Ayahuasca with the Achuar
- 11 Dec 07, 12:13 PM
Today is my big day for searching for a vision. I can’t express how important it is for me to get this right. I’ve done a lot of research on this subject and I’m facing the day with mixed feelings.
Firstly I hope to get the protocols right. This is a revered, sacred vine, which must be treated with much respect. I’m expecting there to be a lot of ceremony and ritual and I must pay attention and try and understand as much as possible so that the full importance and potency of the occasion can be absorbed. Secondly there is the fact that I am going to be ingesting a powerful substance, which could have a profound effect on me physically and psychologically.
I’m going to partake in the ritual in strange circumstances surrounded by people that I haven’t got to know very well and that could be potentially difficult. It’s very important with any mind altering substance to have the right physical and personal environment in place before taking it to avoid having a potentially negative experience. When I took yopo with the Sanema in the Orinoco or Iboga with the Babongo in the Congo I knew the local people much better and was more relaxed with my surroundings.
So I’ve thought long and hard about today’s proposed experience before agreeing to do it. All that said, I have decided that I am prepared and ready for it. I am going to be doing it with experts. There is no group of people on the planet more knowledgeable and experienced at this sort of thing than the indigenous peoples who discovered the process in the first place and who regularly perform the rituals. Also, this is a less potent version of Ayahuasca.
The alkaloids in the vine alone do have an effect on the central nervous system but is not considered to be in any way hallucinatory. Interestingly, the exact same chemical compounds have been used in western medicine for treating depression. The Indigenous Peoples knew all this long before western medicine ‘discovered’ it. This makes me feel safe.
I made the mistake once during the making of an episode of Tribe of finding myself with an indigenous group, about to ingest a powerful plant substance without any knowledge of what might happen to me. I trusted my tribal friends implicitly, but they were worried for my welfare and not sure of dosage etc. Luckily I was okay, but I realized then the importance of knowing exactly what would happen to my body before I agreed to take any powerful substance.
In this instance, with the Achuar, the lovely Willow, who organized this phase of our journey, has brought a selection of brilliant books on the subject which I’ve been avidly reading. This has given me a sound understanding of the dangers and calmed my nerves and allowed me to concentrate on my job and the importance of this wonderful ritual in their worldview.
The Nuns here understand the importance of this ritual to the Achuar. Indeed they are known to send restless children out into the forest to find a vision if they are not concentrating on their schoolwork. This is not deemed an illicit substance here. The finding of a vision for the Achuar is central to their lives. Jorge, our wonderful guide who has spoken at the UN in New York is going to be undergoing the ritual with me. I hope that he finds his vision too and I hope that I can find mine which will guide for the future months in what still seems like a thoroughly daunting task.
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