Plant Medicines
A plant medicine can generally be classed as any plant that has medicinal properties for human beings. However, in today’s world the most common use of the words ‘plant medicine’ is in addressing the ancient and powerful medicines used by the world’s original peoples, most of which are psychoactive, inducing altered states of consciousness.
Since the turn of the millennium, an increasing number of Westerners has traveled to South America to discover the seemingly miraculous healing properties of the ancient Amazonian plant medicine, ayahuasca. This has created a global upsurge in interest surrounding not just this plant medicine, but a whole array of others used by the world’s indigenous peoples, including, but not limited to: sananga, rapé, Mapacho, San Pedro, Iboga, Peyote and Mescalito.
More and more people every day are becoming aware of the plant medicines used for health and longevity for thousands of years by indigenous peoples all around the globe. This shows a clear and viable route to health that is both alternative and complementary to the modern field of medicine that we know most intimately.
Hemp Oil vs Cannabis Oil – A Detailed Comparison
“Hemp oil” is a term that is grossly misunderstood in the circles of health-conscious people. But before we dive deeper into the comparison of hemp oil vs cannabis oil, let’s first clear the air on the biggest misconception regarding these two. Is Hemp Oil The Same Thing As Cannabis Oil? Hemp oil is NOT…
Read MoreHow to Choose an Ideal Ayahuasca Shaman, Facilitator or Retreat Center
The first step to taking the plunge into an Ayahuasca ceremony is acknowledging the internal calling. Somewhere, somehow, the awareness of this medicine and the immense benefits crosses into your consciousness, and the Spidey senses within you say – I have to try that. And so the hunt begins to find your perfect ceremony home.…
Read MoreCan Ayahuasca Really Treat PTSD?
Ayahuasca Treats PTSD I was having a great discussion with Julie Megler, a board-certified nurse practitioner, and one of team members of ERIE – (Entheogenic Research, Integration, and Education based in San Francisco), on whether ayahuasca can truly be used to treat PTSD for war veterans. Julie has been studying the potential use of ayahuasca…
Read MoreShould You Drink Ayahuasca Alone?
Ayahuasca is one of the strongest, wildly potent psychotropic substances in the multiverse. She can catapult any brave soul who gobbles down her tea into a tirade of terror so intensely convincing, death can feel like a blessing. There are a bazillion tales of massive breakdowns caused by Ayahuasca on the web, and yet many…
Read MoreHuichol People – An Ancient Unbroken Lineage of Healers
The Huichol People are rare when it comes to North American shamanic traditions. Unlike most indigenous populations of this region, which have undergone some degree of death, transformation or fragmentation post-Columbus, the Huichol maintain an unbroken lineage which extends back to the earliest roots of their tribal heritage. The Huichol People refer to themselves as…
Read MoreUmbandaime – Ayahuasca Meets Afro-Brazilian Mediumship
The world of shamanism is full of interesting offshoots and fascinating blends of religion, culture, plant medicines, and practices. Unique amalgamations of historical lineages, psychoactive plants, and direct spiritual experience are constantly emerging from the fertile field of practice and life-way that is shamanism. Umbandaime is one of those special cultural syntheses that has resulted…
Read MoreAyahuasca & the Soul Quest Adventure of a Lifetime
After nearly one year of wildly visionary journeys with my medicine family, in 2004, I decided to travel to the Brazilian Amazon, hoping to connect with the indigenous shamans and experience the living tradition of ayahuasca, in a culture with an unbroken history of working with the sacred plant medicine. I was also burnt out from nearly a decade of nonprofit work and hoping to receive some insight from drinking
Read More9 Reasons You Should Go to The World Ayahuasca Conference
The Brazilian Amazon is a very special place for me. It’s the place where I connected with my soul’s purpose and mission while I was working with visionary plant medicines in the jungle. It was there I received a message from the Forest: “Lorna, your mission, should you choose to accept is this: To leverage emerging technologies
Read MoreAyahuasca Visions: Transforming into a Lion of Fire
I found myself in a canyon at night, the ground was hard beneath me, and there were rock walls and boulders around me. In the unfamiliar territory I sense the approach of another being, the being that radiated magnificence and masculine nobility. around me. In the unfamiliar territory I sense the approach
Read MoreAyahuasca Visions: A 6-Armed Goddess, Golden Chalice, & the Sweet Nectar of Mercy
I found myself in another place, I want to say some other dimension or world where I could see a canal of water flowing through a tunnel that had ornate columns on either side. Again, it seemed dark, at night, but coming down the channel was a vessel with a curved prow that emanated celestial…
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