The Ayahuasca Sessions: A Talk with Alan Shoemaker

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The following interview is from The Ayahuasca Sessions: Conversations with Amazonian Curanderos and
Western Shamans (Icaro Publishing, 2010).

Alan Shoemaker is the founder of the
Amazonian Shaman Conference held in Iquitos, Peru each year. He was called to
South America and studied with various curanderos over the years, receiving
visions and knowledge from the spirits. Alan is also a businessman and runs a
tour company that specializes in ayahuasca tourism. Here he talks about
the spiritual tourist boom, his founding of Soga del Alma — an ayahuasca
church, and the global ayahuasca community.

 

The seventh annual Shamanism Conference will be held July 16-22, 2011 in Iquitos, Peru.

 

RR: Alan I
see from you bio on the conference site that you're from Kentucky?

AS: Yeah. Appalachia. I divorced my
sister when I was 17, left the kids and moved to LA (both laugh)… I went to
the University of Kentucky and after that I moved to Seattle. I was always into
mountaineering and I became a rep
for various mountaineering companies. I handled the Pacific North West so that was fine. The problem I had was that
all the gear I sold was the high-tech
stuff, the stuff people used to climb K2 and Everest. So you don't sell that
into your normal mountaineering store because the normal person isn't going to
buy it. So y'know, my  commission
wasn't very high. But I got to know all the specialists who were climbing K2
and Everest, I designed jumpsuits for them, too. I did that for a long time and
then I became the distributor for a line of Italian hiking, climbing boots. And
so I spent a lot of time in Italy.

 

So it's a
bit of a shift from mainstream business and adventure sports, rep work,
sales work to ayahuasca and ayahuasca tourism?

Yeah, but my major in university
was theatre and criminology. I was going to be a lawyer. I won a scholarship to
law school, after an interview I won a scholarship…and I had everything right
there on a platter and I realized I didn't want to be a lawyer. So I started
doing the mountaineering stuff but my partner overextended and basically we
went bankrupt. So I couldn't get all my pre-season orders and ship my stores so
it put me out of business.

 

It's
funny how the universe works, isn't it?

And my friend, Thomas, came over
with a bottle of red wine and I was in the kitchen when he asked me, so what
are you going to do now? And I turned around to him and said I'm going to the
Amazon. And he looked at me and said what?

 

So some
deep subconscious connection was coming through.

Yes, but it wasn't coming from
me.

 

So you'd
never read about or been into shamanism or the Amazon before that?

No. Not shamanism or anything. So
I sat down and said, Jesus. And he asked me what are you going to do? You're
going to the Amazon? And I said I guess so. What for he asked? I haven't a
clue. So I started packing up and I had 22 different sponsors… Timex watches,
Titec boots, all these companies… and the reason I got the sponsorship is
because I used to me a mountaineering rep. I knew I could get their product and
bring it down here to get them photographed for some publicity of the product
in use in the jungle. It cost them only to give me that backpack or that watch or
those boots. So it was a win-win situation. I had Federal Express coming in
every day — it was like Manna from Heaven. I even had American Spirit tobacco.
They sent me a big case of cigarettes to give to the curanderos.

 

So you'd
never really consciously chose to come to the Amazon. When that impulse came
into your conscious mind, how did you process that?

A lot of things happened to me as
a child, strange incidents, and seeing spirits was one. So when things like this
happen I pay attention to them. So in any event it was a good time to take a
holiday. I had no idea I was going to come down here and never go back. Once I
got… especially to Iquitos. I thought I'd retire because I had another
product that I'd invented that I put in almost every mountaineering shop in
America… but eventually the company shut down.

 

So how
did you first come to the Amazon and Iquitos?

Well, I came down by land from
Mexico and Central America. The first shaman I saw was in the mountains of
Panama.

 

And why
then were you drawn to shamans? Previously you said you were only drawn to the
Amazon itself.

On the way to the airport I
stopped at a magazine store just to get something to read on the plane. And
there was a rack there and on the rack, my eyes were drawn right to it, was a
magazine called Shaman's Drum. So I said I'll take that. And there was
an article in that by Peter Gorman, who is now one of my best friends. And it
was about shamans and ayahuasca use. So that was my reason [for visiting my
first shaman] but I still didn't really know my reason, but I kept coming down because I knew I was supposed to look.

I stayed a long time in Quito, Ecuador.
And by that time I was looking for shamans. I had met my first one in the
mountains of Panama who was healing alcoholics in one session by drinking one
bottle of this plant medicine he made, which was a secret formula… And when I
got to Quito I was in a rainstorm, underneath the awning and there was a gringo
beside me and I asked him what he was doing here… He was looking for gold…
I said I'm looking for a shaman and he said I don't know why I carry this
around but I happen to have a business card for a shaman and you can
have it, I don't know why I didn't throw it away. Maybe I'm supposed to give it
to you. And it's for a Doctor Valentin Humphris, from Austria. This man had
come here about 20 years ago and was a neurologist and psychiatrist. He learned
shamanism here in the jungles and did San Pedro and ayahuasca. Also uniao de
gato and chuchuwasi and other medicinal plants and modern medicine.

So I went to
see this man and started drinking and going to ceremonies with him, and
drinking ayahuasca and doing San Pedro, primarily San Pedro. And I worked with
him for about four or five months but every time I looked at a map I kept
seeing Iquitos, Iquitos — but to get down here… I couldn't afford to fly, so
the only thing I could do was go back up to Co­lombia and go over the mountains
to Puerto Asis, Colombia, buy a dugout canoe and a 44 horsepower motor and
that's what we did. We went down the Putumayo River. Before I went down I went
to the embassy in Bogota to tell them where I was going. And they said, Alan,
if you go down there and something happens, I can't help you. This is all
Narco-traffic country. I'm not telling you not to go, it's a real adventure,
but it's real dangerous.

 

And what
year was this?

This was right before Bill
Clinton went into office — 1992. It was 2500kms down the Putumayo River in
the dugout canoe… I had a little medicine bag with penicillin and asprin and
things like that, and every village I would pass through I would walk around
and see if anybody needed anything. I had anti-parasitical medicines and the
information that a gringo with medicines got around and was already ahead of me
when I reached the next village.

So finally I reached a village on the
Peruvian side of the river. And there was an 18 year old Peruvian, maybe 5'2 with
the sleeves on his shirt pulled down past his elbows, and he had an Uzi. I was
already in the village checking people out.

I had my friend Robert with me and his
girlfriend from Quito and they were still on the canoe. And someone came to get
me and said they had my partners down there in the canoe. So I went down there
and this guy had my two friends at machine gun point, saying that if I don't go
talk to the people in the village there could be a problem. But I was already
doing that so I just batted the gun away like you do at a child, saying don't
point that at me. Saying c'mon who else is sick?

There was a man there who had been cut
through his cheek with a machete and the local clinical technician had sown him
up and it was a bad job and it was really infected. So I gave him the rest of
the medicines. I didn't open it up and do it for him I told him what to do and
some other people. And the last woman I saw was maybe 90 years old. She was
laying on a slab in her hut. She was so skinny you could see the worms moving
in her stomach. They said do you have something for her and I didn't
specifically have anything but I did have information from Valentin's
teachings. So I took out five mapacho cigarettes and I said yeah here's what
you do. Take these cigarettes and half a glass of water. Put them in the water
and set it out in the sun for three or four hours until the water turns black.
Filter it off and have her drink the tobacco juice. And that will kill the
parasites. It may have killed her too…!

 

You were way gone by then?

I was way out of there…
(laughs)

 

Do you think that in some way you were karmically pre-empting your
own work with indigenous shamans and learning indigenous ways going on your
journey down the Amazon, healing? With Western medicines, too, maybe
balancing out the Western healing before you got into shamanism?

Yeah. And still even to this day,
y'know; I know when it's time to take an antibiotic.  Ayahuasca will not kill all the parasites you pick up down
here. I have two children as well and there's constant parasites everywhere —
it's the perfect environment.

 

From your
POV then, Western medicine obviously has its place as well as indigenous plant
medicines?

Absolutely, absolutely.

 

So what
did you learn in your first experiences with curanderos like Dr. Valentin?

Valentin is the most spiritual curandero
I've ever met. He sees all through his house that he has every diet to man
represented there, as well as a lot of flowers and candles. So the way he runs
a ceremony, it especially has a lot of Hare Krishna items, which is a beautiful
religion — I don't mind that at all. He begins by praying at about 6:00
o'clock. You get to his house at about 8:00 in the morning and you're told not
to eat anything. He gives you tea all day. And at 6:00 o'clock he begins
praying for three or four hours, blowing his mapacho smoke to the north
east south west, clearing the area.

And at around 11:00 o'clock he gives
you a glass with about two shots of tobacco juice, pure mapacho tobacco.
And I always say give it to me, open the door and get out of the way. This is
to clean the stomach. So he laughs and hands me the glass and I drink it and it
goes right into my stomach. It takes about half an hour for your stomach to get
reset. And then he gives you San Pedro. He does the same thing with ayahuasca.
San Pedro lasts all night.

So in the morning when you get up, when
the ceremony's over, we go outside, still under the influence slightly, the
sun's just coming up, and we do tobacco through our nose, laying down. Tobacco
juice. You tilt your head back and drop some into the sinus cavity. It pulls
all the excess phlegm from your sinus cavity which you drink on down into your
stomach with the tobacco juice. And a warm glass of 16 ounces of this herbal
tea, to provoke vomiting also. So you're cleaning your stomach out, and you do
that three of four times till you're finished. And your voice is like you've
never heard it because your sinuses are completely clean, its like a bell.

And then when you're finished with that
you take all your clothes off, you wash yourself with water and you're sprayed
with an alcohol based flower extract like agua florida, or anything you want to
make yourself. And then with stinging nettles, which we freshly cut, small
stinging nettles, you're lashed all over your body. We have pores all ready to
get rid of a lot of the toxins that build up in our outer layer, but in between
those pores there are no holes, so you get a lot of toxins that build up there.

These stinging nettles puncture like a
million, ten million times so you're releasing, purge, purge, purge, getting
the toxins out of your body. And when you're finished with that there's a huge
vat of herbs that have been steeping all night. You stand there are take this
stuff and pour it over your head as wash yourself. You don't use toothpaste,
soap, anything synthetic for 24 hours. He was out in the country and he'd
finish about noon and we'd get back into Quito off the bus and walk through
Amazonas street, thats all the outdoor cafes, on Sunday, and you are glowing so
much you can feel it. You can feel it, you're so clean. And you see everyone
who's drinking at the cafe outside under the umbrella stop and look and watch
you.

 

What were
your experiences on the inside? I know on the outside that energy is there, but
from someone who had spiritual experiences as a child and then nothing, until
you went to the Amazon, what were some of your interior thought processes, and
how did you inte­grate them?

Initially you have such beauty
that you see, and there's no problem in accepting that. But then sometimes you
see things that can be quite ugly and frightening. The first time I took
ayahuasca was on the Putumayo river with a Siona curandero. He was completely different to Valentin — he was
indigenous, and when I first met him he had already drunk when I asked to see
the curandero. And they said he's drunk, are you sure you want to see
him and I said yeah, of course, I don't mind if he's drunk. And he said I'll do
a ceremony for you this evening, but buy me another bottle of Aguardiente,
which is moonshine made from sugarcane. He said come back to my house around
6:00 o'clock and we'll go out in the jungle and drink. I'll start cooking now.

So I came back and he said sit down and
have dinner. But, I said, aren't you supposed to diet all day before you do
this? You're hungry aren't you, he said? Yeah. Then sit down and eat. So I had
a big bowl of chicken soup with chicken meat in it. He said do you want some
more and I said I can have some more? Sure. I'd been dieting all day. So we go
into the jungle and there's a lot of the Sionas tribe there drinking with us.
And they're obviously under the influence because they're going off to purge.
But I don't feel anything. And the curand­ero is in a hammock and he
lifts up his mosquitero — his mosquito net — and he says, come here.
You have a block. Drink another cup. So I have another cup. I sit down another half
an hour and I still don't feel a thing. But this man beside me asks me a
question and I started to clear my throat and when I did this volcano exploded
in my stomach with such force that I threw both hands on my mouth to keep the
vomit from coming out in the middle of the ceremony.

And I ran out into the jungle with the
vomit coming through my fingertips like a squirt bottle. And I got out there
and I projectile vomited maybe six times. It was incredible, and when I
finished I was lying on my knees and I saw all this light around me. I thought
the people who had followed me into the wood had flashlights. It was that
bright. And I stood up and in the smaller bushes around me to the taller bushes
these trees, about 25 foot tall, in the semi­circle of my vision, within these
plants were spirits. And they all had on these robes and a checkered pattern of
lime green, cream and white, and armbands and headbands. And the two thirty-feet-tall ones were like 25 or 30 year old spirits, or representations of them.
Absolutely beautiful.

And I thought, whatever, this
ayahuasca's incredible. I'm hallucinating. My mind has even put nehru collars
on these things. Then they all put their arms out to me and started singing
their name over and over again. I had tears of absolute bliss and joy running
down my face. Because this, I knew, was not something that was projected by my
mind. These things were glowing from the inside out. It's not like taking LSD
and seeing a shape of a head on that tree over there. I stood there for about
15 minutes and listened to them sing to me. And I said, I'll never forget this,
then went back into the ceremony.

And in complete blackness a jaguar
would come, and pure vivid colors, screaming, and I'm looking right down its
throat. That frightened me. But I realized I can't turn this off so I began to
change my attitude. So the next time a big anaconda came or a jaguar came again
I would just go, wow, you are really incredible, beautiful.

 

So you
embraced it.

Yeah. And from then on I've done
the same.

 

Well
you've obviously done a lot of work, 13 years or more of shamanistic practice
since that first experience?

When I got here to Iquitos I
started looking for a teacher. I drank with various curanderos up river
and down river, and I finally found a man — Don Juan [Tanga Paime]. And I
worked with him for a couple of years. He has really beautiful icaros and
I loved those, but I was still missing Valentin because I liked the sacredness,
the outward things like the altar he sets up. It was more tangible. And so I
would go back and forth to see Valentin in the mountains. I always traveled by
water and land as I couldn't afford to fly. Two years of going back and forth
and working with Juan and Valentin. And I was seeing things like spirits
walking through walls who would come up to me and ask me things and tell me
things about sick people that are ready to be healed.

And I can't completely accept that because I have a little bit of a
[Western] education and I'm under the influence of a hallucinogenic, a psychotropic.

And I know the mythology around this is
that there are spirits in the plants which teach you songs, they teach you to
heal. There are spirits — but still. It's difficult.

 

So still,
after all this time, you find it difficult?

No, not now. I had an amazing
event happen. I was waiting for a bus in Chiclayo and I had a few hours. So I
took a three wheeled motorcar to Lambayeque which is nearby. And I went to the
museum there just to pass some time. And the first floor, second floor is just  layouts of Chan Chan and various other
old cities, and pottery shards and things I didn't have much interest in. At
the top of the stairs at the third floor, right there is a big plate glass cube
and in this cube is a mannequin, and on the mannequin it has this robe with a checkered pattern and it has a little
nehru collar. It's original Inca clothing that has been dicovered.

I've never
studied South American history or art or anything. So I didn't see this in a
book somewhere and project this into those trees and bushes when I drank the
ayahuasca. I knew then that the mythology, a lot of it you have to weed
through, but that part of it, the spirits in the plants and the trees, that is
real. And so then I started paying more attention to the things that started
coming to me, spirits that came to me and things like that.

 

So how
much do you think that your experiences, coming from the West and a business
background, how much of that can you see in the indigenous communities and the
modern business of shamanism that is taking off?

Well that's grown in leaps and
bounds over the years because it's grown a lot more popular with Western people. And I think that's a good thing.
But [the indigenous curanderos] are still practicing with their
community, they now have compounds out in the jungle. They've learned they can
charge the tourists that are coming down here and that they'll pay for it. The
[curanderos] have extended families and when they do have the compounds
in the jungle they're hiring several people to run and maintain them, and they
too have families that need to be supported. It's another job, another economy
that's been built up around us. But I don't see any abuse of it, or anyone
taking advantage of it.

A Peruvian can go out here to a curandero
in a village and pay like five or ten sols. It doesn't mean that a tourist
can come down here and pay five or ten sols. They need that money the tourist
has — $10, $20, $40, $50, whatever they can afford. You'll see that they may
give you an initial price — but it should be can this gringo afford that? If
you say no, I can't pay that, then they should lower the price. They should meet
whatever price is fair. One of the rules about being a curandero is that
you can never turn anyone away. Generally they need to bring something when
they don't have any money. Whether it's a drawing they have done or a chicken
they've raised or whatever it is, they need to give something. 'Green' is
another type of energy and they know how to use that, too!

 

And do
you think there's a growing need with the people from the West for spiritual
awareness or fulfillment that they're not getting at home?

There's no kind of teachings that
we have in high school, or even in the churches that are helping people
decipher, discover or divine their soul. And the heart. What happens to that?
That's not being taught at school. So people have been getting sick from that,
too. And a lot of people are realizing that and so that's why they've come to
the shamans to be healed. Whether they go to the North American indigenous or
they find some Rainbow Tribe people or however they move towards it. And that's
becoming not just this special subset of people, like the New Age crowd. It's
going now into the general mill of humankind.

Once on the cover of National
Geographic Magazine [Feb, 2006 NG Adventure] there was a story about
shamanism down here. That was the best selling story of NGM in their history.
And that magazine's going out normally to very conservative people. So now's
the time for these curanderos to take an ad out in Time or USA Today and say
come on down for some healing, or soul work, whatever bothers you spiritually,
psychologically, physically. So when people come here — 30% of the people
who come to Iquitos come here for shamanistic reasons. [The others, apparently,
are either jungle tourists or missionaries out to convert the
indigenous locals.]

 

What's that in numbers?

It's
thousands of people.

 

And has that
increased in the last couple of years?

Over the last five years. It's
been growing and I've watched it. And there's a problem because a lot of people
that come here say they're being guided to their healer. I don't need to use
this tour group, they say, because I'm going to do it on my own, it'll be
cheaper that way. And so they get to the airport and there's always all these
motorcar touts saying what do you need? I'm looking for a shaman. And they say,
oh yeah, my uncle is a shaman, let's go. And they take them somewhere and take
their money and give them some stupid ayahuasca with a lot of toé in it, or
nothing, or they get sick and vomit, and they sit around and shake some leaves
at them and smoke mapachos and
they have no idea.

 

It's completely
unregulated then, dodgy operators everywhere?

Yeah. But if all the guidebooks
had information in them that there was a union, and they had help to find a curandero,
then you could ask to see if he was a card carrying member of this union. Then
you'd be assured that you've got someone who is approved. And little by little
everyone will become a member, who's a valid curandero. The idea is to
get valid curanderos together, say a board of five people who are
confirmed they are curanderos. So anyone who wants to become a curandero
then goes before this board and is interviewed. And the board will either
validate them or tell them they need to diet or whatever needs to get done to pass the
test. And then they would also be a card-carrying curandero, and they
would belong to this union.

 

And at what stage of implementation is this plan at?

I've talked to some of the curanderos
locally about it and they all think it's a good idea, of course. And the
police like the idea, too. One year at the conference the head of the anti-drug
police force — I invited her to the conference to see what we were doing. I'd
prefer to invite them [rather than] have them looking into us and thinking we're coming here
to do drugs. She was here for three nights and after she left she said, Alan, I
need to talk to you. I came here to write a bad report, she said, about what's
going on and this conference, because I was told that's what I needed to do.
But after being here and listening to the scientists talk, and the  curanderos talk, and the way everything
was run, and the respect you have for curandismo and the traditional
medicines, my report's going to be an excellent one. So we got full  approval.

 

So if the
union takes off in Iquitos do you think it might spread through South America?
How many curanderos do you think are operating through South America currently?

In the thousands. And only about
20% are probably worthy of the name.

 

In
Iquitos it's a large tourist drawcard, it's not just for treating indigenous
communities
 anymore, it's
chasing the gringo dollar?

Absolutely. And that's fine.

 

Could you explain a bit about the ayahuasca church you
founded?

Soga del Alma was founded about
five years ago. Soga del Alma means the "Vine of the Soul" which is one
of the common definitions you have for ayahuasca, "vine of the soul" or "vine
of the dead." Actually, many people don't know this, there's "ayahuasca" which
is "vine of the soul" and then there's "ayar" which is a Quechua word meaning
"vine of the dead." Ayahuasca is "vine of the soul." Regardless, it's a
lovelier sounding name.

I noted that their are people all
around the world drinking ayahuasca in a very spiritual way. I've not seen it
done any other way, not on the streets, certainly. Setting up their own altars,
playing their own recorded music, whatever's good for the setting. Praying to
whatever gods they like to pray to. But also doing it at the risk of knowing
that at any moment the police could burst their door down.

 

Is
[ayahuasca] illegal in Peru, in South America?

No. But it is in the United
States and in various other countries, France also. The [authorities] don't
really know what [ayahuasca] is, it's in a grey area. But at least if you
belong to a church that's formed, legally formed, which this one here is, Soga
de Alma… On the website you can click on the banner and join the church by
filling in your name and address, etc. And you are more than welcome to do so.

 

And is a
person then only legally recognized in Peru, or does it then lend immunity that
is yet to be tested outside Peru?

It's yet
to be legally tested. But a church is a church.

 

What do
you think of the 2006 Supreme Court case in America which granted ayahuasca
freedom of religion due process for the Church de Vegetal (Unaio de Vegetal —
also known as the UDV)?

There has not been one case
against ayahuasca, whether it was the Santo Daime, or the UDV or individuals,
that any government around the world has won.

 

So there's
strength in numbers if you do formally come into the fold of a church. So how
many members do you have in Soga del Alma?

There's probably 500 or 600
people from all over the world.

 

And what
formalization, what procedures are part of the church?

Santo Daime and the UDV have two
distinct types of ceremonies. Santo Daime uses a lot of candles and white
uniforms, and they also smoke marijuana, which they also call the light of
Maria, the Virgin Mary. They pass that around. I've participated in a ceremony
of theirs in Amsterdam and I thought it was very lovely, very spiritual.

 

The Santo
Daime ceremony is very Catholic based isn't it, very Christian with its
iconography, etc?

I'd say very Christian based but
I'd say that curandismo here in the jungle is Catholic based. Because it came
from the indigenous people and the rubber tappers learned it when they had to
go tap the rubber out in the jungle. They learned from the healers because
there were no doctors around so they were taught how to take ayahuasca, how to
make it and use it. They learned about a lot of medicinal plants. But because
of that, they already had their Catholic background. So they integrated their
Catholic background with the indigenous philosophy and that's where all that
comes from.

Soga del Alma is based on the tradition
of curanderos here in Peru for the
last 150 years. The ceremonies are done at night, in the dark, with a healer
leading the ceremony. You are going to purge from both ends. The curanderos sing
icaros, which are songs taught to the various curanderos that are handed
down to other curanderos but which initiate from the spirits in the
plants. And learning the other medicinal plants. So it's sacred and recognizing
that there's something bigger than us. And when you pass from this body you are
here just for a vacation. We use this physical body so we can taste food, have
sex, enjoy the senses. And then you move back into the spirit world.

And for me that's why the diet for
being a curandero is no sugar, no salt, no oil, no sex. My idea on that
is the more sugar and salt and oil you have in your system… those things are
not natural to your system. So you want to bring the spirits to you. And the
more of that you have in your system the more it's likely to keep the spirits
away. If you keep this stuff out of your system it attracts [the spirits]. You
build up your sexual chakra by not having sex. And the thing you're going to
miss when you leave the physical form is eating foods, of course, but also
having sex. So that is like a magnet to bring spirits closer to you. And when
the spirits come close they have information for you.

 

What's your connection with the "Ayahuasca Forums" on
ayahuasca.com's website?

I'm not a founder, I was a member
from about a year after they formed. That was set up by Andy in Ireland and
it's just picked up members over the years from around the world.

 

Do you
think it's become a focal point for the global ayahuasca community?

It has. There's more information
there than you'll find anywhere else in the entire world. Everything's logged
and you can look at the history and do searches. It's an incredible library of
information, a wealth of information.

 

What do
you think of the global phenomenon that's happening as more people get
interested in ayahuasca?

It's interesting because that
Secoya curandero I drank with that first morning after I saw all the
spirits in the plants… I told him what had happened, and he said, Alan, this
now is the end of a 500 year-old cycle. And it's the time for the new 500 years
to begin. And part of the vision of the new 500 years is that the new healers,
the new curandero shamans, will be the gringo. Which is really
unfortunate, because it was the gringo who came in with the Spanish
Conquistadores and wrought absolute havoc.

 

Is this
the legend of the "Eagle and the Condor" re-uniting or balancing out the North
and South Americas?

Ah… I don't know much about
that legend, I've heard it many times but I don't know… But my curandero said
that the new healer will be a gringo. For example, his own two children refused
to learn the ways of the father. There was a medical outpost in town set up by
missionaries, they come with clothes, and he's not making anything. The locals
come but they don't give him anything. He doesn't get anything from it. So they
have no interest. But now the interest is back again because the gringos are
coming around.

The gringos come in and they treat the
father like a healer, like a true spiritual priest, more or less, which can be
a bit of a mistake. But they give him so much respect, and the family as well
as give him 'green' for the energy exchange. And [the children] see their
father or grandfather actually making money, and be able to buy clothes and
schoolbooks from his work being a healer.

 

It
becomes viable again.

Yeah. So now it's come around
full circle again. And the children want to learn. And the missionaries now
have also learned their mistake. They used to go to villages and say you can't
go to your curandero anymore, it's all brujeria. But they've
learned and now they work together. They have a little clinic but they bring
the healers in too, because they know about the plants and they have learned
they are a wealth of information, so that's been integrated.

 

Tell us about the "Amazonian
Shaman Conference" — why did you instigate this event?

Initially it was because I was on
ayahuasca.com and seeing all these people… They had all picked these names to
stay anonymous and there were no faces with these names and I thought everyone
would like to meet. And often people would write to me and say can you tell me
someone in Boston or Seattle or New York or Europe that I can meet, because
I've just come across these plants and I made it for myself and I'd love to be
able to share this with people… But I of course can't give any names out to
people of where to go. It's unfortunate but it's too dangerous. I mean, who's
asking me these questions?

So I just one day said we're having a
conference here in Iquitos, and I'd done it in September prior to the July conference
the first year, and I asked people to please come on down. I kept the prices as
low as I could and everyone said Alan, conferences all around the world charge
a whole lot more money, but I said, it's Peru, things are cheaper down here,
people are going to pay a lot of money on their air fares, I just want to get
the people here primarily. And it worked.

 

I guess
in a way you're still performing a role as a healer, bringing people together
to learn the knowledge, and then they're going back to their parts of the world
and spreading the knowledge.

That, and I look back at my
education with experience in singing and in theatre, with criminology, speaking
and with acting… If a curandero can't manage those things in the
ceremony then you're not going to be able to hold people's attention. So all those things that I
was trained to do, I studied to do and had a real talent to do I'm able to use
now in full form.

For more information click here.  Anyone interested in joining the Soga del Alma ayahuasca church please email Alan Shoemaker on:  sogadelalma@yahoo.com

 

Photo by Vance Gellert, courtesy of Creative Commons license

Psychedelic Resources

A Foraging Trip: Where Do Magic Mushrooms Grow?
Eager to learn more about the origin of psilocybin species? Read this article to find out where magic mushrooms grow and more!

How to Make Shroom Tea: Best Recipe and Dosage
A step by step guide on how to brew shroom tea, and why entheogenic psilocybin tea is a preferred method for psychedelic connoisseurs.

R. Gordon Wasson: Author and Mushroom Expert
Learn about R. Gordon Wasson, the “legendary mushroom expert” and popular figure within the psychonaut community.

Shrooms vs Acid: Differences and Similarities Explained
Ever wondered what the differences are between shrooms vs acid, or if you can take both together? This guide explains what you need to know.

Quantum Mechanics, Reality, and Magic Mushrooms
Scientist and author Dr. Chris Becker takes an in-depth approach in understanding how we perceive reality through magic mushrooms and quantum mechanics.

Psilocybin Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Psilocybin has everything you want to know about this psychedelic fungi from its uses to its legal status.

The Psilocybin Experience: What’s the Deal With Magic Mushrooms?
From microdoses to macrodoses, the psilocybin experience has been sought after both medicinally and recreationally for millennia.

Psilocybin and Magic Mushroom Resources
Curious to learn more about psilocybin? This guide is a comprehensive psilocybin resource containing books, therapeutic studies, and more.

Paul Stamets Profile: Mushroom Guru, Filmmaker, Nutritionist, Scientist
Learn about Paul Stamets, read his thoughts on psilocybin mircodosing, the future of psilocybin, and his recent film “Fantastic Fungi”.

Microdosing Psilocybin & Common Dosage Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivably, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing psilocybin.

Psilocybin Nasal Spray: Relief for Anxiety, PTSD, and Depression
Microdosing nasal spray with psilocybin, is that possible?! Oregan a start-up Silo Wellness believes so and has created this new option for PTSD treatment.

Mazatec Mushroom Usage: Notes on Approach, Setting and Species for Curious Psilonauts
A look at traditional Mazatec psilocybin mushroom usage, and a comparison to the cliniical therapeutic approach, with an examination of the Mazatec setting and species used in veladas.

María Sabina: The Mazatec Magic Mushroom Woman
Magic mushrooms are incredibly popular today. How they became introduced to into American culture isn’t usually a topic discussed while tripping on psilocybin fungi. We all may have María Sabina to thank for exposing the Western world to the healing properties of the psilocybin mushroom.

Guide to Magic Mushroom Strains
Are there different types of psilocybin? Read our guide to learn about the different magic mushroom strains and their individual effects.

Kilindi Iyi: Mycologist, Traveler, Teacher
Learn about traveler and mycologist Kilindi Iyi known in the psychedelic community for his research and exploration of psilocybin.

How to Store Shrooms: Best Practices
How do you store shrooms for optimal shelf life? Learn how and why the proper storage method is so important.

Shroom Chocolate Recipes: How to Make Magic Mushroom Chocolates
This recipe provides step by step directions on how you can make mushroom chocolates with the necessary ingredients. Read to learn more!

Why Do People Use Psilocybin? New Johns Hopkins Study
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicines has just published a new study on psychoactive effects of psilocybin. Read here to learn more.

How-To Lemon Tek: Ultimate Guide and Recipe
This master guide will teach you how to lemon tek, preventing the onset of negative effects after consuming psilocybin. Read to learn more!

How to Intensify a Mushroom Trip
Learn about techniques like Lemon tekking, or discover the right time to consume cannabis if you are looking to intensify a mushroom trip.

How to Grow Magic Mushrooms: Step-by-Step
This step-by-step guide will show you how to grow magic mushrooms at home. Read this guide before trying it on your own.

How to Dry Magic Mushrooms: Best Practices
Read to learn more about specifics for the best practices on how to dry magic mushrooms after harvesting season.

How to Buy Psilocybin Spores
Interested in psilocybin mushrooms? We’ll walk you through all you need to know to obtain mushroom spores. Nosh on this delish How To guide.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

Having Sex on Shrooms: Good or Bad Idea?
Is having sex on shrooms a good idea or an accident waiting to happen? Find out in our guide to sex on magic mushrooms.

Gold Cap Shrooms Guide: Spores, Effects, Identification
Read this guide to learn more about the different characteristics of gold cap mushrooms, and how they differ from other psilocybin species.

Guide to Cooking with Magic Mushrooms
From cookies to smoothies and sandwiches, we cover various methods of cooking with magic mushrooms for the ultimate snack.

2020 Election: The Decriminalize Psilocybin Movement
Are you curious if mushrooms will follow in marijuana’s footsteps? Read to learn about how the U.S. is moving to decriminalize psilocybin.

Oregon’s Initiative to Legalize Mushrooms | Initiative Petition 34
Oregon continues to push ahead with their initiative to legalize Psilocybin in 2020. The measure received its official title and now needs signatures.

Canada Approves Psilocybin Treatment for Terminally-Ill Cancer Patients
Canada’s Minister of Health, Patty Hajdu approved the use of psilocybin to help ease anxiety and depression of four terminal cancer patients.

Mapping the DMT Experience
With only firsthand experiences to share, how can we fully map the DMT experience? Let’s explore what we know about this powerful psychedelic.

Guide to Machine Elves and Other DMT Entities
This guide discusses machine elves, clockwork elves, and other common DMT entities that people experience during a DMT trip.

Is the DMT Experience a Hallucination? 
What if the DMT realm was the real world, and our everyday lives were merely a game we had chosen to play?

How to Store DMT
Not sure how to store DMT? Read this piece to learn the best practices and elements of advice to keep your stuff fresh.

What Does 5-MeO-DMT Show Us About Consciousness?
How does our brain differentiate between what’s real and what’s not? Read to learn what can 5-MeO-DMT show us about consciousness.

How to Smoke DMT: Processes Explained
There are many ways to smoke DMT and we’ve outlined some of the best processes to consider before embarking on your journey.

How to Ground After DMT
Knowing what to expect from a DMT comedown can help you integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible from your journey.

How To Get DMT
What kind of plants contain DMT? Are there other ways to access this psychedelic? Read on to learn more about how to get DMT.

How DMT is Made: Everything You Need to Know
Ever wonder how to make DMT? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how DMT is made.

Having Sex on DMT: What You Need to Know
Have you ever wondered about sex on DMT? Learn how the God Molecule can influence your intimate experiences.

Does the Human Brain Make DMT? 
With scientific evidence showing us DMT in the brain, what can we conclude it is there for? Read on to learn more.

How to Use DMT Vape Pens
Read to learn all about DMT vape pens including: what to know when vaping, what to expect when purchasing a DMT cartridge, and vaping safely.

DMT Resources
This article is a comprehensive DMT resource providing extensive information from studies, books, documentaries, and more. Check it out!

Differentiating DMT and Near-Death Experiences
Some say there are similarities between a DMT trip and death. Read our guide on differentiating DMT and near-death experiences to find out.

DMT Research from 1956 to the Edge of Time
From a representative sample of a suitably psychedelic crowd, you’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t tell you all about Albert Hofmann’s enchanted bicycle ride after swallowing what turned out to be a massive dose of LSD. Far fewer, however, could tell you much about the world’s first DMT trip.

The Ultimate Guide to DMT Pricing
Check out our ultimate guide on DMT pricing to learn what to expect when purchasing DMT for your first time.

DMT Milking | Reality Sandwich
Indigenous cultures have used 5-MeO-DMT for centuries. With the surge in demand for psychedelic toad milk, is DMT Milking harming the frogs?

Why Does DMT Pervade Nature?
With the presence of DMT in nature everywhere – including human brains – why does it continue to baffle science?

DMT Substance Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to DMT has everything you want to know about this powerful psychedelic referred to as “the spirit molecule”.

DMT for Depression: Paving the Way for New Medicine
We’ve been waiting for an effective depression treatment. Studies show DMT for depression works even for treatment resistant patients.

Beating Addiction with DMT
Psychedelics have been studied for their help overcoming addiction. Read how DMT is helping addicts beat their substance abuse issues.

DMT Extraction: Behind the Scientific Process
Take a look at DMT extraction and the scientific process involved. Learn all you need to know including procedures and safety.

Microdosing DMT & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing DMT.

DMT Art: A Look Behind Visionary Creations
An entire genre of artwork is inspired by psychedelic trips with DMT. Read to learn about the entities and visions behind DMT art.

Changa vs. DMT: What You Need to Know
While similar (changa contains DMT), each drug has its own unique effect and feeling. Let’s compare and contrast changa vs DMT.

5-MeO-DMT Guide: Effects, Benefits, Safety, and Legality
5-Meo-DMT comes from the Sonora Desert toad. Here is everything you want to know about 5-Meo-DMT and how it compares to 4-AcO-DMT.

4-AcO-DMT Guide: Benefits, Effects, Safety, and Legality
This guide tells you everything about 4 AcO DMT & 5 MeO DMT, that belong to the tryptamine class, and are similar but slightly different to DMT.

How Much Does LSD Cost? When shopping around for that magical psychedelic substance, there can be many uncertainties when new to buying LSD. You may be wondering how much does LSD cost? In this article, we will discuss what to expect when purchasing LSD on the black market, what forms LSD is sold in, and the standard breakdown of buying LSD in quantity.   Navy Use of LSD on the Dark Web The dark web is increasingly popular for purchasing illegal substances. The US Navy has now noticed this trend with their staff. Read to learn more.   Having Sex on LSD: What You Need to Know Can you have sex on LSD? Read our guide to learn everything about sex on acid, from lowered inhibitions to LSD users quotes on sex while tripping.   A Drug That Switches off an LSD Trip A pharmaceutical company is developing an “off-switch” drug for an LSD trip, in the case that a bad trip can happen. Some would say there is no such thing.   Queen of Hearts: An Interview with Liz Elliot on Tim Leary and LSD The history of psychedelia, particularly the British experience, has been almost totally written by men. Of the women involved, especially those who were in the thick of it, little has been written either by or about them. A notable exception is Liz Elliot.   LSD Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety LSD, Lysergic acid diethylamide, or just acid is one of the most important psychedelics ever discovered. What did history teach us?   Microdosing LSD & Common Dosage Explained Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing LSD.   LSD Resources Curious to learn more about LSD? This guide includes comprehensive LSD resources containing books, studies and more.   LSD as a Spiritual Aid There is common consent that the evolution of mankind is paralleled by the increase and expansion of consciousness. From the described process of how consciousness originates and develops, it becomes evident that its growth depends on its faculty of perception. Therefore every means of improving this faculty should be used.   Legendary LSD Blotter Art: A Hidden Craftsmanship Have you ever heard of LSD blotter art? Explore the trippy world of LSD art and some of the top artists of LSD blotter art.   LSD and Exercise: Does it Work? LSD and exercise? Learn why high-performing athletes are taking hits of LSD to improve their overall potential.   Jan Bastiaans Treated Holocaust Survivors with LSD Dutch psychiatrist, Jan Bastiaans administered LSD-assisted therapy to survivors of the Holocaust. A true war hero and pioneer of psychedelic-therapy.   LSD and Spiritual Awakening I give thanks for LSD, which provided the opening that led me to India in 1971 and brought me to Neem Karoli Baba, known as Maharajji. Maharajji is described by the Indians as a “knower of hearts.”   How LSD is Made: Everything You Need to Know Ever wonder how to make LSD? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how LSD is made.   How to Store LSD: Best Practices Learn the best way to store LSD, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long LSD lasts when stored.   Bicycle Day: The Discovery of LSD Every year on April 19th, psychonauts join forces to celebrate Bicycle Day. Learn about the famous day when Albert Hoffman first discovered the effects of LSD.   Cary Grant: A Hollywood Legend On LSD Cary Grant was a famous actor during the 1930’s-60’s But did you know Grant experimented with LSD? Read our guide to learn more.   Albert Hofmann: LSD — My Problem Child Learn about Albert Hofmann and his discovery of LSD, along with the story of Bicycle Day and why it marks a historic milestone.   Babies are High: What Does LSD Do To Your Brain What do LSD and babies have in common? Researchers at the Imperial College in London discover that an adult’s brain on LSD looks like a baby’s brain.   1P LSD: Effects, Benefits, Safety Explained 1P LSD is an analogue of LSD and homologue of ALD-25. Here is everything you want to know about 1P LSD and how it compares to LSD.   Francis Crick, DNA & LSD Type ‘Francis Crick LSD’ into Google, and the result will be 30,000 links. Many sites claim that Crick (one of the two men responsible for discovering the structure of DNA), was either under the influence of LSD at the time of his revelation or used the drug to help with his thought processes during his research. Is this true?   What Happens If You Overdose on LSD? A recent article presented three individuals who overdosed on LSD. Though the experience was unpleasant, the outcomes were remarkably positive.

The Ayahuasca Experience
Ayahuasca is both a medicine and a visionary aid. You can employ ayahuasca for physical, mental, emotional and spiritual repair, and you can engage with the power of ayahuasca for deeper insight and realization. If you consider attainment of knowledge in the broadest perspective, you can say that at all times, ayahuasca heals.

 

Trippy Talk: Meet Ayahuasca with Sitaramaya Sita and PlantTeachers
Sitaramaya Sita is a spiritual herbalist, pusangera, and plant wisdom practitioner formally trained in the Shipibo ayahuasca tradition.

 

The Therapeutic Value of Ayahuasca
My best description of the impact of ayahuasca is that it’s a rocket boost to psychospiritual growth and unfolding, my professional specialty during my thirty-five years of private practice.

 

Microdosing Ayahuasca: Common Dosage Explained
What is ayahuasca made of and what is considered a microdose? Explore insights with an experienced Peruvian brewmaster and learn more about this practice.

 

Ayahuasca Makes Neuron Babies in Your Brain
Researchers from Beckley/Sant Pau Research Program have shared the latest findings in their study on the effects of ayahuasca on neurogenesis.

 

The Fatimiya Sufi Order and Ayahuasca
In this interview, the founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order,  N. Wahid Azal, discusses the history and uses of plant medicines in Islamic and pre-Islamic mystery schools.

 

Consideration Ayahuasca for Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Research indicates that ayahuasca mimics mechanisms of currently accepted treatments for PTSD. In order to understand the implications of ayahuasca treatment, we need to understand how PTSD develops.

 

Brainwaves on Ayahuasca: A Waking Dream State
In a study researchers shared discoveries showing ingredients found in Ayahuasca impact the brainwaves causing a “waking dream” state.

 

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a pro cannabis Peruvian Shaman.

 

Ayahuasca Retreat 101: Everything You Need to Know to Brave the Brew
Ayahuasca has been known to be a powerful medicinal substance for millennia. However, until recently, it was only found in the jungle. Word of its deeply healing and cleansing properties has begun to spread across the world as many modern, Western individuals are seeking spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical well-being. More ayahuasca retreat centers are emerging in the Amazon and worldwide to meet the demand.

 

Ayahuasca Helps with Grief
A new study published in psychopharmacology found that ayahuasca helped those suffering from the loss of a loved one up to a year after treatment.

 

Ayahuasca Benefits: Clinical Improvements for Six Months
Ayahuasca benefits can last six months according to studies. Read here to learn about the clinical improvements from drinking the brew.

 

Ayahuasca Culture: Indigenous, Western, And The Future
Ayahuasca has been use for generations in the Amazon. With the rise of retreats and the brew leaving the rainforest how is ayahuasca culture changing?

 

Ayahuasca Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
The Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca has a long history and wide use. Read our guide to learn all about the tea from its beginnings up to modern-day interest.

 

Ayahuasca and the Godhead: An Interview with Wahid Azal of the Fatimiya Sufi Order
Wahid Azal, a Sufi mystic of The Fatimiya Sufi Order and an Islamic scholar, talks about entheogens, Sufism, mythology, and metaphysics.

 

Ayahuasca and the Feminine: Women’s Roles, Healing, Retreats, and More
Ayahuasca is lovingly called “grandmother” or “mother” by many. Just how feminine is the brew? Read to learn all about women and ayahuasca.

What Is the Standard of Care for Ketamine Treatments?
Ketamine therapy is on the rise in light of its powerful results for treatment-resistant depression. But, what is the current standard of care for ketamine? Read to find out.

What Is Dissociation and How Does Ketamine Create It?
Dissociation can take on multiple forms. So, what is dissociation like and how does ketamine create it? Read to find out.

Having Sex on Ketamine: Getting Physical on a Dissociative
Curious about what it could feel like to have sex on a dissociate? Find out all the answers in our guide to sex on ketamine.

Special K: The Party Drug
Special K refers to Ketamine when used recreationally. Learn the trends as well as safety information around this substance.

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Read to explore the mechanics of kitty flipping.

Ketamine vs. Esketamine: 3 Important Differences Explained
Ketamine and esketamine are used to treat depression. But what’s the difference between them? Read to learn which one is right for you: ketamine vs. esketamine.

Guide to Ketamine Treatments: Understanding the New Approach
Ketamine is becoming more popular as more people are seeing its benefits. Is ketamine a fit? Read our guide for all you need to know about ketamine treatments.

Ketamine Treatment for Eating Disorders
Ketamine is becoming a promising treatment for various mental health conditions. Read to learn how individuals can use ketamine treatment for eating disorders.

Ketamine Resources, Studies, and Trusted Information
Curious to learn more about ketamine? This guide includes comprehensive ketamine resources containing books, studies and more.

Ketamine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to ketamine has everything you need to know about this “dissociative anesthetic” and how it is being studied for depression treatment.

Ketamine for Depression: A Mental Health Breakthrough
While antidepressants work for some, many others find no relief. Read to learn about the therapeutic uses of ketamine for depression.

Ketamine for Addiction: Treatments Offering Hope
New treatments are offering hope to individuals suffering from addiction diseases. Read to learn how ketamine for addiction is providing breakthrough results.

Microdosing Ketamine & Common Dosages Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing ketamine.

How to Ease a Ketamine Comedown
Knowing what to expect when you come down from ketamine can help integrate the experience to gain as much value as possible.

How to Store Ketamine: Best Practices
Learn the best ways how to store ketamine, including the proper temperature and conditions to maximize how long ketamine lasts when stored.

How To Buy Ketamine: Is There Legal Ketamine Online?
Learn exactly where it’s legal to buy ketamine, and if it’s possible to purchase legal ketamine on the internet.

How Long Does Ketamine Stay in Your System?
How long does ketamine stay in your system? Are there lasting effects on your body? Read to discover the answers!

How Ketamine is Made: Everything You Need to Know
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Colorado on Ketamine: First Responders Waiver Programs
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Types of Ketamine: Learn the Differences & Uses for Each
Learn about the different types of ketamine and what they are used for—and what type might be right for you. Read now to find out!

Kitty Flipping: When Ketamine and Molly Meet
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MDMA & Ecstasy Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
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How To Get the Most out of Taking MDMA as a Couple
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Common MDMA Dosage & Microdosing Explained
Microdosing, though imperceivable, is showing to have many health benefits–here is everything you want to know about microdosing MDMA.

Having Sex on MDMA: What You Need to Know
MDMA is known as the love drug… Read our guide to learn all about sex on MDMA and why it is beginning to makes its way into couple’s therapy.

How MDMA is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make MDMA? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how MDMA is made.

Hippie Flipping: When Shrooms and Molly Meet
What is it, what does it feel like, and how long does it last? Explore the mechanics of hippie flipping and how to safely experiment.

How Cocaine is Made: Common Procedures Explained
Ever wonder how to make cocaine? Read our guide to learn everything you need to know about the procedures of how cocaine is made.

A Christmas Sweater with Santa and Cocaine
This week, Walmart came under fire for a “Let it Snow” Christmas sweater depicting Santa with lines of cocaine. Columbia is not merry about it.

Ultimate Cocaine Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
This guide covers what you need to know about Cocaine, including common effects and uses, legality, safety precautions and top trends today.

NEWS: An FDA-Approved Cocaine Nasal Spray
The FDA approved a cocaine nasal spray called Numbrino, which has raised suspicions that the pharmaceutical company, Lannett Company Inc., paid off the FDA..

The Ultimate Guide to Cannabis Bioavailability
What is bioavailability and how can it affect the overall efficacy of a psychedelic substance? Read to learn more.

Cannabis Research Explains Sociability Behaviors
New research by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano shows social behavioral changes occur as a result of less energy available to the neurons. Read here to learn more.

The Cannabis Shaman
If recreational and medical use of marijuana is becoming accepted, can the spiritual use as well? Experiential journalist Rak Razam interviews Hamilton Souther, founder of the 420 Cannabis Shamanism movement…

Cannabis Guide: Effects, Common Uses, Safety
Our ultimate guide to Cannabis has everything you want to know about this popular substances that has psychedelic properties.

Cannabis and Ayahuasca: Mixing Entheogenic Plants
Cannabis and Ayahuasca: most people believe they shouldn’t be mixed. Read this personal experience peppered with thoughts from a procannabis Peruvian Shaman.

CBD-Rich Cannabis Versus Single-Molecule CBD
A ground-breaking study has documented the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant Cannabis extract as compared to synthetic cannabidiol (CBD), challenging the medical-industrial complex’s notion that “crude” botanical preparations are less effective than single-molecule compounds.

Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine
Modern science has already confirmed the efficacy of cannabis for most uses described in the ancient medical texts, but prohibitionists still claim that medical cannabis is “just a ruse.”

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