Various workshops are held in Europe and North America using ayahuasca, with the intention of providing the benefits of visiting a South American shaman. No need for expensive, dangerous journeys to the Amazon when you can enjoy all the benefits in comfort, right here in your home town.
We have attended such events in Holland, USA and Britain. Here is a resume of the best and worst things that we experienced:
The 'shaman' went to sleep.
A man helping Anja did so in a seductive way.
I was placed where others had to step over me to get to the loo.
People arrived and were never introduced or told what to do.
The leader cuddled with his girlfriend and ignored the group.
The person next to me made a lot of noise and was not asked to stop.
Vomit bowls were shared, and I was constantly afraid that my neighbour would
be using it when I needed it.
The leader asked people about their personal experiences out loud across
the room.
The leader asked the group what they would like next. This was upsetting
as in that state the last thing you want is to have to make decisions.
The ritual was never declared ended, people just drifted off.
The leader seemed scared by a request for reassurance, and this made matters
worse.
The leader played an icaro tape and made a joke about the background jungle
sounds, drawing attention to himself.
The leader asked for payment towards the end of the session but before the
effects had worn off.
The workshop took place in a pitch black room which was frightening and
disorienting.
We were given carrot and ginger soup beforehand to settle our stomachs
and to make our vomit less offensive.
The group were asked to express their hopes and fears to each other beforehand.
An elaborate ritual beforehand helped us to orientate and become grounded.
The leader described what would happen in enough detail beforehand for us
to know what to expect and when it would end.
All the participants travelled by boat for two hours on the way to the venue,
giving us a chance to reflect and get to know the others.
We arrived to find that a lot of care had gone into the preparation, and
we felt warmly welcomed.
The helpers included doctors and psychiatrists.
There were almost as many helpers as participants.
The helpers were so attentive that your needs were anticipated: I felt cold
and a blanket was put over me; Anja felt sick and a bowl was brought.
The ritual was in daylight in a beautiful, secluded house with a view overlooking
San Francisco bay.
The music was carefully chosen, mixed and played through several large speakers
The leaders were a married couple, a body worker and therapist.
Adult size nappies (diapers) were provided to allow participants to let
go more completely!
We met next day in the park to share our experiences.
We were made welcome guests next day, given lunch and invited to stay on
until were were ready to face the world again.
The first mistake is for workshop leaders to copy what they have experienced in the jungle. Peruvian shamans can get away with 'doing their thing' without caring about what participants are going, but this is not acceptable in a workshop. As visitors, we have to accept how people behave in their country and on their terms, but these practices are often not acceptable back home. Besides, those visit a shaman in Peru will regard him with a sense of awe. The whole process of making the effort and travelling to see a shaman helps to develop a receptive mindset.
'Workshops' have their own culture, and participants have different expectations. They will expect attention, caring and a chance to share experiences afterwards. That requires careful preparation of the venue. Each person should have enough space around them to feel secure in their own territory, complete with exclusive use of a vomit bowl, which can be reached by helpers and will not be invaded by others going to the loo.
The leader should be intuitive enough to vet participants beforehand, (besides asking about medical contraindications), be attentive and sensitive to their needs, and tell people what to bring for their own comfort and whether they can drive home or stay the night... all the usual hallmarks of good workshop practice apply.
The worst leaders rely on creating the setting by "pulling bits out of the image bank" as Anja calls it: playing a taped icaro, shaking some dried leaves and so on - the 'Muzak' equivalent of the culture. Far more important is to bring vitality and enthusiasm to the session. An icaro sung by someone whose heart is really in it does not have to be in tune!
Whatever the form of the ritual, it should be clear to the participants what is going to happen and how they should behave: this provides security, and that makes people feel reassured. It's usually forbidden to interact with other participants; to do anything to distract others (and that implies silence) and to leave the premises until the session is declared ended. Where interaction is forbidden, people should be prepared to feel isolated and this is particularly the case if the workshop takes place in a very dark room where it is difficult for the participants to even see each other. If participants are allowed to interact then they should be made aware that even a whispered conversation can be very disturbing to others who may be in a state of heightened sensitivity.
People also need to know what they can expect from the leader in terms of support. Can they ask for a neck massage or for their hand to be held; can they discuss the situation if they get 'stuck', and is there any 'after sales service'; can they phone up later to discuss what happened?
People like personal attention. Each person should be visited after an hour to see how strong the effect of the ayahuasca is, and offered more. They need someone they can trust to come over and listen to their needs. It can be good to be told how long the session has going on for, particularly if the room is too dark to see a watch or if the watchface no longer makes sense.
Lastly, the obvious pitfall is that some people do love to play the shaman and pride gets in their way. But this is a dilemma: the more confidence the leader expresses, the more likely that he will induce the right conditions for people to have beneficial spiritual experiences. And the more they believe that he is a great shaman, the more easily he will gain their confidence. This makes it terribly tempting for leaders to bluff or bullshit. Some will tell stories showing that they have great powers; others credit their brew with particularly fine ingredients and so on.
[Additions or comments welcome]
© 1997 Nicholas Saunders
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