6 Things Should Know About Your First Ayahuasca Experience
Made from a mixture of banisteriopsis caapi, which is an Amazonian vine, and the leaves of the chacruna shrub, Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic plant medicine that has been used in the Amazon for centuries, usually for spiritual and healing purposes.
Besides inducing altered states of consciousness along with visual and audio hallucinations, ayahuasca healing retreats are primed to be a cure for almost anything – from addiction to even mental and physical disorders. Ayahuasca is in high demand by those who seek the healing purposes of Ayahuasca.
For those interested, here are six things that you need to know before your first ayahuasca experience.
Preparing for Ayahuasca
If you feel the calling to Ayahuasca, it is recommended for you to do your due diligence in researching the medicinal plant, how the ceremonies are conducted, and the places where you can take Ayahuasca. It is important to minimize expectations and be open to what the medicine can bring you. To some it may sound intimidating to try something that is different and out of their comfort zone, so it will take some courage to undergo this experience.
The experience is ceremonial
When you’re fully prepared, it is important to ensure that you experience ayahuasca in a ceremonial setting, and not by yourself. The setting, the ritual, the state of mind you’re in will definitely influence your experience. The ceremony should always be led by an experienced facilitator who can be a therapist, a shaman, a healer, or any other person possessing a lot of experience with ayahuasca and has learned to lead sessions. It’s very important to do your research about the center, the ceremony, and the facilitators, when choosing an Ayahuasca center.
Don’t forget the importance of an experienced shaman
Shamans are experienced healers, who have knowledge and experience of the spiritual realm. Shamans devote their entire lives to learning from the plant and possess knowledge taught by their ancestors from older generations. Shamans lead the ceremonies and guide the participants through their journeys. Their main role is to heal the participants during the ceremony and to protect the participants from bad energies and entities by creating a sacred space for participants to experience Ayahuasca.
Go with intentions, not with expectations
People seek the help of Ayahuasca for many reasons, that could be emotional blockages, trauma or physical ailments, or for self-development and spiritual development.
It is important to have your intention clear about why you want to participate in the ceremony and know what you want to get out of this experience. It will help you focus in what you want to achieve. It is, however, important to go about it without expectations, as Ayahuasca will give you what you need, not always what you want.
Ayahuasca is not only DMT
The brew of ayahuasca is a combination of leaves and vines. The two ingredients in Ayahuasca combine DMT (or dimethyltryptamine) and mao inhibitor. In humans, DMT is naturally occurring in small amounts, with some researchers suggesting that it might be connected with visual dream phenomena. Higher doses of DMT stimulate modified states of consciousness, but because Ayahuasca combines two elements which are both psycho-active, it increases its beneficial effects.
One experience could “better than 10 Years of therapy”, according to some participants
According to the previous studies of Universities around the world, people with anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and depression have the self-reflection parts of their brain overactive, with many experts believing that it may contribute to negative thinking and rumination, which is the hallmark of these illnesses. Ayahuasca curbs this. In fact, it has been identified by former participants that this medicine has given them ten years’ worth of psychotherapy in a single night. There are multiple reasons why people would want to find Ayahuasca retreat.