Firstly. I am not built of a western mindset. I grew up in Asia and have a lot of influences from old ancient practices. Secondly I speak from experience. Until you have seen and supported the number of clients I have who have been blown out by Aya, then you will not understand what I experience. Thirdly, I do not disrespect the plant in any way, I have huge respect for it, but I do not agree with it being used outside the land where it grows naturally and by people who think they are medicine gods and do not take good care of those that journey and that is what I am referring to. This I have also had a great deal to do with regarding neglect of those traveling to the point they were so disorientated that they got lost without anyone caring about where they were…just one example. Aya is not for everyone especially sensitive people (and thats who I guide), and nor should it be a new age bandwagon that lots onto as the next fad. Re the drumming. Maybe you don’t go that far in. I do and need nothing to assist other than containment. My clients all respond well as they have major issues with things taking control of them due to abuse. So I do not advocate ethno’s in my work for that reason. Again just to be clear I do respect the plant, all plants. I just find that many who talk about it so highly do not respect it in regards to supporting the journey of others. Blessings.

Hi Jonathon.Each to their own view and understanding 🙂 As a contemporary shamanic counselor and ex mental health worker I speak from my own experience.I have had more people than I can count come to see me because they have not come home from plant medicine and ended up in psyche wards due to it. I do not like how its glorified and disrespected. I honor the traditional shamans and the plant with what they do but not how it has evolved in the modern world. I work primarily with very sensitive people and as I said I have no problem with the plant, just how its used and abused. Blessings Odette

The point is made that some people end up in psych wards: many people go into psych wards without plant spirits, and there is enough evidence to say it would be the same people anyway. This point also ignores the many many people who owe the achievements on their healing journey to their work with the plant spirits. We inherit a fear of and a denigration of “drugs” in the west, and we need to move past this to understand we are talking about plants.

The other point I disagreed with is the casual likening of the ayahuasca journey with drumming because they both create an alpha state. This comparison displays the naivety of modern reductionist science that would say that it is as simple as brain state, and ignores the subjective experience that many have of mother ayahuasca and these healing spiritual entities that are present during what is a deep healing experience. These experiences are far beyond drumming. (Similarly, drumming in the wrong environment, with the wrong support, is just as, if not more, ineffective, than ayahuasca, whereas ayahuasca can still elicit powerful healings in those scenarios – and probably the same with other plant spirits).

It is quite common and popular to put down plant spirits, to say we don’t need to work with them nowadays as we can do it all ourselves. This displays the arrogance we have in feeling we are above nature, that we don’t need to work with these lesser organisms to meet the sacred. What we have lost is the respect and the humility that goes with the understanding that we need to work with nature.

I have read a few of your articles and, in general, I really like them. This sort of thing however, while it echoes many’s attitudes in the west, I see as misinformation and incorrect. People need to respect that these plant spirits are deep water, and you must be able to swim; that other spiritual and shamanic practices can help us be stronger swimmers. However to suggest that they are not needed, and we can do just as well without them, or that they are more harm than good, is incorrect, it ignores the experience of huge numbers of people across the world who work with plant spirits, and it lacks humility and respect for the gifts of the teachings that have been passed down.

Very true. Thanks Danielle. Blessings x

Thanks Ilka. Blessings x