Heaven - Ayahuasca: the vine of souls

Shamanic Plant Medicine is a series of books written to provide you with a succinct and practical introduction to a specific teacher or power plant, its history, shamanic uses, healing applications and benefits, as well as the things to be aware of when working with these plants, including ceremonial procedures and safety precautions. These plants are also known in the Western world as entheogens: substances which reveal the God within, and in shamanic cultures as allies: helpful spirits which confer power and pass on insights and information.

The first in this series are Ayahuasca: The Vine of Souls, San Pedro: The Gateway to Wisdom, Salvia Divinorum: The Sage of the Seers and Sacred Mushrooms: Messengers of the Stars. It is a series which reveals the truth about these plants and provides an insight into their uses as well as the cautions to take with them, so you are properly informed of your choices not reliant on sensationalism and disinformation.

The shamanic use of plants and herbs is one of the worlds oldest healing methods and, despite propaganda to the contrary, it is usually the safest and most effective form of medicine too.

In 2005 for example the British Medical Journal warned that, in England alone reactions to drugs that led to hospitalisation followed by death are estimated at 5,700 a year and could actually be closer to 10,000. By comparison, between 2000 and August 2004 there were just 451 reports of adverse reactions to herbal preparations and only 152 were considered serious. No fatalities. That statistic equates to just 38 problem cases a year resulting from plant medicines compared to perhaps 10,000 deaths a year as a result of accepted mainstream medicine. Reviewing these figures the London Independent newspaper concluded that, Herbs may not be completely safe as critics like to point out but they are a lot safer than drugs.

The situation in America is very similar. Here, orthodox medical treatment itself is now the leading cause of death, ahead of heart disease and cancer, and, Infections, surgical mistakes and other medical harm contributes to the deaths of 180,000 hospital patients a year [and] another 1.4 million are seriously hurt by their hospital care. (Consumer Reports online: www.consumerreports.org). Other studies reveal that adverse drug reactions are under-reported by up to 94 per cent since the US government does not adequately track them. Death as a result of plant healings meanwhile remain next to zero.

It is worth asking why these figures so often go unreported, and why the medical profession continues to treat people as it does, even with full awareness of the risks and comparisons. Another good question would be why plants and herbs more than drugs and orthodox medicine are the focus of governments for stricter regulation (see for example the current codex alimentarius proposals) despite their effectiveness and comparative freedom from risk. Who benefits?

More remarkable even than their ability to heal the body is the ability of some plants to expand the mind, raise consciousness, release stuck or damaging emotions and connect us more deeply to spirit. These are the teacher plants. By showing us our true power and potential they enable us to see through illusions and explore the real nature of the dreaming universe so we discover our purpose on Earth.

Plant teachers are used by shamans the world over in a sacred ritual context to divine the future, enter spirit realms, learn the deepest truths of themselves and the universe (although many shamans see little distinction between the two since, as they say, the world is as you dream it; that is, each of us is the universe). They also enable them and us to perform true healings which go beyond the abilities of modern medicine and its reliance on intrusive treatments and often damaging drugs.