Updated 2 years ago
Ayahuasca devotees these days face a fundamental question. Where do first-timers go? How do people get into it? Do you brush up on your Quechua and spend thousands on a flight to Peru, or do you go find some shaman fresh off the plane from Lima who doesn’t speak English, grasping a Tupperware full of the good stuff on a hill within view distance of downtown Santa Monica, afterwards offering you your own bottles for the low low price of a $1,000?
If you want a real shaman™ in a personal ceremony, these are basically your two only choices.
If you are willing to step away from that, there are two directions to go – Organized Religion, and DIY/friends/Local Area Networks.
Between these two are what I’d call the Wildcatter/Suppliers.
On one side, you have massive networks of people, established, organized religions such as the UDV and Santo Daime. While the UDV is more modern and ecumenical, the Santo Daime is more traditional, old school Catholic, and involves men and woman wear certain outfits and sit separately. Things like that.
On the other, you have do it yourselfers and experimenters, many of whom are making it up as they go along. They order all the ingredients online and mix it up at home. Some may be forming cults, or doing things like “helping the addicts” by putting opiates in their brews. Humans never change. Back in the day upstart shaman initiates of old would put Datura in their mix to raz up their power, make people “fly,” only to overdo it and fall to earth Daedalus style in a crisped husk of burning airplane glue glory.
To fill out the ecosystem, in between, you have all the wildcatters, suppliers, and websites that offer counselling and training such as this one:
To All Those Pouring Ayahuasca and Other Plant Medicines Without Legitimate Training: Please Stop
The website, based in Los Angeles, may very well have good intentions with indigenous staff. I do not know them and for the purpose of this article it does not matter. What matters is that the link actually sells training, so of course, of course, it’s going to denigrate the DIY crowd (which may very well be deserved) and of course, it’s going to advocate training, and guess what, it will step in and offer the training for the low low price of $150/hour.
No matter the intention, someone is trying to sell something to you.
Capitalism always has a way of polluting the waters, doesn’t it?
This is why I left advertising.
“Training” is problematic because to our Western mind that opens the door to Bikram Yoga style $10,000 certification.
And finally, “indigenous staff” isn’t a panacea. Humans are humans, and even if you are a “card carrying” shaman you are just as fallible as the next guy.
What matters here, really, is not where you were born, but basic fundamentals, ceremony structure, expertise and experience, and, exactly like the importance of credibility and authority in a hypnotherapist in order to be able to hypnotize patients in a clinical setting, the ability to inspire confidence in the attendees.
And this ability is earned, not bought.
Choices upon choices and branching trees. So what do you do? Here is where I offer practical advice to the uninitiated.
Ideally, your first time is with a tested and vetted native of the Amazon. If that is not possible or out of your financial means, I would simply avoid people who you do not know and trust 100% – and seek out people who approach this timeless tradition in the perennial philosophy in an honest, earnest, educated, humble and serious way. Ask around and get references.
Here I will present some general observations I have witnessed about how these ceremonies are structured. Consider it a “best practices” set of guidelines. Keep in mind that as with all entheogenic experience, a good rule of thumb is that 99% of your time should be spent in preparation, both mental and physical. Preparation is absolutely essential. Educate yourself.
Days before, at their home, the shaman makes one drink from his materials, and drinks it themself to test its potency.
Camping in the wilds is perfect for this. Just be isolated, safe, quiet, and comfortable. The location does not have to have a sweeping view of the Sierra Nevadas. Avoid cliffs. Near a shallow running stream of clean mountain water is particularly pleasant.
Obviously, no one eats for 24-48 hours before the ceremony, and absolutely no phenylethylamines/MDMA for a good week before. Each person is screened for this… and for mental stability, physical health, and overall preparedness. Opiate addicts and/or those will psychiatric/heart conditions should be strictly forbidden from this process, and smokers should refrain from smoking at least during the ceremony. Be wary of those on certain medications. Look all this up.
You might also consider bringing a small music player with a recording of “Ayahuasca Songs from the Peruvian Amazon by Luis Panduro Vasquez” available on – you guessed it – Amazon. I generally wouldn’t recommend any other sort of music, at all, unless it is very downtempo. And never loud.
Ideally, and I can’t recommend this enough, the brew is made onsite, over a fire, with everyone helping cut up and shred the vines. This makes it far more of a communal experience, which is the key to making this all work in the best possible way. This will take a few hours.
An ideal time to start is an hour before sunset.
People sit in a circle, on the ground, with straight backs in something at least approaching a lotus position, around a fire, with blankets, and one by one each person introduces themselves and states their intentionality, and asks any last questions. They are reassured that this is a time tested and safe process done by entire villages in the Amazon, man, woman, and child, and that whatever happens, whatever they experience, they are definitely not going to die.
They have all the time they need to express this, but after they are done, they are expected to remain silent from this point on.
The area is blessed with sage smoke, and a prayer is said by the shaman. These will be their final spoken words for the ceremony.
Each person is doused with rose water on their forehead. Incense is lit.
Then the shaman goes around and fills everyone’s cup. Everyone drinks from their cup. It will be very bitter. A “chaser” with water is not a good idea. Just take it. You can hold your nose and/or pinch the top of your lip from the sides, if you must. The shaman may apply rose water to your face, under your nose and/or your chin, to soften the bitterness.
The shaman may or may not have a drum, circumnavigating the circle. As in many things mentioned here, this is where individual practice and preference comes in.
Like a shepherd to a flock, the shaman oversees and cares for everyone, and may have a helper or two to assist with adding wood to the fire, offering napkins, bringing over the bucket if people get nauseous, and with comforting people who may need reassurance and/or moral support.
Throughout the ceremony, the shaman gently encourages good posture but does not force it. As in yoga, good posture encourages centeredness.
The shaman occasionally gestures, moves their chin up slightly, and airly sweeps their fingers from the bottom of the throat, to the chin, making a short inhalation of air.
The shaman might or might not swig and then spit out rose water into the air. This is indigenous custom and has no physical bearing on individual experiences. But at worst, it is nice window dressing.
The shaman will occasionally sing icaros in Quechuan. If the shaman is a Westerner, then icaros can be played from a music player. Not constantly, but every so often.
At some point, maybe an hour, the shaman offers more drink, if the people so desire.
After about 4-7 hours, as people come down, they go to an adjacent, nearby area and have a light bland vegetarian meal that is ready for them by the helpers – such as salad, lentils, light spice, risotto, rice – and discuss their experiences. With a little luck they might have achieved some insight into their intentionality. Eventually, everyone goes to sleep having the most interesting dreams.
The increased positivity and interconnectedness from the healing balm of boosted serotonin levels will last about a month.
The details may vary slightly, but this is generally it. These are timeless recommendations – the overall structure doesn’t ever really change – but If you have any suggestions, please comment below or message me.
Down in the Amazon, for thousands of years, it has been a Wild West free for all with rival shamans throwing sorcery at each other. If you don’t like your village elders and shaman you can say screw it and just disappear in the jungle and start your own village. We should not be surprised this also happens here. Such is the nature of humanity.
This choice, this potential schism, was also seen in early Christianity. In all religions, in fact, eventually. Yes, ayahuasca is only going to keep growing, in the U.S. it is specifically protected by the Constitution as of 2004, so expect big things. Eventually we will see Catholics, Protestants, and judging from Western history, thousands of sects and schisms.
I’m a Bible Studies kind of guy. I like intimacy and prayer groups. Join me in knocking over the moneylender’s tables.
Safety is important. To be safe, don’t get anywhere near this if you are not rock solid mentally stable.
Prepare yourself.
Educate yourself.
Stay laser focused on your intentionality.
Beware of charlatans.
Beware of becoming a charlatan.
The information provided here is presented “as is” and is not meant as a substitute for mainstream medical advice. Do not ask me where to find any of these practitioners or suppliers of these plants, because I do not know of any. The Internet is your friend.
See also this article by James Kent:
Words of Caution to the Would-Be Shaman
