9 Things Only People Who've Worked With Ayahuasca Will Understand

There are some things that only those of us who’ve done some serious medicine work can understand. 

1. Trying to prepare for both riding through heaven on a unicorn and being chased through hell by your own demons. You just never know which it’s gonna be; sometimes it’s even both in the same night. 🔮

2. Acquiring a doctorate-level understanding of something, but not being able to even begin conveying it to anyone. Sometimes it’s just impossible to put it into words. 🤷‍♀️

3. Hearing a song while totally sober and having to run to the bathroom. Ever heard an icaro outside the context of a ceremony? Before I started integrating, this happened to me allll the time when I was freshly out of a ceremony or preparing for one. 💩

4. Taking in information at 100GB/s Downloads come in faster than with Fiber Optic internet. Integrating that knowledge, on the other hand, takes a tiny bit longer. 🤖

5. Hoping you don’t have an accident in your pants… I don’t know about you but I don’t worry about these sorts of things outside the context of medicine circles. I’ve been to a retreat where people brought adult diapers! 😂

6. The ‘Universe Sound’ If you’ve heard it, you know what I mean. 🕉

7. The anticipation and tension associated with watching other people drink their medicine and knowing that your turn is coming. I know this sort of thing applies to a lot of different situations, but there’s something unique about the particular flavor of sweaty palms and full body shutters that sometimes happen during the opening of an ayahuasca ceremony. ⏳

8. Getting stuck in a loop...Thought loops are some of the harder times I’ve had with the medicine. For me it often looks something like this:

1. Realize that I feel nauseous and dry heave over my bucket

2. Realize that there’s nothing coming up so I drink some water

3. Start to feel better from my water and sit back in my seat

4. Realize that I’m having a hard time and that I’m stuck in a loop

5. Work on surrendering and rapidly dissolve into the experience

6. Realize that I feel nauseous and dry heave over my bucket…. (And around we go again)

Of course, there is usually a particular sequence of thoughts associated with each of these events and the whole loop tends to be synchronized with the icaros. 🌀

9. Hearing music in a whole new way. I know it’s cliché but it’s so true and I couldn’t resist. 🎼

Did I miss any? Let me know in the comments! 

Also, if you’re interested in learning about psychedelic integration, join my mailing list below. 😉

📸 Photograph by Brittany Colette from Unsplash.