I don't believe in spirits and magical forces, although I DO see merit in following it from a symbolic approach

I don't either, but can you elaborate what is the symbolic approach?

Let me ask you a question... Do you hand out Easter eggs and Christmas presents from Santa?

I do. Not because I believe in the Easter Bunny or flying reindeer, but because of what it symbolizes. Symbolic representations can identify and illustrate cultural ethos.

Feng Shui is another area which works more on a symbolic level for me that actual reality.

I think the act of doing a ritual is more important than the contents of the ritual itself. We, as a species seem to really like rituals, and even though specific cultures come up with wildly different ones, they all seem to serve the same purpose.

I imagine that you could have two people: one of whom ritually abstained from sex before Ayahuasca and one of whom ritually masturbated and they would both probably claim to be getting a lot out of their specific ritual, even though they might also say that the other person is doing exactly the wrong thing.

If someone wants to get on that study actually, it might be interesting.
"The Effect Of Sexual Activity On The Subjective Ayahuasca Experience."

Gwahahahah, Nathnila.Dread, you made me laugh, it is great how you' ve put it.

But reading some articles, actually a link somewhere in this thread, the person says that Aya becomes jealous if he has sex with the real person prior to the session.

Wonder what that means, and how it works? Very Freudian field: especially since many people relate to Aya as "mother", and then what, not having,sex so the mother wouldn't be jealous.????? Very f***** up interesting mine field.