Life Is A Hard Journey

In Michael Pollan’s article “The Trip Treatment”, Pollan mentions how magic mushrooms first came to the attention of Western medicine as a hallucinogen with “therapeutic potential” (39). They were introduced to R. Gordon Wasson, vice president of J.P. Morgan, by an indigenous “curandera”, or while in southern Mexico (39). This reminds me my own forms my remedios passed down to me. In Pollan’s article, patients explore the spiritual use of psychedelics, like psilocybin, and claim to have had “among the top five most spiritually significant experiences of their lives” (40). Having two forms of healing that I practice, I enjoy how my traditional Mexican healing involves a spiritual aspect as well as a health aspect. However instead of magic mushrooms, I have a cultural use of sage burning to cleanse and purify my soul of negative energy. Burning sage in spaces also helps clear the negative energy present. Along with enjoying the natural aspect of burning such, much like magic mushrooms containing psilocybin, they both “produce persisting positive change in attitudes, moods, and

It is important to keep in mind that the Mexican culture is in harmony with Mother Nature and the environment; so if possible keeping with natural or all herbal remedies will be a better solution than traditional medicine. Also they are a very collectivism culture so if they want a family member or some other friend in during a session or during healing let them, it might help them through the experience. Finally it is important to remember that the Mexican culture is very religious and spiritual, that is why a curandera and other spiritual healing options are good to suggest to your

In America if someone is sick or not feeling well, they simply go to the doctors and have a prescription sent to their local pharmacy. However, in ancient Mexico when someone became ill, the Aztecs resulted to collecting natural resources and creating their own medicine to cure each other. Mexico has a rich tradition of herbal use going back many centuries (“Aztec Medicine”). Aztecs result to the use of nature due to the fact that Mexico has one of the most diverse selections of plants native to the country, as well as a variety of species both native to and introduced to Mexico from diverse parts of the globe (“Medicines”).

This lecture covered stimulants and hallucinogens, such as the morning glory which has alkaloids similar to LSD, but has about 10th the potency of LSD. Typically the seeds are coated with an herbicide so users must be cautious when using morning glory. Mescaline is derived from the peyote cactus, and is not legal in America, but is permitted in some states for the use among Native American religious ceremonies. Plants with hallucinogenic properties such as belladonna, mandrake, henbane, and Datura have all been around for centuries, and have serve various purposes other than just the psychoactive effects. Henbane has been used as part of a cure for alcoholism, as well as being used to poison hamlets father. The ancient Chinese used Datura to

Remarkably just like any health care professionals, traditional healers in Latin America also have their own specializations and areas of practice. While some have very narrow and specific areas, such are herbalists or midwives for example; others often have been trained in various specialties and can provide the “full package care” (Trotter & Chavira, 1997). Regardless of the specialty every traditional healer always considers the illness as a complex manifestation of problems in physical, emotional and spiritual planes.

Ayahuasca users disclosed that the experience was fulfilling and worth it. Most individuals feel that they are free and a better person following their Ayahuasca session. Some were able to quit from doing cocaine and bad habits. Others experienced psychological and spiritual healing with personal insight and integration.

While some cultures are more accepting of drugs like Ayahuasca referring to it as “vine of the souls” and others establish the use of Psychedelic Iboga (West-Central Africa) America is not this privileged. The American lifestyle tends to be very fast paced in the cities where drugs like marijuana, coffee, and cocaine act like an epidemic amongst the younger crowd. Studies have found these drugs affect an individual’s physiology by replicating and stimulating the body's natural nervous system functions.

The ayahuasca retreats offer you're the right person and the right location that will lead to a person's release from all the worldly stress and pressures in life. There are some medical findings that tell us that we should relax and take a time to find ways in the serenity and solemnness of the place you choose.

In addition, another effect from DTM is one can receive not only spiritual, but mental healing. Moreover, people that have done DMT say that there was a present of an intellectual being called, Mother ayahuasca. According to an online source states, “Mother Ayahuasca, is a benevolent feminine presence, who is described as a great being of love” (Mother Ayahuasca & The Feminine Christ). Similarly, Shaman’s say mother ayahuasca is a healer of our illnesses in both mind and spirit. For instance, mother ayahuasca is known to cure people from harmful additions like cocaine or heroin (Mother Ayahuasca & The Feminine Christ). As a matter of fact, Etnikas Ayahuasca retreats, is a clinic in Peru that uses ayahuasca to treats harmful addictions (Xshaun1111).

Ayahuasca was reported as the work of the devil since nobody really knows where it came or since when they have been using it. The earliest Europeans to mention Ayahuasca were Jesuits who traveled to the Amazon. The earliest reports of the “diabolical potion,” was written in 1737, which was described as an intoxicating potion called ayahuasca. Several other explorers of northwestern South America also referred ayahuasca, as yage or caapi. The serious scientific study of ayahuasca began in 1850s when Richard Spruce, a British school teacher who was an early explorer, made a journey into the Amazon. In 1851, he observed the use of Yage up in the Rio Negro of the Brazilian Amazon among the Tukano Indians. He collected samples of Banisteriopsis

Despite the fact that spirituality has been a long-time key component of healing throughout history, modern medicine refrains from it- instead choosing to embrace a more mechanistic view of the body- whereas, in contrast, Native American healing practices embrace spirituality. In fact indigenous practices consider the spirit an inseparable element of healing, placing importance on the spirit of the patient, healer, patient’s family, community, environment, and even the medicine itself. More specifically, the healing must take in account the dynamics between all of these spiritual forces as a part of the universal spirit. In contrast to Western medical view’s that focus on fixing unique body parts in distinct individuals that are separate from each other and their environment, Native Americans believe that we are all part of a whole that is greater than the sum of parts, and therefore, healing must be considered within this context (Johnston 131). This sense of connection can be observed by the concluding phrase of healing prayers with the words mitakuyo oyasin, or “all my

Latin American folk medicine and practices Throughout the world, people of different ethnic backgrounds have different philosophies, concepts and beliefs of proper medical care. It differentiates from traditional medicine to western medicine. The Hispanic populations, mostly in Latin American believe that folk medicine is the “medicine of the people” referring to how the people deal with different health issues (Bledsoe, 2009). Many other cultures don’t believe in the Folk Medicine ways because it cannot be scientifically proven. Folk medicine is using a holistic approach that restores the balance between the body’s physical self and nature.

The last drug I'm gonna mention is often referred to as a medicine and in Central and South America that is the only way is referred to I was first told about DMT while on tour in Australia for a friend of mine who had told me that if I wanted a higher spiritual experience and if I wanted to talk to God and to leave my body know what was there that that was the best route the only disadvantage to it it was very very quick very very sudden and you got an intense rush of all these feelings where you told me there was another COM item called either Waska which is the pure form of DMT that you could take but you had to go to South America to take it and it was a lot less intense but a lot longer trip traverses a couple minutes of really really

These good witches are called ayahuasqueros (DeRios, 1970, p 296), but there are also bad witches called brujos. Brujos expect to be paid upfront for their services and they use ayahuasca and other plants to cause harm (and even death) to people (DeRios, 1970, p 297). Both ayahuasqueros and brujos will deny failure if healing or harm does not occur. Instead they will blame it on the patient or victim as if they were being incompliant or possibly having ingested something that affected the drug (DeRios, 1970, p 298). The use of the drug in Peru in this study was strictly for medicinal, healing, and harming effects, not for spiritual and religious purposes as in Brazil, which is the country right next-door.

INTRO: The life is no easy task, life isn’t fair, no one argues with that. Looking in history, the group of people who have the hardest life are the slaves. Slaves went through trials and hardships throughout their lives, not because of their choices, but because of the actions and choices their masters made. Frederick Douglass writes of his life as a slave. As a young boy, he lived with a Mistress who was teaching him to read. When the master found out, the husband, he forbade her from continuing; however, once he started, he couldn’t stop. He would ask the young boys he met along the street to tutor him. Douglass soon learned how to read and write. The narrative continues and illustrates how people treated him, how he grew and was in pain from learning; from his knowledge, he vowed to run away and become a free man. Slavery was in a state of turmoil. The north was against it, and the south would fail without it. Many people have written on slaves lives, one of which is Richard Huzzey. He states boldly that, “Human slavery moved against the grain of modern civilization,” (Huzzey). This is more of a Northern point of view. This also coincides with Lao-Tzu’s views as well; the people are supposed to be watched, not owned. Lao-Tzu also believes that the people will be able to take care of themselves if they are let alone. While reading from Douglass’ “The Narrative”, it was simple to connect the writing to Lao-Tzu’s political standpoints; there are points for both the sides of