Day 2: Ceremony 1: Love Without Judgment

I woke up today feeling extremely calm and excited, but also realizing I have a lot of mental preparation to do to prepare for the journey I am about to take.  Decided to sleep in a little instead of doing Yoga as the night was a little rough to get through. Dusk comes so suddenly here, starting at around 5:30am and turning pitch black around 6:30pm.  This often makes people get up very early to enjoy the daylight while they have it.  So when I say I slept in that only means 7:30am.

Stepped out of the cabin now laughing at the previous nights events as all of the roaches now hidden away.  Head behind our hut to the showers, I am looking forward to a nice shower to ready me for the day.  I turn the hot water handle but to my surprise nothing happens. Turn on the cold and it turns on immediately.  “Oh Great!” I say to myself.  Guess that’s what you do when it is 35 degrees during the day and 28 degrees at night.  Tomorrow I will shower a little later in the day to take advantage of the heat.

When I step into the kitchen hut I can feel everyone buzzing with excitement and anticipation.  Hard-boiled eggs, blended smoothie and granola for breakfast to prepare the body for a healthy purge tonight.  Everyone seems very enlightened today and wanting to share knowledge and experiences.

After breakfast I popped out to find hammock to reflect and write about the days experiences.  It seems to pour out of me, as I feel very inspired.  It is so easy to raise my vibration level in these surroundings as everything around me is living and beautiful, I feel as if Ayahuasca is already showing me how everything is connected.

Took a quick nap and before I know it, it’s lunchtime.  Beat and carrot salad, if my mom knew I was eating this she would laugh as she has being tying to get me to eat beats for years.  Really don’t want to eat it but as there is nothing else and I need some energy before ceremony.   Sweeter than I imagined, but I guess everything is in the jungle.

Jill calls us for a plant walk in the afternoon and at first I am thinking that we are just going to see pretty flowers and neat trees but I am shocked that instead it is a local who describes how each plant around us in our very own camp can be used to cure some sort of ailment.  From thorns that cure HIV to a “Miracle Plant” that cures cancer.  It is hard to believe that all this exists naturally in jungle and yet so many people are still suffering and dying when these plants exist in vast quantities here in the rainforest.  This explains why Shaman’s seem to be in such good health and live very long because of their amazing understanding of the plant life in the area. The highlight of our walk however was the sloth we found hanging between two trees.  So cute, I wish he would come down and play.

List of Plants on Plant Walk:

           1)   Cogoyo- Good for kidneys (mash the root)

           2)   Socoba- Good for Swelling

           3)   Una de gato- General Cure all (Cancer, digestion, blood)*

           4)   Secreta de amor- bathe in to find love

           5)   Acai- fruit high in antioxidants (root, make into tea for kidney and vaginal issues

           6)   Cashew tree- boil bark for diahrrea

           7)   Bibao- leaves for tamales, etc

           8)   Cortesa- sap good for cuts

           9)   Setico- Inducing labor during pregnancy

 10) Capirona- Sap mix with 3 leaves of bibao for a fungal skin infection

      11) Milagrosa- General Cure all

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A small period of free time following our plant walk before we participate in a heart circle so I try to find a hammock to sit and listen to “The Power of Now” to mentally prepare for tonight but once again I am drawn into conversation between Lee, Clark and Irfan.  We start talking again about our reasons for being here and the amazing vibes we have between like-minded people.  Discussing our connection to our partners and how we hope that it will bring us closer to them it bind us all. 

We are called to the ceremonial room for the heart circle but I am not quite sure what I am in for.  They explain how it will be an exercise in connecting with everyone and creating positive vibrations among our group.  We start by walking in, out and around everyone, weaving around the room.  We are encouraged to feel the music and to dance naturally if we want to.  We then start to engage with others by grabbing a partner to dance around with just like kids on a playground.  I am trying to be just like everyone else so I keep my moves to a minimum so everyone feels comfortable.  We then start making groups by 2 becoming 4 and then 4 dancing with 8 until we are all holding hands and dancing in a circle.  Immediately faces brighten up and everyone is smiling.  We then begin walking around the room and when a chime is heard we stop and give a hug to the person nearest to us.  At first it is a little awkward but once everyone surrenders it becomes very calming and loving.  The last time we hear the chime we stop in front of the person and we are asked to play a mirror game.  This involves making a mirror image of the person in front of you by intuitively moving body parts and responding with neither leading or following and only looking into each other’s eyes.  I was very fortunate to get to do this with Meagan, which made it easy for both of us. 

Switching to a new person we are asked to sit down this time and stare deep into each other’s eyes.  This time I am with Harvey, the Texan.  There is a radiating calmness in his eyes as I stare deep into his soul.  We then put our right hand on our heart and our left on our partners and send all of our love to one another.  We then switch partners and I go to Jen, then Kristen, Jonie, Rifat, Andrea, Lee and Irfan.  With each we share our intention for tonight’s ceremony after staring deep into each other’s eyes.  Every person has a different energy but a common ground is felt with everyone.  Once we are done we stand up and get in a circle and thank one another.  The room is filled with acceptance and peace for tonight’s ceremony.

We head back to our rooms and I once again grab my iPod to try to listen to my audio book.  This time no distractions will stop me, as I need to focus and be in the now.  I start with chapter 5 talking about nothingness but it doesn’t feel right for what I am feeling so I go to the next chapter about love.  It seems very fitting since I am here with the woman I love.  I have read this book many times before but this is the first time I have really been in love while going through it.  Every word that comes out of Eckhart Tolle’s mouth perfectly describes my relationship with Meagan.  In the past when I have read this it showed me what was wrong with my relationships but this time it edifies what is right and how to keep it strong.  Little do I know that I am going to learn all about love from Mother Ayahuasca tonight.

Around 6:30 we head into the ceremonial room and get in our spots.  Mats have been put down and leaned up against wood backs so you can sit up.  A soft fleece blanket on top keeps the seat warm and cozy for your journey.  We have been asked to bring our pillow, water bottle and flashlight.  A bucket is placed next to everyone so we have a place to purge.  We are all in a circle facing one another with a kneeling table in the middle containing all of the Shaman’s mixtures (incense, sage etc) and including Ayahuasca. The room is dark except for a few candles.  The two Shamans’, man and wife, are at the head of the room.  We all wait silently and reflecting for the next hour until the ceremony will begin.  Jill comes in and gives introductions and explains the ceremony outline before we begin.  

The Shaman comes around to each of us and uses a ceremonial rolled tobacco, mopacco, which acts as a cleanser of bad spirits.  They will blow all over the moloka but also blows it on the crown of each person participating in the ritual.  The excitement keeps on building inside me.  The Shaman then takes the bottle and sings a silent Icaros that sounds like a whistle or a whisper.  It is meant to give direction to Ayahuasca and give an intention on the group.  Casey then pours the brew, into small glasses about 3oz in volume.  I quickly down my medicine and I can only describe the taste as very tart grapefruit juice that is dark purple in color.  You can taste the potency of the brew.  We are given a small dab of peppermint oil on our hand to lick after drinking to counteract the taste since we have been instructed not to drink water until an hour into the ceremony.  We are also given our own mopacco to smoke to get rid of any lingering taste.  The table in the middle of the room is then removed and all lights go out.  We are now in total darkness.

It does not take long for my body to feel the medicine flow through it.  Not sure what to expect I start shaking all over my body with anxiousness.  Meagan lying next to me is the first to purge only 5 min after taking it.  She then gets up to go outside where Jill is there to watch over her.  Part of my being leaves with her making it very difficult for me to focus on the medicine in my own body.  I feel it coursing through my veins and after about an hour I roll over and purge in my bucket.  As soon as I do two others join me.  I then sit back and I can feel the piercing energy flow through all of my skin.  Intense patterns* begin to appear when I close my eyes with beams of red light.  I can see tribal patterns with animal’s faces popping through but only when my eyes are closed.  Ayahuasca has not taken me yet but I can feel a sort of pull.  With Meagan coughing outside I am constantly being shut out of entering this new consciousness and am being beckoned outside. 

I leave the room and head towards the toilets where I see Jill glowing in a white outfit almost like an angel.  She leads me to Meagan who is bent over kneeling on the ground puking in an intense sweat.  She can barely move and says it is the sickest feeling she has ever felt.  I am not feeling nearly as bad but am feeling a little light headed and nauseous.  I beg her to come in as we are all puking inside and there is no need to feel embarrassed.  After a few minutes she follows me and I get her back on her mat and I lay on mine.  I instantly feel more peaceful.  Maybe now Ayahuasca will take me on my journey.  I keep popping in and out as my focus keeps going to others as if they are calling to me.  Everyone around me seems to be slipping into his or her consciousness.  Cody, the army vet next to me starts to giggle and mumble.  Jonie two seats over begins to cry and I am drawn to send some of my energy to both of them.  I plead in my mind for her to take me.  I say in my head over and over, “take me, I am ready, take me.”  I knock on the floor to call Casey over to give me another dose hoping it will give it the kick it needs. 

Again I feel the medicine work through my whole physical body and after a half hour I purge again.  Now I surely must go in I think to myself but once again my mind stays in the room.  Meagan seems to be getting worse next to me and pulls my attention once again.  I start to realize that my purpose for the evening may be to anchor those around me and to be there for the one I love.  My mind then relaxes and I lye on my side as I feel the medicine subside. 

The Shamans’ have been singing there Icaros to everyone in the circle when the finally arrive at me.  A new emotion has taken over me and is surging through my body.  I begin to feel anger, jealousy and frustration because of my disappointment.  I do not realize what my lesson was for this ceremony at this time and the more I think about it the more upset I get.  Planning this for the past 6 months and travelling to the other side of the equator to partake and nothing profound happens my first night makes my blood boil. 

The Shamans’ finish singing to us and I graciously thank them for the both of us.  We wait patiently for them to finish the circle and when they are finished Meagan and I are the first to leave and head back to our moloka.  As we leave Meagan stops a few times to purge some more.  I have never seen Meagan so uncomfortable and sick, I have to take her to the bathroom and clean up after her on the way.  We then get inside and I see in our room that they have taken banana peels and put poison on them to attract all of the cockroaches.  There at least twenty roaches all around the hut dead on there back.  I quickly dispose of them and then get Meagan to bed with a bucket next to her in case she is sick through the night.  Hillary and Clark show up later but all of us are up all night with not a wink of sleep as we hear Meagan puking for the next 15 hours.  As daylight comes I am crushed as it is so painful to see my girl in so much pain.  I now know why I was inspired to listen to the Chapter on love.  I was being shown that my first lesson I needed to learn was how to love unconditionally and free of judgment.  I had to this because Meagan needed me and I had to accept her looking and feeling the way she did.  I was kept sober because I needed to be, for her sake.  After dealing with her pain as much as I can I decide to go and get help. 

Day 1: Welcome to the Jungle

After spending 3 incredible days in Lima Peru learning all about The Incas and The Limas and the rich history of this amazing country, we arrived at the Tierra Vida in Pucallpa this morning.  The vast contrast of Mira Flores, a very upscale section of the capitol city, to the rain forest is staggering.  Flying over the Andes mountains* and seeing settlements along the way and then over the seemingly endless rainforest I couldn’t help but realize I was entering into a whole new world and lifestyle than I was used to.  Preparation for the journey has been mentally and physically challenging. Over the past six months, I have been eliminating red meat from my diet and not drinking for the past two months for the past 2 weeks.   All dread I have been feeling has been lifted since arriving and a calm has come over me as Mother Ayahuasca prepares me for the medicine. 

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After landing in Pucallpa we were met by our host Jill who immediately recognized us and greeted us with a warm hug.  We all shared very calming energy and immediate cohesion of vibrations between myself, Meagan, Hillary, Clark and Jill*.  On the flight in we all had been scouting out the plane and guessing who might be joining us on our adventure.  Many accurate predictions were made as we all gathered together at the airport and then traveled via motokar** in a convoy style. In Pucallpa because of economic reasons the locals rely on converted motorbikes with pull buggies behind called motokar’s, to get around.  The truly authentic experience of the ride was coupled with the amazing landscape along the way.  Wearing my newly acquired Nazca lines Indiana Jones hat from the Inca market, I myself started to feel like an action hero in a movie.  Over the bumpy road we came passing by small homes, shanties and brothels along the way to our destination where we met up with Jill’s companion Casey.  Casey is the also the doctor for the camp and he was joined by his 3 dogs Cora***, Ladybug and “Not Harry.”

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As we grabbed our bags and walked over the wood bridges* into the jungle it all became very real.  The sounds, the smell and the overwhelming humidity create the scene for our profound week ahead of us.  The retreat of the Tierra Vida is revealed and small huts the size of modest homes are all around the property.  The large one in the middle of the land is the Ceremonial Room** with residences attached for the visitors joining us.  Upstairs there are more rooms for some of the staff and facilitators.  Just across from the main hut is the kitchen*** and in the back corner of the property is our tambo where we will spend the next 6 nights.  Hammocks**** are spread all around the complex to sit in the sun and reflect, as well as small composting outhouses to do your 1’s and 2’s.  Far away from first class accommodations that Meagan and I are used to.  We all unpack for the week and share a group hug with the team, Meagan my girlfriend, her sister Hillary and their best friend Clark.  The energy radiates from us for everyone else to feel. 

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We head in for lunch to make introductions with the rest of the 16 members and 5 staff around the table and we can quickly see that we are all brought together for a reason.  A comradery is building quickly as finally we can discuss our impending excursion with like minds.  Some have already partaken in Ayahuasca and they try to put into words for the rest of us what it is like but, it becomes apparent that we will just have to experience it for ourselves.  Strangely enough there is another group of 4 from Alberta who will be sharing our hut in a joining room.  Their group contains quite a character named Lee whose energy is bright but welcome, as he has nothing but positive intentions.  The others with him are his girlfriend Kristen, her dad Todd and their friend Jen.  Jen is the quietest of the group and based on multiple scars on her arm including one large cross, she maybe here for some serious healing of her own.  There is no judgment however in this place and I look forward to seeing her progress through the week. 

Lee

Kristen

Todd

Jenn

Also at the lunch table were a couple from Toronto both whom are quite conservative themselves and are not saying too much. I don’t know why but I am quite intrigued by the one named Irfan.  I decide to initiate conversation with him and it turns out he is also a hip-hop artist and an instant bond is made between him and I.  His girlfriend’s name is Rifat and she is a dental hygienist.  The rest of the group at the table who I am sure I will get to know all very intimately are Harvey the Texan, Jonnie the Californian, Cody the Army Vet, Matt the Kiwi and an Alaskan couple named Andrea and Brian who have both participated in ceremony at the old Tierra Vida with Jill and Casey.  Most of our group is a little older than us but all are here with the same purpose.   

Irfan

Rifat

Harvey

Jonnie

Cody

Matt

Brian

Andrea

Jill calls us in for an introduction in the ceremonial room where we each introduce ourselves and tell where we are from and what brought us to Peru in search of the healing medicine.  Everyone’s story is unique but it is the staff’s stories that intrigue me the most and makes me desire the medicine now.  Ramses a Puerto Rican working here will be a facilitator during the ceremony.  He shares some of his past experiences and they each sound so overwhelming and even scary at times. Aga the Yoga instructor/massage therapist and Miguel the cook both share as well and talk about not only how profound there experiences were but how they have now devoted there lives to helping others with there realizations and growth, or work as they call it. The four of our group are the last to share out of the new comers.  Meagan is too emotional to get in too deep as to why we are here, but when it comes to me I feel the need to bear my story.  I was brought here mostly for my thirst for knowledge, being raised in a very religious background I have felt forced to live a narrow-minded lifestyle and have a need to expand my mind and receive revelation of purpose and understanding of the universe outside of religious constraints.  I also cannot bare the thought of my love and soul mate having an experience that takes her to a new realm of understanding without me. 

Ramses

Aga

Miguel

Hillary and Clark then share there stories and then it comes to Casey and Jill.  Casey and his overwhelming calming energy take over the room.  Speaking in almost a whisper it feels as if the medicine has fuzed not only with his soul but body as well.  He tells us about a couple of remedies that he is open to share with us while we are in camp.  The first is MMS, a compound designed to balance your PH levels and cures everything from malaria to urinary tract infections as well as countless others.  Second is bloodroot, which can be used to remove moles and skin tags. 

Casey

Jill then shares her story about how the medicine called to her and as early as her second ceremony it was revealed to her to open up a center to help others.  She then gives a run down of the week after her story.  We will be doing ceremony on the 2^nd, 4^th and 5^th day of the week, there will also be yoga, textile purchasing, plant walks, a trip to the village of the shamans and lots more.  She then opens up the floor for questions.  I take the time to ask some questions about the ceremony and how it will feel and who will be taking care of us.  I also had a question as to how I am going to be able to get up and move around or go to the bathroom if I am having intense visions or not even present in my body.  They assure me that they will be supervising us and if we ever need anything we can knock on the floor and they will come to us.  It will be pitch black but they are trained to see in the dark and have flashlights if needed.  Jill then discusses that there are other ways to purge the medicine not just through vomiting.  You can purge by laughing, crying, yelling, sweating, and shaking, it doesn’t always have to be pushed out of the body.  However the drink is a purgative and vomiting and clearing toxins out of the body often bring on more intense visions.  After hearing all of this it makes me feel much more calm about the process and all feelings of dread melt away. 

After the meeting I go find a hammock outside and lie down and start to imagine the experience.  I only have the words of others in my head but I begin to think about my purpose and why I am here at the Tierra Vida.  Meagan gets up and starts talking to Irfan, I see them smoking a mopacco, a ceremonial tobacco that they allow us to smoke when we want while we are here.  As I have not smoked anything in a week I decide to go join them.  It is too difficult to inhale in the lungs as it is very harsh but the action of smoking makes me feel good.  Irfan begins talking to me and he shares that he was raised Muslim and my story about being raised religiously is very similar to his situation as well.  I already feel a strong bond developing between the two of us.  He discusses his path and the things that brought him here including many authors and speakers I am very excited to check out such as Terrence McKenna, Graham Hancock and David Icke.  All of them combine the teaching of Ayahuasca, energy and consciousness similarly to Eckhart Tolle, an author I already have connected to and love.  David Icke also talks about how to use these powers to combat the influence of the illuminati and the free masons.

Mid afternoon there is a Yin Yoga class and as I want to experience everything I decide to participate.  It is low impact ground yoga, which I have not done before.  It is very painful as I struggle to get on my sit bones and have bad knees and feet.  Because I am unable to commit to each posture I choose to focus more on living in the moment and enjoying the smells, sounds and feelings I am having.  As we finish there is a peace that comes over me and a weight is lifted. Dinner can’t come any sooner as my stomach is growling and although I am craving something heavy and meaty I am relieved to be having a very healthy diet throughout the week.  Tonight we are having plantain burgers and a house salad.

After dinner around 6pm the jungle is completely dark already seemingly in the blink of an eye.  We head back to our tambo and to our great surprise I see a giant cockroach in the hallway.  I lose my breath and a cold sweat comes over me.  When we walk in our room however the nightmare gets much worse.  Over a dozen of them are spread all over the room, on the walls, in our beds and clothes.  Meagan freaks out and immediately regrets her decision for coming and begins packing her bag to make sure that none are in her clothes.  We pull all of the beds to the center of the room and remove the sheets to make sure none have climbed inside.  One by one they meet the bottom of my shoe.  In the corner by my bed there is an enormous Wolf Spider the size of my face.  I know I have to kill it quickly otherwise Meagan will see it and have another panic attack.   I smash it with my shoe and then immediately take it outside before anyone notices.  We put everything back in place and fasten the netting over our beds and then remove all food from the hut.  Learning the lesson the hard way about keeping everything away and sealed for the duration of our stay. 

The hardest thing to deal with is not the bugs inside and out, but the sound of my love crying in fear and wondering how she is going to make through the night.  It is even harder because I am just as scared but I have to keep it together and be strong for her.  Grabbing her close under the sheet and let her know that we are all scared and what she is feeling is normal but I will be 10x stronger for her during the week and will protect her through the night.  The sleep is rough but as dawn comes we are all met with relief as the creepy crawlers are out of the cabin back in the hiding places.  A new day has arrived and this being our first day of ceremony.  At last!!

Introduction

My journey to Peru started in October of 2012 when my girlfriend’s sister Hillary brought to my attention the existence of a vine from the Amazon.  She had come over one night and started talking about an ancient form of healing found in the jungle that had been around for thousands of years.  Both her and Meagan had been looking at some retreats in the rainforest where you can go participate in ceremonies and can find the most profound life realizations.  The reason Hillary was so intrigued was because she had been looking for an outlet to release the pain and energy of her husband’s tragic death a couple years ago.  The feelings were still very strong for both the sisters and this had been suggested as a good outlet.  

At first when I had heard about it I was extremely skeptical and I had very little to go on before deciding to book my journey to Peru.   I had seen a documentary online called DMT: The Spirit Molecule. It focused more on the science and mainly centered on an experiment in which they had a synthesized version of the compound.  This compound however is found naturally in the brew of Ayahuasca.  Although the information I found in this documentary was fascinating I wanted to know more about this organic spiritual experience.  Over the next few weeks I viewed many testimonials and documentaries that accounted peoples experiences.  I found most of it to be a little terrifying and not something I was super excited to cross half way across the world to do.  It wasn’t until I came across a YouTube video by a man from England who had been to the retreat we were looking at, that I started feeling a lot more comfortable and excited for my venture. I knew that although I was still a little unsure myself that I couldn’t let my girlfriend go alone with her sister into the jungle, and have the most life altering experience without me.  I then decided in December 2012 to book my flight to the center of the universe. 

Below is the basic information about the plant, botany, history and practice that I had before my journey.  It has been gathered from medical journals, shamans and online resources:

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant mixture that is capable of inducing altered states of consciousness, usually lasting between 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. Ranging from mildly stimulating to extremely visionary, Ayahuasca is used primarily as a medicine and as a shamanic means of communication, typically in a ceremonial session under the guidance of an experienced drinker.

The main ingredient of this jungle tea is a vine, Banisteriopsis caapi, which like the tea itself is also called Ayahuasca (which means ‘vine of the soul' or 'vine with a soul’). The secondary ingredient is either chacruna (Psychotria viridis) or chagropanga (Diplopterys cabrerana), plants that contain a relatively high amount of the psychedelic substance DMT.

Nobody knows for sure how long this drink has been used. First recorded Western contact with Ayahuasca was made in 1851 by Richard Spruce, the famous ethnobotanist from England. When taking into account archeological evidence of comparable native plant use, it seems likely that its use dates back to at least two millennia ago.

Ayahuasca induces a psychedelic, visionary state of mind and this effect is employed by various people for various reasons.  Shamans or medicine men take Ayahuasca to communicate with nature or to see what is causing a patient’s illness on a spiritual level. In Brazil several religions can be found that pivot around gatherings where Ayahuasca is taken by all participants. Drinking Ayahuasca and singing together takes them into a healing and inspiring kind of trance.

In the past few decades Ayahuasca is slowly gaining interest from Western society as well. Not only academic researchers in the field of psychotherapy have shown an increased interest. Psychonauts, i.e. people who practice responsible and conscious use of mind-altering substances, use Ayahuasca to confront themselves with the richness of the mind, the infinity of the universe, and their deepest fears, so as to experience ecstasy resulting from facing and overcoming these fears.

One effect of Ayahuasca is that it makes a lot of people vomit and many drinkers get diarrhea. One tribe calls Ayahuasca 'kamarampi', which stems from 'kamarank': to vomit. It is also called ‘la purga’, as it purges the body through this physical effect, and purifies the mind through the meaningful psychological experiences or visions. You usually feel totally refreshed and reborn after a strong experience.

Ayahuasca is not a miracle cure in the sense that you drink the brew and all your troubles have vanished within a couple of hours. It is a miracle cure though, in the sense that it brings unconscious and seemingly otherworldly processes to surface, which enables you to work with it while the effects last.

What is more unique about Ayahuasca, is that the effects rely on a specific combination of two plants: Banisteriopsis caapi and chacruna (or chagropanga, depending on the region). How and when exactly the discovery of combining these two plants was made by Native Americans remains unclear, although many tribes and shamans have their own mythical tales explaining this event.

Below is the myth of the plant from Dr Ralph Metzner;

The Tukano people of the Vaupés region of Colombia say that the first people came from the sky in a serpent canoe, and Father Sun had promised them a magical drink that would connect them with the radiant powers of the heavens. While the men were in the "House of the Waters," attempting to make this drink, the first woman went into the forest to give birth. She came back with a boy radiating golden light, whose body she rubbed with leaves.

This luminous boy-child was the vine, and each of the men cut off a piece of this living being that became his piece of the vine lineage. In a variation of this myth from the Desana (from the same region), the serpent canoe came from the Milky Way, bringing a man, a woman, and three plants for the people - cassava, coca and caapi. They also regarded it as a gift from the Sun, a kind of container for the yellow-gold light of the Sun that provided for the first people the rules on how to live and how to speak. (Metzner 2006)

The primary ingredient of chacruna and chagropanga is also a neurotransmitter found in all human beings and plays a key role in all kinds of extraordinary states of awareness. This neurotransmitter is called dimethyltryptamine, or DMT for short, and is found in the brain, blood, lungs and other parts of the human body. There is strong evidence pointing towards the pineal gland ("the third eye" in esoteric traditions), located in the center of the brain, as the main factory of human DMT. Apart from human beings, DMT can be found in every mammal and in a variety of plants.

With this information I still went into my journey with a purely academic understanding of the compound and an even more vague idea of the spiritual components. My curiosity and excitement had peaked however.  We booked our flights to Peru and found our way to the Tierra Vida Healing Center where we were about to embark on a path that would shock everyone of us.  A true test of who we really are and how we are all connected.