DOSE: T+ 0:00 1 cup oral Ayahuasca (tea) T+ 0:40 1 cup oral Ayahuasca (tea) T+ 24:00 3 cups oral Ayahuasca (tea)
BODY WEIGHT:
150 lb
Preface
For a while psychedelics were a thing of my past. After a series of enjoyable, sometimes strange and wild trips during grad school, I felt that doing drugs was a young person�s game and I lost most interest in doing them again.
Recently, however, my views have changed. After learning about the new wave of research on the therapeutic potential of psychedelics, popularized by the likes of Michael Pollen and others, my perspective shifted. The fact that everything from addictions to life-threatening cancer patients dealing with fear of death were being treated after only one session was intriguing to say the least.
And then, the opportunity to do Ayahuasca close to me in time and space presented itself. Or as some think, it �found� me.
I was apprehensive as I found the ceremony on meetup.com of all places. But after talking to the organizer, a very chill and honest dude, I decided to just go for it.
One Night of Heaven
The first night we come to the house and the vibe is pretty relaxed. People are in a circle talking quietly. Eventually the organizer comes and I feel relieved. The Shaman, an interesting mix of biker dude and hippie, also seems genuine and caring, albeit somewhat spaced out and disorganized.
The ceremony begins. They explain the rules, what�s going to happen, and what we should expect. I use the bathroom several times in my anxiety-ridden anticipation.
Upon drinking the first cup, I returned to my bed and meditated. After about 40 minutes of not feeling much they offered a second cup. I decided to take it. Immediately upon drinking the second cup, I started to feel the effects come on.
I laid down and closed my eyes. Visuals began to emerge as Escher like paintings of different rooms with other worldly beings. I couldn�t quite look directly at them. There was also a sense that things were sideways or upside down. The feeling was odd but alluring. The music gave a tribal tone to the journey. There was a warmth to the experience.
And then the beat of the drum signaled something: It was time to purge. And I vomited. It wasn�t too bad but I didn�t purge much.
And then it became clear a healing presence had begun to investigate my life: Mother Ayahuasca. It felt like she was moving deeply through my nervous system, getting to know me. She took me back to childhood memories I had completely forgotten: Finding my childhood stuffed animal monkey James. �We found James!� In childlike awe we danced to the harmonica music played by the Shaman. The visuals were beautiful. James and my childhood room were all shining beams of light everywhere. This was pure unadulterated joy. She told me I need to smile more. This was pure unadulterated joy. She told me I need to smile more.