Amazonian Plant Diet and Ayahuasca Ceremonies

Master Plant Diet - in the context of Amazonian curanderos shamans, it is a process of physical, emotional and spiritual cleansing, healing and learning with a plant or plants specially prescribed in accordance with each person’s unique treatment requirements, whereby for a period of time the energetic connection is established between the “patient” and the spirit and energy of the Master plant, and in fact with the Source of Life, through the prism of a particular plant. During the diet, the channels of perception open and a more direct connection with the Spirit of Life is created.

Plants have consciousness and a direct connection with the Source.  As the Shipibo people know, the plants have much healing power and knowledge to share with us about ourselves and about life and spirituality in general.

When the body is clean, a deeper experience of interaction with plant spirits becomes possible. Anyone who goes through the Diet can learn more about the essence of the plant, its healing properties, and creates a connection / collaboration with the vibration of the plants. Communication can occur in the form and during sleep, “waking dreams”, or visions.

Without Diet, the healing function of the ayahuasca ceremony is lost, the ceremony becomes a purely visionary experience. This is a point that many who come for healing experiences do not fully understand. Ayahuasca is not just a vision or a psychedelic experience. This is a journey of Healing, during which the rules of Diet must be respected strictly. Violation of the diet disrupts the healing process. The Healer also receives healing energy through his Diet. Without a diet, there is no integration of plant spirit in the heart of the healer.

In the diet process, the healer takes part in Ayahuasca ceremonies to deepen the learning and healing process. The experience of the Ayahuasca ceremony with the Diet is completely exceptional and much more effective and positive. A person is no longer cleansed so much and a strong connection is established with the spirit of Ayahuasca.

Diets are not immutable, they can be specific to each participant in accordance with their personal needs. There are various types of Diet, which depend on the intention, strength and mood of the participant. They vary in type of diet and duration.

During the diet, the person is in complete isolation and in a state of constant meditation, taking the components of the diet, prepared in accordance with their personal needs. In most cases, the process begins with a cleansing Diet to cleanse the body.

During the Diet, the curandero (Shaman) becomes the vehicle and mediator between the healed and the spirit as well as the protector in the physical and in the spiritual world. In order to have healing and positive experiences during Diet and ceremonies, a safe, conducive environment and space is essential. Healed will have to focus all their energy and attention on a personal process, which will include staying in some form of an altered state of consciousness for most of the time. Protection not only in the physical space (physical, emotional security, etc.), but, more importantly, the main attention will be paid to the safety of the spirit. For this type of deep spiritual work, safety and protection is paramount. That is why any kind of close or intimate contact / relationship during the diet is strictly prohibited.

Trauma is a fact of modern life. It has become so common that most people don’t even understand its presence. Trauma is felt by everyone at some stage in our lives and is not necessarily the result of obvious causes, such as violence or assault (shock Traumas). Accidents, body injuries, surgical interventions, medical and dental procedures, anesthesia, illness, inappropriate or harsh behavior of parents / teachers / peers, betrayal, robbery, financially difficult times, pressure of social / cultural expectations, birth injuries, loss of a loved one, evidence violence, etc. etc., all this can lead to Trauma that can deeply affect the way we see the world and live in it.

Throughout history, the task of a shaman, or tribal healer, has been to help restore balance and health to individuals and communities where it has been disrupted. Unlike Western medicine, which took time to recognize the significant effects of trauma, shamanistic cultures recognized such wounds for a very long time. Shamanistic cultures view illness and trauma as a problem for the entire community, not just the person who is showing symptoms. Therefore, people in shamanistic societies seek healing both for the good of the whole, and for themselves. In Amazonia, the energy that comes from traumatic experiences is called “susto” and is one of the key areas of work. Traumatic symptoms are not caused by an “accomplishment” of the event itself. They arise from perception (the differences between our expectations and current events of life) - an assessment of the situation and, as a result, a frozen balance of energy that has not been resolved and released; this energy remains locked inside where it can harm our mind and body. However, we can dissolve or remove this energy by working with plants. The energies that create symptoms of trauma, with the right approach, can help transform trauma and advance us to new heights of healing, skill, and even wisdom. The energies held within the trauma are the potential and resource necessary for their constructive transformation.

Western medicine and culture, as a rule, blocks our innate healing process with the help of drugs to suppress symptoms, overly exaggerating, controlling, denying or invalidating emotions, feelings and sensations. This residual energy does not go away by itself. It persists in the body, and provokes the formation of a wide range of symptoms, for example, anxiety, depression, sadness, feelings of detachment, fear, panic and other psychosomatic and behavioral problems. These symptoms are a way of our mind and body to convey to us signals that there is residual energy that we must resolve and release. If we do not work with this energy and ignore the warning signs, the disease will be created as the final manifestation of the warning.

Resolving Trauma is a great gift that brings us back to the natural world of ebb and flow, harmony, love and compassion. In order to release the energy caused by trauma, we need peace of mind, safety and protection. We need caring and experienced healers who help us move through the process of releasing energies, surrounded by the protection and support of Nature. Then we can trust and respect the process that will lead us to completion and integrity, and ultimately the inner world.

Trauma has potential that can become one of the most significant forces for psychological, social and spiritual awakening and development. The way we work with traumas (like people, families and societies in general) significantly affects the quality of our lives. This ultimately affects whether we can survive as a species.