addiction starts to fill. It isn’t being replaced by another drug or addictive activity, but by ourselves, our essence, our true nature, our ‘self’ as it is revealed through the plants – and once this ‘self’ is known it can never be ignored or un-remembered again. Even if the addict relapses after plant therapy I suspect that the lapse will not last long because their spirit is now awake and will no longer tolerate self-abuse for any length of time.
In addiction our energy circuits are so thoroughly connected to the target of addiction that we no longer have use of our reasoning ability; we surrender our power instead to the substance or behaviour. Plant medicines reveal to us the sources of our unhappiness and once we make conscious our emotional needs it is impossible to forget them so we have to make choices.
Making choices is an active power; it makes us want to change those parts of our lives that are no longer appropriate, and changing them inspires us to challenge other aspects of our lives that are less than satisfactory as well.
Much of this process may be painful which is why it is so important to embark on this type of therapy in a controlled environment with an experienced shaman or therapist. “The problem is not that truth is harsh but that liberation from ignorance is as painful as being born”. To heal however, we must “accept the pain involved in recreating yourself afresh” (Naguib Mahfouz, Palace of Desire).
HOW AYAHUASCA AND SAN PEDRO WORK
Ayahuasca has been used traditionally for centuries to enable shamans to communicate with the plants and animals of the jungle. In this way the shaman comes to know the significance of every