political correctness of a warrior; all warriors have a few basic things in common:

They are disciplined, both internally and externally. Without discipline, they could not stay alive long enough to call themselves a warrior.

They develop mental focus. No one can develop essential skills of dealing with life, protecting one's self or facing a foreboding opponent with an unfocused mind.

They develop an attitude of persistence. They have to face difficulty, pain, discomfort, discouragement, fear and the prospect of failure and utter doom without quitting. All struggle and conflict is settled in the mind before it reaches a physical resolution. If their resolve wavers, failure and defeat are certain.

They train. Imagine that you found yourself in a gunfight and to your surprise, the clips in your gear don't fit your gun. Do you say, "Uh.. Excuse me! .. Uh.. Can we have a time out? I brought the wrong bullets!" Or, imagine that you are facing a warrior with steel in his eyes and his sword coming your way. Do you pause and think, "Uh.. let's see … which hand do I hold the sword in … and … uh … which end of the shield is up?" If you don't train, you don't develop the skills that you need to survive … and you die!

All of these traits apply to the Spiritual warrior as well … and for the same reason.



There is a difference between a warrior and a soldier. A soldier is trained to follow orders, to respect authority, and to subjugate their individual thinking process and will to the command hierarchy. A warrior, in contrast, is more autonomous and independent. A warrior engages in battle out of personal choice rather than because of obedience to orders. A warrior is capable of making moral judgments and acting accordingly. A warrior is flexible and adaptable; able to act independently as well as be a team player. A warrior takes responsibility for his or her choices and actions. A warrior is a person of compassion who understands pain and the consequences of action. A warrior understands the horror of war and does not seek it. A warrior understands that glory is only for fools who bask in their own illusions. A warrior, however, when engaged in a righteous cause, fights with such skill, passion, intensity, and brilliance that victory is assured.

Victory and defeat are a matter of Spirit more than of body. One is never defeated as long as his Spirit is not defeated or broken. When a warrior falls in battle without surrendering or giving up, his Spirit grows stronger. When a warrior survives the battle without surrendering or giving up, his Spirit grows stronger. Of course, most warriors prefer surviving.

War is a terrible wasteful folly in which there are no true winners. War brings out the best and worst in all of the players. The only ones who can be said to be winners are those who have strengthened their Spirits by overcoming adversity through will, sacrifice, and self awareness. Those who find courage in the face of extreme danger can be said to be winners. Those who face impossible situations and survive through the supreme application of will, keen focus, and Divine inspiration can be said to be winners.

Many are damaged by trauma. They lose parts of themselves by compromising their principles and morals or by facing situations too terrible to be acceptable or through fear. War is very messy and often morally ambiguous. The winners and the damaged often turn out to be the same people. A few rare individuals, through training, accomplishment and enlightenment develop the inner strength to face danger and horror without becoming damaged, cynical or crazy. These few have earned the right to be called warriors.

The term "Spiritual warrior" has been used in a variety of contexts and has been adopted by a variety of individuals who may not share a common understanding of the term. In general, a "Spiritual warrior" is someone who embraces the more noble personal attributes and strengths associated with warriors in general. In general, a "Spiritual warrior" is someone who masters him or herself, and overcomes personal desire, moral issues, and all weaknesses of character. In general, a "Spiritual warrior" is someone who embraces a journey of self discovery in order to benefit others as well as enlighten him or herself.

Some martial arts traditions maintain a system of ethics and honor and pursue a path of self mastery. Others emphasize combat, competition and fighting. Being a fighter does not make one a Spiritual warrior.

Some military organizations have a creed of honor and service as their core guiding principles. In the fog of actual warfare these may become lost, ignored or forgotten. Being a soldier does not make one a Spiritual warrior.

Being a Spiritual warrior has nothing to do with physical battle, making war, fighting or being mean and tough. The battle of the Spiritual warrior is the mastery of one's self.

Being a "Spiritual warrior" means a life commitment. It means the embrace of discipline, study and long intense training sometimes at the sacrifice of comfort and convenience. Being a Spiritual warrior also means understanding your principles and not compromising them. It is easier said than done.

Awareness of the Spiritual Warrior

The first and most vital tool of the spiritual warrior is awareness. It is easy to we think we are aware, but pure awareness has no thinking involved. It has no thinking because it has no interpretation. Awareness is to perceive with clarity the truth of what is happening without interpretation or opinion. In a moment of awareness the dialogue in the mind stops. We are “seeing” from a point or view separate from the reasoning part of our mind. This could be described as an epiphany. Practiced seer’s live in this awareness in every moment.

Awareness is essential because it is the state of consciousness that allows us to discern between the facts and the Truth, and between the story and the lies in our mind. The realm of our mind is filled with false perceptions and false beliefs. While the mind can be very clever with stories and lies, it is the consciousness of awareness that is the discerning intelligence. We may use very intelligent reasoning to make a decision that is not good for ourselves. Only to look at it in hindsight and realize that we discounted indicators that told us otherwise. This can be done in something as simple as a stock investment. The mind is clever, but it is also full of assumptions and limited paradigms of perception. Conscious awareness allows us to see clearly instead of be blinded by these false belief paradigms.

Self awareness is the clarity to know who and what you are, and not get caught up in self important images of ourselves. These self important images in our mind distort our sense of who we are. False images can lead us to low self esteem and self confidence, or they can take us into being self centered. If you have an idea of who you are, then consider that you are not that idea in your mind. You are the one creating the idea, and observing it. Self awareness that you are not any of those images in your mind is essential to becoming free of self importance.

Courage of the Spiritual Warrior

The courage that makes for a good soldier also makes for a good Spiritual Warrior, but the intent becomes completely different. A soldier has courage to face a challenge that may bring physical harm. The Spiritual warrior has the courage to question challenge his or her own beliefs. By challenging our own beliefs we can dissolve the lies that cause our suffering. To challenge our own beliefs requires courage because it means the end of our illusion of safety. When other people challenge our own beliefs we are usually quick to defend. We defend them even if they cause us to suffer. As a warrior we learn not to defend what we believe, and then to challenge those very beliefs ourselves. In this way we are able to sort out the truth from illusions.

Discipline of the Spiritual Warrior

A soldier has discipline to follow orders and continues on when faced with challenges. The Spiritual Warrior’s discipline to continue on with their path when faced with challenges from their mind. It is easier to follow orders as a soldier, because we are threatened with consequences and rewarded to motivate us. This is in line with our years of conditioning. A warrior must have the discipline to practice deal with their own mind without someone else providing the motivation with carrots or sticks. A warrior must exercise their own will at the command of their heart, not an outside authority figure. This often means going against the fearful opinions in our mind that tempt us with illusions of punishment and rewards. We must also have the discipline to follow our own heart even when tempted by another person’s opinion. This way of living requires disciplined practice.

The Love of the Spiritual Warrior

A soldier has a commitment to love his/her country. The Spiritual warrior must have the commitment to love him/her self. The warrior then extends that love to humanity. The commitment is required because in our journey we will certainly fumble and fall many times. It is in having a strong commitment that we get back up again. It is common to fall to judgment. It can be easy to love some people, particularly the people that like us or treat us well. However, it requires a tremendous commitment to love in the face of those that reject us. This commitment will cause us to challenge our beliefs about our judgments and not being compassionate. We must be committed to love beyond our own self-serving interests of what it will bring us. This is how we will become happy beyond our current paradigm of beliefs. In time we become committed to love for the sheer enjoyment of expressing love. This becomes our commitment. We nourish ourselves with the love we express. A warrior acts in this committed way, even when challenged.


“Only as a [spiritual] warrior can one withstand the path of knowledge. A warrior cannot complain or regret anything. His life is an endless challenge and challenges cannot possibly be good or bad. Challenges are simply challenges. The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” - Don Juan


References :

• Spiritual Warrior
• 9 Ways to be a Spiritual Warrior
• Characteristics of a Spiritual Warrior

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