Dr Jacques Mabit revealed - ENCOGNITIVE.COM medicines and shamanic healing.pdf · another of ayahuasca's many names) ... information downloaded from tbe plants. The Ayahuasca Experience

Since the beginning of human experi-ence, plants have played a role in theevolution of our species, not only in theprovision of food and medicine but also inour deepest spiritual experiences and thedevelopment of consciousness. According tothe ahamans of the Amazon - one ofEarth's last (mostly) unspoiled areas and abastion for deep and intimate plant knowl-edge - it was the plants themselves thattaught us how to heal and know our souls.

On a recent trip to the Amazon,Laurencio Garcia, a Shipibo poet, story-teller, and shaman from Peru, told mehow "at the beginning of time, the junglerevealed its spirit" to rainforest tribes.

"In those days, our ancestors couldstill enter the place where the spirits ofthe animals and forest lived. They couldtalk with plants and animals and share

knowledge of the plants to use for heal-ing. We were one with all Ufe.

"Our ancestors lived like this untilthe Moon Man came and cut the ropethey used to climh into the spirit world.Then we lost our way.

"It was terrible and there was muchsadness. But then we found another wayhack to that world: the ayahuasca vine,which is the rope that we now climb intothe spirit realms."

In the Shipibo tradition, the moon isassociated with the rational mind and itis the coming of science. Western forms ofmedicine, and the victory of dualistic andlogic-based thought over intuition andnatural wisdom which severed ourconnection to spirit. The story of theMoon Man is one which speaks of ourneed to rediscover our spiritual roots by

Dr Jacques Mabit revealedhow one-thirci of the patientswho begin treatment withhim for cJrug addictions arecompletely cured throughayahuasca use, with a successrate as high as 70% for thosewho complete the fulltreatment.' Other accountsinclude remissions fromcancer, cures for deafness,and the lifting ofdepression.^^

using a new rope - ayahuasca - whichwas given to us as a way hack to theworld we once knew.

Ayahuasca: The Vine of SoulsAyahuasca is the most important

medicine of the Amazon. Made from thevine Banisteriopsis caapi and the leavesof the chacruna plant {Psychotna viridis),it is a potent visionary mixture whichopens the person who drinks it to theexperience of the world underlying ourown. Its name, which suggests theseproperties, is derived from two nativewords: aya meaning 'spirit' and htiasca:'rope' - hence it is commonly known as'the vine of souls' or 'the rope of the dead'.

It is prepared hy cutting the vinesinto lengths which are cleaned andpounded, then placed in a cauldron withthe leaves. Water is added and the[iiixture is boiled for 12 hours, overseenby a shaman.

When ingested, this muddy, pungentHquid produces feelings of warmth whichspread from the stomach, creating asense of wellbeing and skin elasticity, asif the skin has become ruhber-like and nolonger separate from the air. After this,there are visionary effects. Images ofsnakes and vines and iridescent coloursare common but, to the shaman's eye,symbols of the diseases which inhabit hisclient's hody are also seen. It is thesewhich enable him, and the spirit ofayahuasca, to heal.

During the visionary phase, purging,in the form of vomiting or diarrhoea mayalso take place. This can sometimes beemotionally uncomfortable for Westernerswho drink ayahuasca. and who have beenbrought up to control their bodily func-tions and not 'let go' Uke this. But it iswelcomed by people of the Amazon, who

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lAiiiiTncio Garcia oversees ayahuasca preparation by participants on oneofthe author's trips to the Amazon.

Parlicipaiits say th-cir prayers and ash [or blessings from ayahuasca brew.

The prepared ayahuasca which is drunk.

helieve that this purging releases 'spiri-tual poisons' which can lead to physicalillness. By clearing out the system physi-cally and spiritually, la purga ('the purge'

another of ayahuasca's many names)restores balance to the .soul and empowersthe hody to fight against disease.

Though these beliefs may seemstrange to us. in fact, many remarkablecures have also heen attributed toayahuasca hy Western doctors. Inan intei-view with BBC Radio 4'sCrossing Continents programme, forexample, Dr Jacques Mahit revealedhow one-third ofthe patients who begintreatment with him for drug addictionsare completely cured through ayahuascause. with a success rate as high as70% for those who complete the fulltreatment.' Other accounts include

The main ingredients in chacruna,

for example, are tryptamines

which, if taken orally, are rendered

inactive by the body's enzymes.

The vine, however, contains MAO

(monoamine oxidase) inhibitors in

the form of harmine compounds,

so when the two plants come

together they complement each

other and a psychoactive

compound results which has an

identical chemical make-up to the

organic tryptamines in our bodies.

The mixture, therefore, finds its

way easily into our brain, and

bonds smoothly to synaptic

receptor sites, enabling a powerful

visionary experience.

remissions from cancer, cures for deaf-ness, and the lifting of depi-ession.̂ '̂

In scientific terms, ayahuasca vine isan inhibitor that contains harmala andharmaline, while chacruna containsvision-inducing alkaloids. It is thismixture which gives the brew its hallu-cinogenic properties.

There are still many mysteries abouthow the shamans knew how to combinethese plants, for. separate from the other,each is more or less inert.

The main ingredients in chacruna, forexample, are tryptamines which, if takenorally, are rendered inactive by the body'senzymes. The vine, however, containsMAO (monoamine oxidase) inhibitors inthe form of harmine compounds, so whentbe two plants come together theycomplement each other and a psychoac-tive compound results which has an iden-tical chemical make-up to the organictr>'ptamines in our bodies. The mixture,therefore, finds its way easily into ourbrain, and bonds smoothly to synapticreceptor sites, enabUng a powerful vision-ar\- experience.

Some, like the writer and 'psycho-naut' Terence McKenna, believe that ourcapacity for expanded consciousness anddeep thought arose directly from theingestion of plants such as these, and thevisionary effects they produced, at a timewhen human beings were nomadichunter-gatherers, barely human at all.and would forage for food and eat what-

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ever they found, or whatever 'spirit'guided them to.̂

Certainly it is true that more than amillion years ago, the human brainunderwent what Rita Carter, in her book,Mapping Ihe Mind, describes as "anexplosive enlargement."

"So sudden was it that the bones of theskull were pushed outwards, creating thehigh, flat forehead and domed head thatdistinguish us from primates. The areasthat expanded most are those concernedwith thinking, planning, organizing andcommunicating. The frontal lobes of thebrain duly expanded by some 40% tocreate large areas of new gray matter: theneo-cortex [and] pre-frontal lobes."''

Nobody knows what caused thisdramatic enlargement, but an expansionin consciousness could be responsible, thetheory being that we would need new greymatter to process and store the visionaryinformation downloaded from tbe plants.

The Ayahuasca ExperienceIn his influential book The Cosmic

Serpent, scientist Jeremy Narby write.s ofhis ayahuasca experiences with thepeople of the Upper Amazon, concludingthat shamans there are able, throughthis brew, to merge with "the globalnetwork of DNA-based life.""

In his ayahuasca ceremonies Narbysaw visions of two gigantic anacondas (the'cosmic serpents' of his hook's title), whichspoke to him without words and revealedmysteries and healing secrets to him.This fired his interest and he began toexplore the consistency of such imagery.The first .similarity he noticed was thecommon image of reptiles and snakes,often a "celestial serpent", that occurs inmany shamanic traditions the world over.

The similarity between DNA, thewinding ayahuasca vine, and the snakeimagery it produces led Narby to suggestthat shamans, through their ingestion ofthe brew, communicate with the informa-tion stored in DNA.

He then began to study the character-istics of DNA and found that it emitselectromagnetic waves corresponding tothe narrow hand of visible light. Thisweak light is equivalent to the intensityof a candle at a distance of ten kilome-tres, but has a high degree of coherence,comparable to a laser. It is fascinating tospeculate that this is the waveform ofconsciousness, and that plants such asayahuasca are the means of making it -and the illnesses which disrupt its signal- visible to shamanic sight.

Clay baths are often taken as a form of purification to prepare for ayahuascd ccrfnionic-

There are certain other plants toowhich, because of their healing effectsand their importance in the initiation ofayahuasca shamans and tbe rituals thatsurround the use of the brew, have alsocome to prominence. These are the plantamaestros (the 'master teachers') oftheplant world, which are key among theshaman's tutelary spirits and guides toheaitb and healing. By knowing theseplants, the shaman can deal effectivelywith the most common diseases of hispeople.

It is difficult to find discrete Westernanalogues for some of these plantsbecause they grow where they areneeded, and the healing required by aLondon banker, for example, will hedifferent from that of a Peruvian farmer.The psychological and spiritual benefitssuch plants bestow, and their ability torestore emotional balance, banish nega-tive energies, or open the heart to love. Flower baths are a traditional nieann of

preparotion for ayahuasca

The blowing of smoke by Ihe shaman into the participan t 's crown (known as soplada^ is aform of healing.

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are desirable in any culture, however, so it is possible to findberbs with equivalent or similar effects wberever we live.

With this in mind, tbese are some of the more commonly\iseA planta maestros and (either singularly or in combination)plants of our own that Amazonian shamans say will producelike effects.

Chiric saimngo grows in the restingas of the Amazon, on thehigh ground where it never floods. Chiric, in the ancientQuechua language, means 'tickling' or 'itchy' and refers to theprickly beat that the plant generates in the patient onceingested. Sbamans often prescribe it for fishermen because theyspend so much time in the water and are prone to colds andarthritis. It is also used in magical batbs to cbange tbe bather'senergy and bring good luck.

Used in the West, the plant has a more psychological effect,but still to do with 'heat'. Here, it enables people to open theirhearts to love (it warms up a cold heart, but will also cool a heartthat is too inflamed with jealousy and rage). In essence, it helpspeople get in touch with their more sensitive and loving sides.

It can be prepared as a tea, in aguardiente (weak sugar canealcobol) or made into syrup by adding its juice to honey. It canalso be eaten raw and is said to better penetrate the bones iftaken in this way.

Mint has some of the properties of chiric sanango and is abalancer of the body's physical and emotional heat. For thesereasons it has been associated witb the planet Venus, whichwas named after the Roman goddess of love.

Guayusa is a plant used for people who suffer from excessiveacidity, digestive, or other problems of tbe stomach and bile. Italso develops mental strength, and is paradoxical in the sensethat it is botb energizing and relaxing.

Shamans say that it also produces prophetic or lucid dreams(when you are aware that you are dreaming and can direct yourdreams). For this reason it is known in tbe Amazon as 'thenight watchman's plant', as even when you are sleeping youhave an awareness of your surroundings. Tbe boundarybetween sleeping and wakefulness becomes fluid, and dreamsbecome colourful, richer, and more potent than before.

In the Western world, bracken, jasmine, or poplar canproduce some of the same dreaming effects. The leaves andbuds of the latter were a key ingredient in the 'flying ointments'of European witches, for example, who used it for what wewould call astral travel.

Ajo sacha is a blood purifier and helps the body rid itself oftoxins (spiritual or physical) as well as restoring strength. Morepsycho-spiritually, it belps to take tbe user out of saladera (a runof bad luck, inertia, or a sense of not living life to tbe full). Used asa bathing essence, it reheves the effects of shock (called nanchiariby Amazonian shamans) whicb can be particularly debilitating tocbildren, wbose souls are not as strong or fixed as an adult's, anda shock can therefore lead to the loss of their energy or spirit.

Western plants witb equivalent uses include valerian andvervain. The former was recorded from tbe 16tb century as anaid to a restful mind, and in tbe two world wars it was used tocombat anxiety and depression. By relaxing the mind, tbe psychecan go to work on tbe real problem, aided by the plant itself.

Vervain, meanwhile, was well-known to the Druids, wboused it to protect against 'evil spirits' (nowadays, we migbt say'inner issues' or 'tbe sbadow-self). It is also used as a treatmentfor paranoia, insomnia, and depression. Once again, by relaxingthe conscious mind we can stalk the more deeply-rooted problem.

The 'Medicine of Love'Against this backdrop of healing and the natural benefits

available from plants - and their spirits - it is depressing forAmazonian shamans that tbe rainforest, home to so many heal-ing plants still unknown to Western medicine, is beingdestroyed by the 'developed nations' witb little consideration fortbe consequences. Every three seconds in the Amazon, an entirespecies is wiped out in the name of progress.

According to Javier Aravelo, a shaman from Iquitos. peopleare prone to such "madness" as a result of confusion, because"they do not know who they are or what they really want".

His point was underlined a few years ago wben be workedwith a group of participants on a trip to tbe Amazon to drinkayahuasca and, prior to tbeir ceremonies, he asked them whatthey wanted the healing to accomplish.

"Most gave spiritual or 'cosmic' answers and spoke of worldpeace and saving tbe planet", said Javier. "And so I asked themagain: what do you want? This time, they were more honest andall of them said that what they really wanted was love.

"This I could understand because their requests were real andpersonal this time, not about saving tbe world. But what puzzledme most was that at first they had not felt entitled to ask for loveor had been conditioned not to know what they wanted.

"Yet. paradoxically, their bonest desires were where truebealing can begin, since, if more people were able to experiencelove, there would be no need for the madness of developed soci-ety and, consequently, no need to save our planet, which wouldnever be in danger.

"Love solves problems and ayahuasca is the medicine oflove. This is how plants really cure."

References1. Lizarzaburu J. Peru Seeks Tribal Cure for Addiction. SBC News. 5 November

2003, htip://news.bbc.co,uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3243277.stm

2. Heaven R. Spirit in the City: The Seorch for the Sacred in Everyday Life. BantamBooks. London. tSBN-10: 0553813242. 2003.

3. Perkins J. Introduction to The Journey to You: A Shaman's Path to Ervpowermenl.Heaven R. Bantam Books. London. ISBN-10: 0553813234. 2001.

4. McKenna T. Food of the Gods: The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge, ARadical History ofPlonts, Drugs, and Human Evolution. Rider & Co. London.ISBN-10: 0712670386. 1999.

5. Carter R. Mapping the Mind. Phoenix Books. London. ISBN-10:0753810190. 2000.

6. Narby J. 7he Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge. Phoenix Books.London, ISBN-10: O7538O851X. 1999.

About the AuthorRoss Heaven is a psychologist, author, workshop facilitator

and presenter. He bas written more than ten books on psychol-ogy, shamanism, plant medicines, and tbe heal-ing traditions, including The Journey to You,which was described by Amazon Books as 'tb«most important book on shamanism in years'Plant Spirit Shamanism, about Amazonianmedicine practices; and 77ie SinEater's Last Confessions, abouttraditional bealing and plant curesin Britain and Wales. Ross runsworkshops on tbe themes of hisbooks, as well as to the PeruvianAmazon to work witb tbe ayahuasc:ishamans. He may be contacted viaross_heaven2@y ahoo.co.uk;www.thefourgates.com.

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