Emotions run wild at ayahuasca healing centre in Peru
http://www.straight.com/article-323510/vancouver/emotions-run-wild-healing-centre-peru
May 13, 2010
By Katya Gubarev
I'm in a panic, stumbling into countless palms and cecropia trees.
I'm not far from Espíritu de Anaconda, an ayahuasca healing centre
located in an isolated part of the Peruvian rain forest. I came here
three days ago, taking a half-hour, two-passenger mototaxi ride from
Iquitos, the gateway to the Amazonian rain forest in northern Peru.
My vision is almost completely gone, and I've lost all ability to
judge time or distance since the effects of the ayahuasca took hold.
It's starting to rain, and the sound reminds me of popcorn in the
microwave. It combines with the cacophony of insects to disorient me even more.
Hundreds of people come to Espíritu de Anaconda each year to be
treated with ayahuasca (pronounced "ayuh-HWOS-cuh"), along with a
simple plant-based diet and daily portions of the juices of native
plants. The centre's founder, 62-year-old Guillermo Arévalo, has been
a shaman for more than 30 years. He was raised in a family of healers
from the Shipibo and Aymara tribes that inhabit the Ucayali River
region. He runs the centre with his wife, Sonia Chuquimbalqui, and a
few apprentices. On any given night, the malocaa large, round wooden
hall where the ceremonies take placeholds one to three dozen people
who hope to heal physical and mental conditions and gain spiritual insight.
I've also come to experience the healing process and to discover the
spiritual connection to nature the plant is supposed to provide. Ever
since a knee injury in university and subsequent surgery, my knee and
back have been a constant problem. I'm hoping this treatment will get
me back to playing sports pain-free.
The mix we drink during the ceremonies is prepared by boiling the
ayahuasca vine with another plant, chacruna, to produce a powerful
hallucinogenN,N-dimethyltryptamine, more commonly known as DMT.
Ayahuasca is illegal in many countries, including the U.S., Spain,
and Canada, but is widely used in the Amazon region. The drink's
bitter, viscous taste and texture make you gag, and resulting effects
can include vomiting and hallucinations.
Since ayahuasca was studied by legendary botanist Richard Schultes
about 60 years ago, thousands of westerners have tried it in an
attempt to alleviate everything from alcoholism to depression. It is
also used as a tool for self-discovery and self-awareness. There may
even be a reference to it in James Cameron's blockbuster Avatar. The
ayahuasca, also called by Native users "vine of souls" or "vine of
spirits", is echoed in the film's Tree of Souls. In one of the
deleted scenes on the Avatar DVD, the film's main character
participates in a ceremony that closely resembles those of the
ayahuasca tradition. Although the plant's fame has been spreading
throughout the western world for a few dozen years, the indigenous
people of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil have been using it for
hundreds of years to communicate with the spiritual world and to heal.
When I arrived, I was told I would have my initial consultation with
Arévalo a few hours later. I walked around the centre, sweating
profusely and observing its inhabitants. The air was heavy and thick,
and the 35 ° C heat slowed down my pace.
I passed a solemn group of men who barely made eye contact. A few
dozen Europeans, Americans, and South Americans strolled along the
narrow paths of the 15-hectare territory, lost in their thoughts and
looking like the survivors of a shipwreck. Their voices were low, and
their faces looked worn-out.
When the time came for my consultation, the shaman assured me that he
could help me with my personal issues during the two weeks that I
would be staying there. I was lucky that one of the apprentices who
were staying at the centre at the time spoke both Spanish and
Englishhe acted as a translator during my 15-minute chat with
Guillermo. I told the shaman that my main goal was to be rid of pain,
but that I would also like to learn more about myself in the process.
He listened carefully, sometimes asking for clarification, and
prescribed a plant that would be part of my daily diet.
That night, my first ceremony was uneventful. It began with the
senior apprentice, Ricardo, pouring ayahuasca into a cup for each of
us. After the last person had settled into her mat, the lights were
turned off and the only sounds in the maloca were those made by the
night insects. The chanting started half an hour later, giving the
plant enough time to take effect. Both Guillermo and Ricardo were
singing for each person individually, establishing a connection with
the plant that was necessary for the healing. I was the only one of
the 25 participants who didn't appear to feel any of the usual
effects. I didn't vomit, have visions, or feel any different from
usual. However, the second ceremony the next day sent me blindly
wandering through the forest, feeling like I'd entered other
dimensions and there was no return.
Many people who ingest ayahuasca, like those in the centre's maloca,
experience fearful visions and sensations of death. They scream,
wail, laugh, cry, bark, and become entranced if the potion they drink
is overwhelmingly strong. Under the influence of ayahuasca, it's also
common to feel connected to the universe and gain a sense of total
understanding. Charles Grob, a psychiatry professor at UCLA's school
of medicine, researched these effects and believes ayahuasca may have
potential as a treatment for depression and addiction.
Ayahuasca, however, is not for everyone. Its effects are
unpredictable, and without proper supervision can be dangerous.
For me, every night the "mother plant", as ayahuasca is sometimes
called, brought out something new. Some nights I was calm and
blissfully happy, lying quietly on my mat and smiling at beautiful
colours and shapes that appeared before my eyes. Other nights I had
no visionsonly the physical sensation of falling or spinning, while
my thoughts also spun out of control, leaving me sleep-deprived and
utterly exhausted in the morning. I came to understand why people at
the centre looked so hauntedthe constant inner battles and
revelations were draining.
By the end of my second week, I felt that my mind had been cleansed,
but my body wasn't feeling any better. I still had the knee tension
and back pain I had arrived with. On my final day, I told the shaman
of my disappointment. He smiled at me warmly and told me to be
patient and have faith.
The visitors I befriended all had different resultssome felt better,
and others were instructed to continue their program, either at the
centre or by maintaining the plant diet at home. For many of us,
there were no magical results. But through two weeks, 10 ceremonies,
14 plain oatmeal breakfasts, and one of the scariest nights of my
life, I did get a glimpse of the profound world the "vine of spirits" can open.
Access: Ayahuasca tourism is a thriving business, but many "shamans"
lack the necessary skills and experience. Research the facilities
carefully and get recommendations from those who have already been
there. Talk to your doctor first. Espíritu de Anaconda is located 14
kilometres from Iquitos, Peru. Stays are flexible, and cost US$50 per
day, including Iquitos airport pickup, food, accommodation, plant
supplements, and ceremonies, based on four ceremonies per week, or
US$70 per day based on six ceremonies.
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