Off to do Ayahuasca in two weeks with a shaman my psychologist set me up with. We got talking about psychedelics and then he said he's done Ayahuasca with this guy and gave me his number, I felt like maybe this could be a sign I'm ready. I've looked into ayahuasca and they say you should have an intention, but to be honest, i don't really have an intention, I'm nervous to an extent, yet calm about this, trusting that its going to do exactly what needs to occur in that moment (even if i get a butt wooping). I'm not even sure if I'm meant to be doing Ayahuasca, however the opportunity arose, the offer came up, and I felt there must at least be a reason why, even though I'm going into a world hardly explored except for through those short periods of DMT exposing me to this new reality. I don't have a clear line of sight with this one, although I've noticed my ego telling me "No I don't want to do it" and being fearful of the idea of what potentiality this medicine has, but i notice my more intuitive side, in a calm voice says "we believe you can do this, the ego will never be ready, it will always create more time and put things off, why not Now?"

I do wonder to myself though, am i meant to have an intention? Is me not having some deep idea of what i would like to get out of the experience going to ultimately create issues in the experience?
Also, how ready can you be to jump off the cliff, or do you just have to muster up the courage and jump?

My love to all ~~MC~~

Usually I drink with no definite start intention, but as soon things roll on then the work at hand is showing itself. That in itself can be an intention: that the nature of the work will reveal itself during the session. It's been nearly a year since I joined group sessions but very often people say (when the talking stick is passed to state name and intention) something like: I open myself for what ayahuasca chooses to reveal.

Wishing you the best with the session

I want to echo what Jees has said here. Myself and a fair few others I know (including people with more experience of ayahuasca than I), don't go into an ayahuasca experience with a set intention per se, but rather with the intention that the ayahuasca shows me/teaches me what I need to see/learn, or something along those lines, I never had any luck setting any specific intentions from what I can recall, that could just be me though, but others seem to experience the same. So I don't think you can go far wrong going into the experience with an open mind and respect for the ayahuasca. Personally I only ever feel like I'm in good hands, even when things are a little turbulent, I'm of the view that's it's all more or less for my betterment. All the best on your journey

Your intention might be simply to "know myself more deeply and to find healing." That is a pretty good intention that you could keep working on over a number of ceremonies.

I would guess you have a reason for seeing a psychologist right? They are expensive so usually you have a reason to see them - why not work on the same issues with Ayahuasca?

You dont need to ask Ayahuasca a specific question, but it is good to know in at least a vague sense why you are going.... Ayahuasca is not always pleasant - sometimes it is incredibly unpleasant actually, so to try something that may be very unpleasant usually there is something calling you towards it.... So maybe you have an opportunity here to look inside yourself and question your motives for trying this medicine so that you can know yourself more deeply before drinking?

I say good. Forget intention, forget healing, forget the journey..give up the search and fall into what already is.

Enjoy!

Even when I did pin point an intention before a session, the chance that it was addressed as expected seems far from guaranteed. In the end the thing can still do it's own mind.

Or we might fail to see the connection from the session development with the stated intention. Like for instance we like an emotional issue to be addressed, but aya-therapy decides to use a different approach of emotions in general rather than addressing one in particular.

I must also agree with jamie here, how much can regurgitating help? It might shed light but it can as well fixate the issue even more. With this in mind, an open spirit with no bias pre set is the safest way. To just let the session decide, can't go wrong IMHO.

I usually dont have a specific intention.... But my last ceremony I certainly had a very specific intention and it was the most healing experience by far that I have ever had with Ayahuasca. It was a really important intention for me though - the first time I came to this particular medicine with a dire need.

The intention is usually always the same. To commune with the great spirit and all that comes with your humanity. To better understand your own beauty as well as your own short comings and grow in a way that allows you to better radiate those positive attributes while better forgiving the negative ones. Really, the sorts of things healthy humans should already be doing daily. In a way the intention should be a passive process. To really just be present and attentive. To approach with humility and let the teacher teach. Don't hold too tightly to what you "know". Not to promote woo, but give in and see what it brings you to. Sometimes the more knowledge we acquire the more dense our perspective can become. Ayahuasca challenges that. Forces us to widen our understanding. You'll have plenty of time for integration and filtration afterwords so lend yourself to it fully while you can.

Or so is my experience. The first time i went with an intention to try ayahuasca. I had some concept and integration of spiritual perspective but wasn't looking for anything groundbreaking. I really just wanted to trip out on a new drug in a new setting with a mild interest in the traditional hallucinogenic culture that surrounded it. I got my ass kicked. Hard. My intentions now are practically as a servant. To receive the light and spread it. It can be brutally humbling. Now not all ayahuasceros will take foreigners that deep their first few times. I honestly bit off more than i could chew, just be prepared. Some like to take it easy, not knowing the participants very well. Others like to take the short time together to get right down to the deep cleaning. So forgive me if my advice doesn't match up to what you end up experiencing