Ayahuasca: Sacred Plant Medicine of the Amazon Jungle (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781955617505)

Ayahuasca: Sacred Plant Medicine of the Amazon Jungle provides a quick yet comprehensive look into a sacred topic that is often intimidating to discuss. Ayahuasca is a plant medicine that has been used by Amazonian shamans for thousands of years and is surrounded by an extremely dense web of spiritual lore and cultural protocols. It can be scary to dive into this world, but the chapters in this book make the world of ayahuasca easy and accessible. It will provide you with everything you might need to know before journeying into the realm of the plant spirits...

In this book you'll learn:

• A thorough understanding of the history and cultural importance of the ayahuasca plant.
• The spiritual mythos surrounding ayahuasca, providing a thorough look at the different spirits associated with the plant. These include, but are not limited to: the ayahuasca plant itself, the spirit of the jaguar, and the spirit of the anaconda.
• Define the role and training of the shaman, and the rigorous training they must undergo before being permitted to administer and oversee ayahuasca experiences.
• The ways in which the shaman facilitates and steers the experience, including but not limited to their use of sacred songs called icaros, the purifying substance known as Florida water, and the sacred tobacco called mapacho.
• The psychoactive components of the plant and a detailed account of how ayahuasca works in the body and affects brain chemistry.
• Which medications are contraindicated with ayahuasca, and the potential interactions and side effects that can occur if one mixes prescription drugs with the medicine.
• Information regarding the preparatory diet, as well as an explanation of what tyramine is, its dangerous interactions with ayahuasca, and why one must avoid eating foods that contain it.
• Other aspects of the preparation regimen, including behavioral protocols that must be followed prior to ayahuasca ingestion. These protocols involve avoiding sexual contact of all kinds, as well as taking up a daily mindfulness practice.
• Some common experiences people undergo after drinking the medicine of ayahuasca, and how to handle the experiences as they arise.
• The long-term benefits ayahuasca has been shown to effect in people suffering from various kinds of mental illnesses, including PTSD, depression, and addiction.

This book is a one-stop shop for anything the potential journeyer might need to know about this amazing and transformative sacrament. It has been used in the jungle for countless generations, and only in modern times have Westerners been able to access this life-changing experience. With this book as your guide, you'll have everything you need to know to begin planning your own experience...