I been hesitant to write about this topic as it’s so very unclear to me how it works. Dmt by itself is a mystery – but so is this.

In 2001 I got my hands on a book called “Shaman, Healer, Sage” by Alberto Villoldo. The book itself is about healing yourself – and others. However, the techniques described in the book illustrate how to open up your perception. It really works – Don’t take my word for it – Experience it yourself.

From Amazon.com description of the book:
Alberto Villoldo, a classically trained medical anthropologist, has studied shamanic healing techniques among the descendants of the ancient Inkas for more than twenty years. In Shaman, Healer, Sage, he draws on his vast body of knowledge to create a practical and revolutionary program based on the traditional healing methods used by these shamans -- methods that, until now, have been inaccessible to most of the world.

With great enthusiasm I read the book with an open mind. Not only did it in tale fascinating stories. Alberto also included several what he called powerful techniques to experience the practices by yourself. I did not know what to make out of it at first glimpse – it was so alien to my Scandinavian upbringing. As I was so fascinated with the book I thought I would give the techniques at least a try.

From Amazon.com
Villoldo explains that central to shamanic healing is the concept of the Luminous Energy Field that is believed to surround our material bodies. His book teaches us to see and influence the imprints that disease leaves on this field and thereby to heal ourselves and others, as well as prevent illness.

The first technique I tried with great failure I might add was to see the luminous field around my body. I was not able to see it what so ever. I tried several of the techniques in the book with no direct result – except my perception and awareness changed quite drastically. I was feeling okay about it and continued the practices I liked the most (eye calibration, chakra cleansing and resetting feel perception). These are really easy to do – only take a few minutes. I only found the eye calibration practice to be somewhat difficult as it really was feeling weird and to some degree uncomforting.

Perhaps a few days – maybe weeks into the practices I was utterly mind blown. One sunny day as I was walking into my bedroom and sat down – as soon as I closed my eyes – 1000 eyes in high definition where looking at me. Almost as if they were attached to my eye-locks. I looked with surprise at the vision before me. I could clearly see the skin surrounding each eye and by that instantly determine different age groups. They were looking at me – and I was looking at them. What is this I thought to myself and open my eyes. I can’t recall how I felt that day – but I do remember the vision as if it happened 10 seconds ago.

Great color intensification occurred on and off. Example, a flower almost led up – with greater color intensity then normal perception allowed while my eyes where observing it. This was really amazing, I can’t quite describe it but almost as if the flower had some kind of life (or beauty) shining out of it.

Geometric patterns, pulsating lights, Orbs of light (green, blue, white, purple etc) could just jump into my field of vision – stare at me – and then disappear. Many visions followed, a weird “hallucination” was a green ball (size of a bowling-ball) with white/yellow almost electrical pulsating threads around it. I saw this a arm-length away from my face – in everyday reality levitating from the ground and up to the roof of the room.

I just remember thinking “what the F is going on?”

I stopped practicing the techniques in the book and all visions and everything associated with it came to an end. Almost like turning a switch on/off. I only had one or two “frightening” experiences – most of them where pleasing to the senses.

Many years later I saw a depiction of my 1000- eyes vision as illustrated by Alex Grey. In further exploration it turned out Alex depicted visions from his own dmt/ayahuasca experiences. Hence my curiosity in this field.

As I been an active perceiver of the substance myself (by drinking ayahuasca) I can tell hands down that the visions from techniques from the book and the visions from ayahuasca is the same – not identical – but of the same “nature” if you so will.

This lead to my conclusion that you can have the DMT/Aya experience just by 1) Read the book to understand how it works - 2) Practice the techniques described.

Be very very mindful if you go into this domain, same with drinking or inhaling dmt. Don’t just practice the methods in the book without clear intent, mindfulness and integrity. I cannot say for certain – but it could possible drive oneself mad if not operated with the heart.

Alberto Villoldo explains himself that the techniques are very powerful – Reading it is one thing – Experience it first hand is another. Be mindful !

Amazon link (hard copy): https://www.amazon.com/S...f-Medicine/dp/0609605445

NOTE OF INTEREST
It won’t be as powerful as the substance – But it’s not that far off. The biggest difference I would say would be the controlled (by definition) know you will be affected by the substance for around X to Y minutes or hours - while practice the techniques from the book will (at least for me) jump into my awareness for couple of seconds (sometimes minutes) when I at least expect it and then leave as suddenly as it appeared.

A note that is interesting is that I never had any visions (eyes closed or otherwise hallucinations) randomly while out in public, drinking beer or driving car with exception for color intensification that maybe occurred once or twice while out in the public.
I cannot confirm this but it feels like you almost had to go into some form of calm state of mind – relaxing in sofa, sleeping in bed, meditate or likewise to be tuned into these occurrences. Once again, I had no control over them – They almost as if jumped into my awareness – stared at me and then left.

FINAL WORDS
As a science oriented person I would not believe if anyone else wrote the above. If I would not have had the experience myself – I would not believe in it. I been trying to make sense of it all but I can only give a mumbo- jumbo third eye – chakra kind of explanation to address any of it.

I’m really dumb in real life and perhaps someone more intelligent can explain if not all – some parts of the above in more rational scientific terms so I (or we) can understand it more clearly.

Thank you!

Best Regards
/Limbol

Alberto Villoldo is a great writer and teacher! I have read a couple of his books.

Everything he talks about takes practice. Imagination is so much of it. Can you tap into the imagination and focus your attention? It's hard. It takes a lot of focus. It has to be important to you. Visions can be seen and heard and experienced at almost any time. We have access.

Meditation is very important. Shamanic Journey is not far off from meditation. The mind needs to be calm and at peace for any visions to appear with any clarity. Thoughts and voices arise. Do you discount them and not listen? If you listen to what they say you may see that these thoughts or voices in your head are not always yours. I imagine that they come from a place I do not understand. A place not unlike the dmt landscape. It is hard to talk about this kind of thought process because it may seem crazy to some people. You can imagine so many things. Why not imagine having a teacher teaching you in your mind? Imagine an animal giving you all it's power and feel it. Is this feeling real? I would argue it is just as real as any other experience you have. If you use your imagination to empower yourself you are tapping into something. You are accessing the spiritual realms for lack of a better way to put it.

Can you have a DMT like experience without DMT? I would say no way. DMT is DMT. Everything else is everything else. There is no need for comparisons. DMT can show you your imagination. It can show you a different perspective which is can very much help you with shamanic practices. I really believe we have access to something outside of this reality. I think it's all vibration. We experience the vibration of this reality. We do not see the other vibrations or frequencies, but they are there I believe. Only after using DMT did I have this feeling about things. Once we did not know of gravity, or radio waves, or so many other things in this universe that we cannot see with our own eyes. Just because we cannot see it does not mean it is not there.

I take all this lightly and finally arrived at I do not know. I don't know what is going on. I entertain different lines of thought including shamanism. Using the imagination can create so much in your life. Everything we create springs forth from thought. This is a powerful tool. You can create visions, teachers, healing and you can create the opposite of any of those. It's all about focus. The mind cannot focus unless it is calm. Peaceful.

Anyhow.. I thought your post was interesting and wanted to add my two cents.

Thank you for your reply DmnStr8, Appreciate it

I've found that use of mantras makes a big difference in being able to get more flashes and hold them longer. I'm guessing that it ties up enough of the conscious/rational parts of the mind so the unconscious can play. It still requires practice; but, I can (more or less) hold myself in a state of heightened imagination for doing kundalini raising and chakra balancing for more than an hour while using a mantra.

I recommend the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. (Found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51dbuDzTxp8 ) Though that advice comes with a warning... Shiva can be a dick.

Also, find a good hypnotist if you want to explore without substances. (If you're curious about that route, PM me. I'm happy to work free over Skype and I'll let you determine how good a hypnotist I am.)

Just a quick reminder:

Be sure to look over the rules of the Nexus. We try to keep things as anonymous as possible since most of the activities that go on around here are illegal in most places. Check out the attitude page for more information:



edit: also this

Meditation sure can generate altered states of mind. It can get you in between a state of wakefullness and sleep. But when wakefullness is lowered, so is awareness. The main thing with hallucinogens like DMT, is that awareness is actually increased. Recent studies have shown that people on LSD have increased alpha, as well as beta and gamma frequencies. Gamma is more or less the exact opposite of the meditative state.

hhhmmm......intezam enjoys some knee-jerk skepticism when it comes to new age commercial enterprise products....

If the amazon.com book's use of letters was indeed causing a DMT loike experience whilst printed on dried, processed plant matter (paper) that is neither live plant nor seed, then it would be against the Nexus rules to advertise it's sale, purchase.....(here on the nexus)

Naturally, that would not be the case, if there was a free, goodwill, good intention ebook made available (by the author)....

We wonder, how and why someboday would plan to happily live of the revenue of ones 'spiritual work' while the world is going ballz....is there plenty enough time left?
Or is this only intended for a select few???

Peace

That's an interesting statement, to say the least
How so? Prey do elaborate a bit.

Villoldo is controversial in academic circles, to say the least. I can't speak to the utility of the techniques he lays out in his book, but in many cases he has been decried as a deeply unethical researcher. He bills himself as something of a medical anthropologist, but has shown very little regard for the practice, or the integrity of the cultures he's describing. That's not even what his degree is in.

The way he combines symbols and traditions for Indigenous, and Eastern traditions, as if they were not distinct cultural systems, is something that makes me and many others deeply skeptical. New Age Frauds Plastic Shamans (a group of indigenous activists dedicated to stopping appropriation of traditional knowledge by profit-hungry exploiters) considers him to be a fraudster, in the same vein as Castaneda.

Blessings
~ND

I'm not so sure about this.

DMT is endogenously produced, ( as is 6-methoxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline ), so it may be possible that under very rare circumstances a build up and release of endogenous DMT may occur, resulting in an actual DMT experience without ever having to take any external DMT. Rick strassman speculates on this a good deal in his book "DMT and the Soul of Prophecy: A New Science of Spiritual Revelation in the Hebrew Bible"

(Though honestly, the ancient Hebrews had peganum harmala seeds and acacia nilotica trees, I think it's possible that they were having mystical experiences induced by an ayahuasca analogue, there are many acacia trees which contain DMT that they would have had access to, and they had peganum harmala seeds as well as other plant species which could serve as an MAOI...(it's also possible that psilocybin containing mushrooms were known to the ancient Hebrews)



now, let's say a build up and release of endogenous 6-methoxy-tetrahydro-beta-carboline and DMT occured simultaneously, it would be like endogenous ayahuasca "endogohuasca".

Strassman also speculated that rare events such as some types of alien abduction phenomena, near death experience, and natural mystical experience could be caused by a release of endogenous DMT...

But these are very rare and very powerful events*, people who have had natural mystical events, or UFO abduction events, or near death experience are forever transformed by these things, much like a high dose of DMT, many aspects of these events also correlate perfectly with the DMT experience, and external DMT ingestion has also been known to produce these types of events, so it's logical conjecture that there may be some connection.

*I don't think you will be able to harness endogenous DMT for recreation, I think these events are very rare, and are very extreme events for the person undergoing them, imagine 100mgs of DMT released into your system with out your knowledge or consent, and then not knowing what caused it, or what really happened to you.

-eg

[Apologies if I missed anyone talking about this above]

I've had 2 separate 'smoking dmt' dreams, one was threshold effects, but the second time I smoked [about 4 months later or so], lied back, it came on fast, but it was indistinguishable from many of my 'consensus-reality' based dmt experiences.

So what to make of that?

Others here have had dreams where they smoked dmt, and there were at some level 'effects' and/or a breakthrough.

Apparently from Buddhist monks or deep spiritual meditators that have been doing it all their life that have tried DMT say that DMT is similar to the levels of Bardo or lower levels of this Bardo-State.

Bardo
(in Tibetan Buddhism) a state of existence between death and rebirth, varying in length according to a person's conduct in life and manner of, or age at, death.

I remember reading one saying it was the furthest one can go without losing ability to come back.



I believe it was one of Grahamn Hancock's posts on facebook that mentioned where Terence Mckenna gave a Buddhist monk DMT and such and such. It was an amazing post i will add if i can find it.

I have experienced DMT events in my sleep as well. I suffer from sleep paralysis, which is terrifying, not only because I can't move or speak when it happens, but often because I can't breathe either, (my vocal cords are paralyzed as well, I try to scream but nothing happens , sometimes my head will fall at an angle obstructing my breathing I won't be able to move, sometimes I will be able to slightly move a foot, and it will take all my will to try to move my foot until my leg falls of the bed snapping me out of the event, the times when I can't snap out, I often go into a state that is identical to smoked DMT.

When I would die in a dream I used to wake up, however since my first DMT breakthrough I have DMT events when I die but dreams, it's scary, mostly because I think that I have actually died...

I've also had a dream where I smoked DMT, and it worked, just like mckenna described.

I generally don't speak about all this, DMT users who have not experienced dream DMT events are very quick to criticise the phenomena...

I think endogenous DMT likely plays some role in dreaming, but again this idea is met with much criticism.

-eg

This was not the mckenna quote I was seeking, in the one I wanted to find he describes the monk as being very old, and well known, not one of the "top" figures in Buddhism, but we'll known.

(I wonder who it was, I assumed Chögyam Trungpa, but this may not be the case at all as the timing may NIT line up...)

The "lesser lights" is an improper term...

I've been convinced that the DMT flash is in fact the Chikhai Bardo, I've been convinced of this since my first flash, the fact the mckenna gave DMT to Tibetan monks and that they also made this connection is not surprising to me at all.



I also think the DMT flash is very similar to the Sufi concept of "fanaa"



-eg

Found it!!!



-eg

Perhaps this is what was meant with lesser lights...

Sweet Thanks!

I think mckenna was simply incorrectly referring to the Chikhai Bardo

"the bardo of clear light" or "the bardo of clear light at the moment of death" are other names for the Chikhai Bardo.

Keep in mind, the monk told mckenna:

So you are in the bardo which is after death, but before reincarnation, or what ever comes next...

only with DMT it's as if you had some cosmic "rope" connected to the physical form from which you departed, and before you exit the bardo of the moment of death, you are pulled back into your incarnation.



I'm no scholar on theology or Buddhism, but I'm fairly certain that the DMT flash and the Tibetan book of the dead are speaking about navigating the same territory...

-eg

If we may *point this out, the so called 'Tibetan book of the death' may not be the same as the Bardo Thodöl....the misleading theosophy terminology was not really helpful -- and wide use is not really a good excuse.....

*...not to be meant as a personal criticism

Good to hear more on this subject!

I have smoked DMT in a dream which resulted in a sub-breakthrough experience. I was semi-lucid and it lasted a minute or two. It was cool but I didn't breakthrough.

More recently, when I was the most relaxed I have ever been, I had a hypnopompic moment where I became completely lucid in a dream. In that moment I took the opportunity to jump out a window (in my dream) to see if I could fly. As I went through the window, my dream went from a screen in front of me to a full 360° breakthrough with associated ecstasy and astonishment. My jaw literally dropped - I was so excited to experience this pure, non-confusing, super-bright, perfectly rendered reality. Unfortunately it all faded rather quickly but I have no doubt that this was the same 'space' I'd been to in my DMT breakthroughs. The only thing in my system was 2.5mg valium taken about 8hrs prior.

So yes, I KNOW it is possible to get 'there' naturally once DMT has opened the portal.
I believe it is closely linked to relaxation.

nn