AYAHUASCA
THE INITIATION: SINCERITY AND COURAGE
The function of a substance like Ayahuasca is often misunderstood. Many people think that because they have had marvellous experiences, they already have the answers and have been in some way transformed. In some respects they have indeed been transformed, but many people discover the reality that there are many layers of conditioning and ignorance which separate the superficial mind from the nucleus of being.
Ayahuasca and other instructive plants can lead to the crossing of these barriers,
allowing access to our essence.However, this requires persistence and commitment to removing the old habits which tend to reappear.
Many people imagine that the repetition of the experience will maintain a state of lucidity and vision. This can in fact happen, but change often requires hard work and dedicated effort. Sometimes the experience transforms; on other occasions it shows what is possible and points the way, but the responsibility of putting the changes into practice still belongs to us.
For the serious spiritual investigator, just as those for those who are seeking true knowledge, the most important characteristic is honesty. This means the courage to look at what comes up in the process, the ability to acknowledge one’s failings when they become apparent, and the determination to change one’s behaviour as a result of what is revealed.
The content and nature of the experiences which this substance induces are not, however, artificial products resulting from its pharmacological interaction with the brain, but authentic expressions of the psyche which reveal its functioning and potential at a level which is inaccessible in the ordinary state of consciousness.
For those whose real intention is to carry out a psycho-spiritual transformation, Ayahuasca may function as a natural catalyst, revealing and liberating intuition and knowledge which originate in the most elevated aspects of the self, permitting access to fundamental knowledge about the universe and our position as individuals.
The great value of Ayahuasca, brought to our attention by indigenous societies, is that it dissolves the limits of the unconscious mind; it gives access to repressed and forgotten things. It makes it possible for us to recognise the universal configurations of the psyche, the archetypes of humanity, along with a broader range of knowledge and ways of being conscious – and may make it possible for us to experience the various aspects of mystical union.