The Ancient Healers Inside Entheogens
An Entheogen is a psychoactive substance that induces altered states of consciousness for the purposes of ceremonial healing of the mind, body, and spirit. The indigenous cultures worldwide have used entheogens for thousands of years and have passed down the traditional knowledge from their ancestors. If you talk to the shamans, they will say that the plants are their teachers, and the spirits inside the plants guide them during the ceremony. Of course, the Auywausca craze sweeping the west is an interesting phenomenon with mixed reports about the sacred plant teachers.
Some cultures don’t use substances, but deep meditation like Tibet or like the Lakota tradition of sun dancing for days without food or water to induce altered states of consciousness. Graham Hancock researched this phenomenon in great detail in his book Supernatural. He even journeyed to Peru to drink Auyausca from a journalist’s point of view. Graham’s entire life changed in one sitting, as often reported. Now, Seattle, Oregon, and even Detroit have decriminalized entheogens which is a significant step toward introducing sacred plant medicine to the United States.
But what is the big deal about altered states of consciousness? I recently participated in a solo ceremony in the desert with an entheogen to find some deeper healing inside myself. Only a trained shaman or expert meditator can safely ingest sacred plant medicine alone.
My experience was beyond words. While watching the sunset over the Anza-Borrego desert, I had a deep realization that I am mixing Mother Earth and Father Sky energies into a union inside my body. I am creating my own creation, and it was the first time I embodied these feelings.
Soon, the moonlit the desert floor, and Sacred Geometry enveloped me as I surrendered to the weight of cosmic wisdom flowing through my body. Then, I remember thinking, am I dying? That’s when I knew that old parts of myself were dying and being released to unconditional love.
I felt this vibration come over my body like a massage chair vibrating my skull. Like a fast-paced shiver that released all of the trauma in my body. I found myself in the rattle of a shaman, and with every shake of his rattle, I was watching old pieces of myself fall away until there was nothing left.
I opened my eyes to black sludge inside my body, and my hands had healing lights inside my palms. I placed my palms on the pains inside my body and melted away the darkness with the oneness and unconditional love of the universe. I healed every part of my mind, body, and spirit that night. I went deeper than any hypnosis, therapy, or acupuncture treatment I have ever tried. This was a real medicine that shamans could only access with a strong intention. Traditionally the icaro (shamanic song) is as important as the plants themselves because they carry the intention.
My crown chakra is already wide open, maybe too open sometimes, which means that I had to work hard for a few weeks to normalize my inner vision. My psychic gifts were turned up to eleven, and I had to relearn how to ground myself and calm my nervous system. In a clinical sense, I experienced a short period of Psychosis which has happened to me just from meditating too much. Most people don’t have to work this hard to integrate after such an experience. I caution anyone with psychological disorders to consult a clinical practitioner before even thinking about using entheogens.
The effects of entheogens on a healthy individual may be more profound than any other treatments available. The MAPS Institute is in phase three trials with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. The results have been challenging modern psychiatry with the word “cure” being used for depression and PTSD.
The only danger is using the entheogens to access the mystical realms without integrating the groundwork to back up the lessons. There must be new action, focus, and goals to work toward as you rewire your brain. There has to be a strong intention for healing, a proper mindset, and a powerful setting that feels comfortable during the ceremony. The indigenous shamans are masters of the set, setting, and dosage, which are critical for having a positive experience.
Clinical studies have shown massive amounts of neurogenesis with magic mushrooms, which means your neural pathways grow and change after a mystical experience. Most participants that experience the magic mushroom report that the experience may be the most important experience of their entire life. As important as their wedding or child being born. After Micheal Pollan had his own experience, he wrote a new book and went on speaking tours to promote Psilocybin for healing. Find his book here: Change Your Mind by Micheal Pollan.
In the Hawaiian traditions, the black sludge I encountered inside my body is the black bags; check out an older blog about The Power of Forgiveness and black bags. The sacred plant medicine allowed me to access such a high level of unconditional love that the black bags dissolved, and a mind, body, spirit healing occurred. I remember having a sense of Sacred geometry flossing my spiritual body while I was laughing out loud.
No matter your opinion on entheogens, I think they are here to stay because they have the potential to change our entire planet. The planet is screaming for help as we abuse her land and oceans. Mother Gaia is speaking through the sacred plant medicines around the world. Mother Earths’ dis-ease is our dis-ease, and the more healing we do inside ourselves, the more trauma the planet releases. The Machine Apes are being called to the medicine, and I can only hope that we answer the call.