Other than the obvious, i.e. being mindful not to pack your Cannibal Holocaust shirt for your Amazon trip, there are also a lot of mental and emotional preparations involved for such a venture.
First of all, you might notice that I'm not calling this a vacation - this is simply because it's not. This is actually going to be a lot of psychic hard work.
Unfortunately I'm feeling pretty uninspired and weak and anxious right now to keep writing but I thought I'd cut out an excerpt from what our Shaman has written to us, since I think it's a pretty good explanation of what is to be prepared for:
INTENTION
Serious healing and consciousness work with Ayahuasca begins with the formulation and cultivation of a sincere personal intention. Ideally one's intention should be far-reaching and results-oriented rather than merely experience-centered or goal-oriented. Think of your 'intention' as a mission statement for your life.
So, my friends, bring your best to this work ... your integrity, your commitment, a bit of courage, a dash of faith, and most importantly ... love and compassion for yourself and others. Universal love is the foundation of core shamanic principle and practice at its highest levels. If you do this, then you'll realize deep holistic cleansing, healing, transformation and empowerment in the most personal of ways ... remarkably exactly what you need. As the adage goes ... "be careful what you ask for, for you just might get it!"
VISIONS
Although visions are the most often discussed aspect of the Ayahuasca experience, they actually are not the greatest gift of the medicine or necessarily the most important aspect of your work. Visions are a medium of profound, often ineffable communication, but they are not the only way in which these plants heal and teach.
True visions are NOT the same as hallucinations because they have deeper metaphoric or literal meaning and are not illusory. Hallucinations are a construct of the mind and the imagination.
Visions are divine revelations from the consciousness of the heart. Ayahuasca does not automatically bring visions to everyone at the same time or pace. They are a visual means by which a mystical consciousness greater than our own communicates with us beyond the ordinary limitations of the intellect. Ayahuasca is a holistic medicine which communicates far more through the opening of the heart than through the mind.
Some of you may have powerful, vivid and dramatic experiences right away, although the content and intensity will certainly vary from ceremony to ceremony. Others of you may have less intensive visionary experiences or sometimes none at all. If this is the case be patient and don't jump to premature conclusions. This is simply the nature of Ayahuasca and reflects its unique interaction with each individual's personality, biochemistry, and collective life experience. This is an aspect of Ayahuasca that is difficult to explain, but is rooted in its unique ability to penetrate the psyche and soul of each person in the manner most appropriate for their needs.
Ayahuasca, bobinsana, and Huachuma are not drugs. They are whole plant medicines with a wide range of holistic healing and teaching qualities. Their primary function is not to induce but to reveal. Such revelations require a sufficient degree of purification and concentration to realize the fullest benefits. We will guide you in this process. The more one is able to set aside western paradigm, conventional "logic", and fully surrender the control mandate to a higher power, the sooner one realizes a deep and powerful connection with the Great Consciousness of which we are all a part.
First of all, you might notice that I'm not calling this a vacation - this is simply because it's not. This is actually going to be a lot of psychic hard work.
Unfortunately I'm feeling pretty uninspired and weak and anxious right now to keep writing but I thought I'd cut out an excerpt from what our Shaman has written to us, since I think it's a pretty good explanation of what is to be prepared for:
INTENTION
Serious healing and consciousness work with Ayahuasca begins with the formulation and cultivation of a sincere personal intention. Ideally one's intention should be far-reaching and results-oriented rather than merely experience-centered or goal-oriented. Think of your 'intention' as a mission statement for your life.
So, my friends, bring your best to this work ... your integrity, your commitment, a bit of courage, a dash of faith, and most importantly ... love and compassion for yourself and others. Universal love is the foundation of core shamanic principle and practice at its highest levels. If you do this, then you'll realize deep holistic cleansing, healing, transformation and empowerment in the most personal of ways ... remarkably exactly what you need. As the adage goes ... "be careful what you ask for, for you just might get it!"
VISIONS
Although visions are the most often discussed aspect of the Ayahuasca experience, they actually are not the greatest gift of the medicine or necessarily the most important aspect of your work. Visions are a medium of profound, often ineffable communication, but they are not the only way in which these plants heal and teach.
True visions are NOT the same as hallucinations because they have deeper metaphoric or literal meaning and are not illusory. Hallucinations are a construct of the mind and the imagination.
Visions are divine revelations from the consciousness of the heart. Ayahuasca does not automatically bring visions to everyone at the same time or pace. They are a visual means by which a mystical consciousness greater than our own communicates with us beyond the ordinary limitations of the intellect. Ayahuasca is a holistic medicine which communicates far more through the opening of the heart than through the mind.
Some of you may have powerful, vivid and dramatic experiences right away, although the content and intensity will certainly vary from ceremony to ceremony. Others of you may have less intensive visionary experiences or sometimes none at all. If this is the case be patient and don't jump to premature conclusions. This is simply the nature of Ayahuasca and reflects its unique interaction with each individual's personality, biochemistry, and collective life experience. This is an aspect of Ayahuasca that is difficult to explain, but is rooted in its unique ability to penetrate the psyche and soul of each person in the manner most appropriate for their needs.
Ayahuasca, bobinsana, and Huachuma are not drugs. They are whole plant medicines with a wide range of holistic healing and teaching qualities. Their primary function is not to induce but to reveal. Such revelations require a sufficient degree of purification and concentration to realize the fullest benefits. We will guide you in this process. The more one is able to set aside western paradigm, conventional "logic", and fully surrender the control mandate to a higher power, the sooner one realizes a deep and powerful connection with the Great Consciousness of which we are all a part.
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