I was listening to a radio talk by Graham Hancock last night, and he made a big deal about social drinking over solitary work. I hear this same sentiment echoed through the psychedelic public eye. Yet, when I'm on the internet, I read many accounts of people who started solitary and remain that way to this day.

Who can attest to the benefits of entire aya career in solitary practice? What was your first experience like, and how does it relate to your experiences now? What techniques have you learned that help in tough spots since you don't have the group or shaman to rely on?

I have drunk in groups and probly 200 times by myself or with my gf. Group energy is cool but I got more work done on my own or with just me and my gf.

I have a lot of experience doing group ceremonies with mushrooms though, and I do see value in group work..but there is still a lot to gain from solitary work as well.

i've only ever done aya or pharma alone. just never had an opportunity to do it with others yet. i'm sure each has its ups and downs and its own unique aspects.. and i wouldn't say ones better than the other

but i have smoked changa in groups several times, which is always a really awesome experience. once we ate harmalas beforehand and that was nice. theres something about the right group of people that can really ground you and allow you to go deeper than usual and keep a more coherent consciousness. but on the flipside- a group you're not that comfy with can have the opposite affect

Most definitely. I'm not trying to pit competition between the two styles. JW about those who've been doing it exclusively solo and how they've progressed..

I find my solo sessions alot more theraputic and there is this added intensity, probably due to the fact of being by yourself. I absolutely love partaking in ayahuasca with my girlfriend, and have had some of my best sessions with her, but by most intense, theraputic through and through type experiences have been alone.

I have done Pharma exclusively by myself. But i had both solo and group experience with Mushrooms and LSD.

What i've found is that in a group setting, consciousness and awareness tend to project on the outside world and you maintain a certain level of grounding and interaction with others. I often found me not paying attention to the visual, completely absorbed in the joy of conversation.

On the other hand, by yourself, and limiting the outside stimuli to the minimum, you shift your awareness inward and you start to really dive into yourself and your subconscious.

Now, my group experience can't compare to Ayahuasca speifically with a Shaman, but i think you can cover a good mileage even by yourself.