After watching the film The Sacred Science for the second time, I’m finding that I’m very interested in the use of ayahuasca. From the movie, I’ve gathered that ayahuasca, also known as yagé, is plant medicine known to heal all who are sick as well as create an altered state of consciousness that brings us into the spiritual world. But as we found in the movie, not all were successful with an ayahuasca treatment. I think this might be due to pushing away the concept of healing. Negativity will deny the process, positive attracts positive and vice versa. Ayahuasca is known as a purifier, or the medicine for those who are not lucky with love. It originated Peru, specifically in the Amazon Rainforest. It’s used in traditional ceremonies …show more content…
Rituals are typically held at night as well as on specific days of the week. Locations include a Shaman’s house or clinical site, and the ritual is completed in total darkness. They usually contain four to eight patients at a time, who are arranged in a circle. A ritual would begin at around eight or nine at night and run about seven hours (Ayahuasca, Wikipedia, 2015). A Shaman will drink ayahuasca so he or she will have the ability so visualize the source of the patient's illness. On occasion, the patient will drink the ayahuasca as well. During the ritual, a Shaman may sing power songs to invite the good spirits and help perform healing. Tobacco smoke is also blown all over the patient and the ayahuasca drink to attract all the positive energy needed for healing (Temple of the Way of Light). In some cases, the patient may be invited to sit with the Shaman, where he or she will sing specific songs focused on the patient and their healing. Materials used for rituals depend on the needs of the patients. Things such as crystals, incense, and rattles have been used in different scenarios (What is …show more content…
Today, dozens even hundreds of ayahuasca rituals are taking place on the weekends in the United States. In North America and Europe, ayahuasca rituals are performed with a drink not actually made of ayahuasca but of a concoction that yields similar results (Ayahuasca, Wikipedia, 2015). This is because in the United States, the law states that any substance that has DMT in it, has a potential of harming other people and also offers no medical benefit and is therefore banned. This means that Shamans who travel to the United States are likely to smuggle the concoction containing DMT here, to give patients the full experience of ayahuasca. An example of a substitution would be that Syrian rue plant is commonly used in place of the ayahuasca vine or the banisteriopsis caapi vine, as well as several options to use in place of DMT. But an ayahuasca drink without DMT will remove the hallucinogenic aspect, causing some to believe that it’s non
Thomas, Gerald, et al. "Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada." Current Drug Abuse Reviews 6.1 (2013): 1-13.Google Scholar. Web. 14 Mar. 2014.
Soma is the gateway to pure happiness. "you do look glum! What you need is a gramme of soma." (Huxley). In a way Soma is like nicotine or marijuana. It puts you into a trance or high like state of mind. It gives the user an exit from reality, a way to escape everyday life. Because of this the citizens have become codependent on soma; without it they feel in complete. “Again twelve stanzas. By this time the soma had begun to work. Eyes shone, cheeks were flushed, the inner light of universal benevolence broke out on every face in happy, friendly smiles. Even Bernard felt himself a little melted” (Huxley). By having entire nation dependent on a single drug it becomes simple to control the people. Codependency affects people both mentally and physically. Going through withdrawals is one of the worst experiences out there; especially if you have been on the drug for long periods of time. The World State made its natation dependent on soma and sense it’s the only disruptor, it made its citizens dependent on the World
Boyer, B., Boyer, R., & Basehart, H. 1973. Hallucinogens and Shamanism M. Hamer, Ed.. England: Oxford University Press.
the deities and attempt to explain the psychological necessity of these rituals. An examination will be made of the typical forms of rituals, and cite their effects,
N,N-dimethyltryptamine(DMT) is a psychoactive chemical in the tryptamine family, which causes intense visuals and strong psychedelic mental affects when smoked, injected, snorted, or when swallowed orally (with an MAOI such as haramaline). DMT was first synthesized in 1931, and demonstrated to be hallucinogenic in 1956. It has been shown to be present in many plant genera (Acacia, Anadenanthera, Mimosa, Piptadenia, Virola) and is a major component of several hallucinogenic snuffs (cohoba, parica, yopo). It is also present in the intoxicating beverage ayahuasca made from banisteriopsis caapi. This drink inspired much rock art and paintings drawn on the walls of native shelters in tribal Africa- what would be called 'psychedelic' art today (Bindal, 1983). The mechanism of action of DMT and related compounds is still a scientific mystery, however DMT has been identified as an endogenous psychadelic- it is a neurotransmitter found naturally in the human body and takes part in normal brain metabolism. Twenty-five years ago, Japanese scientists discovered that the brain actively transports DMT across the blood-brain barrier into its tissues. "I know of no other psychedelic drug that the brain treats with such eagerness," said one of the scientists. What intrigued me were the questions, how and why does DMT alter our percep...
Psychedelic drugs affect more then creativity, they are also known to have the ability to increase the users sense of spirituality and religion. In the academic journal, “Voice of The Psychonauts,” author Levente Moro explores the correlation between spirituality, and psychedelic drug use. He claims that when psychedelic drugs are taken in a “supportive” environment they have the ability to induce “deeply meaningful religious revelations and spiritual awakenings” (Moro et al. 190). Psychedelic drug use in hopes of spiritual revelations is not new, and has actually been going on for hundreds of years. The Native American Church has been known to traditionally use psychedelic drugs for spiritual experiences (Moro et al. 190). Some Mexican tribes are also known to ingest psilocybin mushrooms in order to induce religious awakenings (Moro et al. 190). To further prove his argument, Levente Moro conducted an online survey amongst 667 random people. His results suggested that people still take psychedelic drugs in order to have religious experiences, even though it is looked down upon in certain religious groups (Moro et al. 195). Levente Moro is not the only one interested in psychedelic drugs and religion. Many other scientists have also examined this theory. In the article, “Values and Beliefs of Psychedelic Drug Users,” author Michael Lerner also discusses the relationship between psychedelic drug use and spirituality. Lerner also believes that when psychedelic drugs are taken with the correct mindset, they have the ability to increase ones sense of religion. In order to test his theory, Michael Lerner had 183 volunteers fill out a questionnaire. Even though he conducted the survey amongst people from all over the world...
In order to understand and base an opinion on a religion that is centralized around a drug, you must first understand the drug itself. Peyote is a small, round cactus that grows in the southern US and Mexico. Rather than spines or spikes, peyote has fuzzy tufts that stuck out from it’s edges. Only about an inch of the cactus is viewable above ground, with the majority of it being the deeply buried, carrot-like root structure. The small portion that is above ground is harvested, and is referred to as the peyote “button”. It is consumed either freshly cut, or dried, and has some extreme effects on the body.
Throughout time, mankind has persistently been seeking ways to maintain their health and to cure those that had not been so fortunate in that task. Just about everything has been experimented with as a cure for some type of illness; whether physical, spiritual or mental. There has always been evidence of spiritual healing and it will continue to be an important part of any healing process, large or small.
A very minute does can significantly alter ones perception to the point of hallucination. Hallucination is when a person hears, or sees thing that don’t really exist. LSD is the most potent hallucinate. Approximately 100 times stronger than psilocybin, and 4000 times stronger than mescaline.
Hallucinogens or psychedelics are mind-altering drugs, which affect the mind’s perceptions, causing bizarre, unpredictable behavior, and severe, sensory disturbances that may place users at risk of serious injuries or death. Hallucinogens powerfully affect the brain, distorting the way our five senses work and changing our perceptions of time and space. People who use these drugs a lot may have a hard time concentrating, communicating, or telling the difference between reality and illusion. Hallucinogens cause people to experience - you guessed it - hallucinations, imagined experiences that seem real. The word "hallucinate" comes from Latin words meaning, "to wander in the mind." Your brain controls all of your perceptions; the way you see, hear, smell, taste, and feel.
Wicca’s believe that the source of good and evil rests within each person. Their rule is “if it harm none do what you will”.
We hope this kind of medication will develop more and be well-known to others as a trusted kind of therapy to heal and augment our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual components. Works Cited Barrett, S. (n.d.). Reiki Is Not Insense. Retrieved 2011, December 8 from http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/reiki.html. Cougar, P.(n.d.).
In Icons of Power: Ritual Practices In Late Antiquity, the author Naomi Janowitz explores the rich and dazzling power of ritual magic and theurgy throughout the ancient world in Jewish, Christian and Greek practices. She isn't concerned with magic in general terms but with specific practices of ancient cults, secret societies, Christian mystics and Hermetic alchemists throughout the book such as chanting of heavenly liturgies to the utterance of barbarous, holy names, to the manipulation of magical amulets and the transformation of metals. I will quote specific
In addition to the hallucinogenic plants used by primitive peoples, numerous other species containing biodynamic principles are known to exist. Many are common household varieties like catnip, cinnamon, and ginger. No reliable studies have been made of the hallucinogenic properties of such plants. Some of the effects reported may have been imaginary; other reports may be outright hoaxes. Nevertheless, many of these plants do have a chemistry theoretically capable of producing hallucinations. Experimentation continues with plants, common and uncommon, known or suspected to be hallucinogenic, and new ones are continually being discovered.
Pre-Columbian Mexicans used many substances, from tobacco to mind-expanding (hallucinogenic) plants, in their medicinal collections. The most fascinating of these substances are sacred mushrooms, used in religious ceremonies to induce altered states of mind, not just drunkenness.