Listen to “The Healing Potential of Sacred Plants”.
Humanity is in urgent need of healing, and sacred plants may be the solution to prevent us from sleepwalking into destruction.
Plant-based hallucinogens have been used in ceremonies around the world for centuries. Some of these plants, for example ayahuasca, are used for sacred and ceremonial purposes and are known as sacred plants.
For centuries, indigenous Amazonians have used ayahuasca to contact the spiritual world. Now, this practice has burst into global consciousness and gained a new following.
Ayahuasca is also used by shamans, usually within the context of healing. The shaman or ayahuasquero takes ayahuasca to help them better diagnose the nature of a patient’s illness.
Spiritual plants like ayahuasca can help us understand more about the deep connections in the world around us. Tribes native to the Amazonian rainforest believe that spiritual plants are an essential part of a complete educational process, guiding lessons about life, love, time, reality and the soul.
The preparation for the ceremonies using sacred plants requires participants to go on a special diet to prepare both the body and the mind for getting into contact with the spirits of the plants. The diets start a few days before the ceremonies and require participants to avoid milk products, red meat, oil, salt, sugar, spices, alcohol, and even sex.
The ayahuasca mixture is a potent purgative drink as the majority of the plants from the jungle are used for healing. Shamans believe there is no separation between body and soul: the more the body purges, the clearer the soul gets and the easier the spirit acts.
Studies in animals, case reports and observational studies of long-term users suggest that ayahuasca and its alkaloids may have anti-anxiety, antidepressant, and anti-addictive properties.
In fact, in many Amazonian tribes, the first thing the parents will give a newborn baby is a drop of ayahuasca – right in the mouth. To them, it is the supreme medicine and a true gift from the gods.
Another teacher plant is Wachuma/San Pedro, also called The Grandfather, which is a cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi) from the Andes of Peru, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador. San Pedro containing mescaline is called the “medicine of love” by many shamans because it shows us how precious we remain in the Universe’s eyes and because it helps us reconnect and appreciate the surroundings and life itself. San Pedro is considered a visionary catalyst for healing.
Medical research into San Pedro has shown that it can lower high blood pressure, reduce the risk of cardiac disease, has anti-inflammatory properties, and can treat hypertension, anxiety, and nervous conditions.
The San Pedro cactus also has powerful antimicrobial properties, which can prevent the growth of more than a dozen strains of penicillin-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus.
People attending ceremonies have reported meeting their spirit guides, ancestors, and otherworldly beings who helped them in some way. Many users will experience bliss-like states, heightened senses, waves of emotions, and a sense of being connected with all life.
Sacred plant medicines are not drugs. These are not “trips” meant to entertain and amuse us and distract us from ourselves. Having an experienced guide, shaman, curandero, facilitator or medicine person is an essential part of taking care to meet this medicine in a good way.
