I'd like to post an fictitious essay about a recent experience I heard from deep in the jungle.
Respect is made for the the privacy of the sacred place and also for people invlolved so no names have been mentioned. The essay was written from notes made at the time and also during the weeks after. I do feel a large part of the experience could still remain deep in the subconscious.
I hope you find it interesting.
Regards,
Bub
ON THE DECK
The jungle outside is already alive with the sounds of the night. Fireflies flicker softly through the green mesh of our semi-mosquito proof walls.
We rock back and forth in Indian silk hammocks suspended from the beams of our beautifully constructed mahogany, jungle canopy star ship. A solid psytrance bass line throbs from a wireless Jambox speaker on the table and expensive sounding chords tingle through our cortex, already saturated by a healthy pre-dose of Austria liquid harmine.
Relaxed but anxious we glance at each other across the room not knowing how the night will unfold.
We are a family; brothers who have know each other for a million years enlisted from the school of living life to the full. Each of us travelling our own separate paths but uniting at set points of time to continue the most important part of our life journey together.
Footsteps sound on the wooden steps outside, our host appears barefooted at the door and promptly announces the shaman has arrived. The time has come.
Our host sits cross legged on the floor speaks in a soft low voice about what will happen during the ayahuasca ceremony. He explains our plant medicine will be a Chacruna a Psychotria Viridis based ayahuasca known as ayahusca cielo or sky ayahuasca. He tells us the spirit is gentle nature but still a very powerful healing medicine. Wambisa would also be available for later in the ceremony if anyone felt they needed an extra cup.
It was explained we may feel like we are dying and reborn but not to panic and try to enjoy the experience. We learn about our shaman, a local Shipibo who started his apprenticeship at the age of 14 and has work with plant medicine for over 40 years.
Our shaman will guide us through Icaros and at a certain point in the ceremony invite us next to him for a personal healing.
Our guide asks each one of us if we carry anything important we would like to take into the ceremony.
I reach into my pocket and unfolded a damp sheet of paper my young daughter had drawn for me just before I left. It is a multi-coloured mermaid with flowing hair drawn with loving care using scratchy felt tip pens. It was a bizarre coincidence she had drawn it as our host explains mermaid are revered to be very lucky by the local shaman. This pleased me and somewhat settled my shot nerves.
My son and I had arrived in the jungle only 4 hours previous. We were tired, having travelling for 2 1/2 days on international flights with long delays. Our journey didn’t end at the airport. We travelled for hours on dusty, spine bashing, unfinished roads and jungle river boats to reach the sacred location. I was feeling slightly drained. To top this, my diet for the last few days had been airport junk food - cheese sandwiches, cheese topped pizza, cheese omelette a handful of Peruvian chocolates. Most certainly not the best diet for a ceremony.
After a brief chat we prepare ourselves, collect our thoughts and head out of the door and down the steps to the hexagonal shaped room beneath our tree top dwelling.
We enter the room which is dimly lit by a flickering candle in the centre of the room. A woody, slightly citrus smell of burning Sandalwood calms our senses.
From the back of the room I can just make out the features of a few people. A man in his 60’s a younger man step forward. We are greeted by the shaman and his apprentice.
Our host introduces each one of us and we were greeted by a warm hand shake and a hug.
The shaman is his 60's with gentle features, deep brown eyes and a face engrained with pure wisdom and knowledge.
Mats are spread out around the perimeter of the room with about two thirds of the mat on the floor and a third leaning against the wooden walls. Beside each mat is a plastic bucket.
We sit in a circle around the perimeter of the room I took my place to the left of the shaman. My son took the mat beside me.
There are eight of us in total along with our guest, shaman and apprentice who sit on a large pile of mats at the back of the room facing the door.
Mapacho tobacco is passed around and I roll a cigarette.
Our host welcomes us all and explains he would clear the energy in the room and protect us with a tobacco ceremony.
He lights a mapacho cigarette and walks towards one side of the room. Smoke is inhaled and exhaled sharply out of the mosquito netting into the surrounding jungle. He does this on all sides of the maloka until finally standing in the centre of the room. Smoke is blown up and then down to the ground which is finally touched with his finger.
Our host takes his position and reaches for two plastic bags from which he removes bottle of around 1 litre contained a deep brown liquid.
He then hands us over to the shaman. The shaman speaks in a deep low, Spanish voice which fills the room. His voice has a warm and friendly tone that reassures me. He introduces himself and apprentice and speaks about the ceremony. He tells us we can sing, dance and laugh but, we mustn’t scream… He wishes us all beautiful visions. Our host translates his speak for those of us who don’t speak Spanish.
Ayahuasca is poured into a cup by our host and my friend to the left of me is invited up to drink. He takes position in front of our host who hands him the cup. He sits and drinks slowly before returning to his mat.
My turn arrives I sit in front of our host with the shaman and apprentice to my right. The ayahuasca is poured into the cup. It is thick and oily. I am passed the cup and I pause before holding it to by lips. I can smell a bitter earthy scent. I drink the medicine down slowly and pass back the cup. I thank the host and shaman.
The ayahuasca didn't taste too bad. It was a thick consistency that clings to your mouth and tongue. It was bitter but at the same time has a subtle sweetness to it.
I sat cross legged for around 20 minutes on my mat. I occasionally sipped water and spat it into my bucket without swallowing as instructed. I felt quite clear headed and didn't notice any immediate effects.
The shaman starts to whistle and then sing an enchanting icaros. A mixture of Spanish and Quechua. As then words vibrate across the room, all of a sudden, directly in front of my something comes out of the jungle towards me and passes straight through the mosquito net walls. It moved at quite a speed. I've gone over this event many times in mind as it was such a profound, awe inspiring experience. It was an entity, a physical object, something real that moved towards me at a fast pace.
The shape moves into the room and passes straight through the central wooded pillar. It is multicoloured and travelled smoothly and silently directly to me. It stopped right in front of me about 4 feet above my head. It asked me what I wanted. I presumed it was english that I heard. The voice came from the object, not from inside me. I transferred words from my mind to this object “I want to be healed and I am seeking guidance.”
I don’t know whether I was forced back and voluntarily lay back on my mat. As I lay down the object moved and hovered above me. It then lowered down towards my body slightly.
The shape of the object was rectangular and reminded me of the wire interlocked frame that supports a mattress. It was about the size of a single bed.
The object was now crackling all over with a sort of electrical force that blipped and cracked like static. It was a stunning matrix of ultraviolet blues, greens, crimsons and yellows.
It hovered over me and started to scan my body.
to be continued...
taina naina nainí