INTEGRATION OF THE EXPERIENCE
Practical Effects:
Experiences like those provided by Ayahuasca are by their nature transcendental, trans-personal, because they broaden our vision of reality, reduce the hold of the ego over the personality, and allow a change of values.
Obviously, a substance like Ayahuasca is better used within the context of a discipline whose objective is spiritual growth and evolution, a programme which draws attention to basic ethical and moral values.
A suitable discipline provides a body of ethics capable of supporting the required changes, clarifying the objectives, keeping the mind focused and alert for the gradual deepening of the experience.
It is the intention of the individual which determines whether the experience will be mystical or religious, evolutionary or not. Quite a lot of preparation is necessary to have a mystical experience, even using Ayahuasca, and an effective process of integration is necessary for the experience to be truly transformative. Whether or not the expanded state of consciousness induced by the experience is in fact to lead to positive and lasting change, depends on the intention and dedication of the user.
A vision, even a fleeting one, of a greater reality can change someone’s life if they decide to integrate this vision into their reality.
Being enlightened is not the same as applying this enlightenment in day to day life. There is no inherent connection between a mystical experience of unity and the expression or manifestation of that unity in everyday life. Maybe this point is obvious; however, it is frequently forgotten by those who debate whether, in principle, a psycho-active agent may or may not be valuable in the area of spiritual search. Whatever the source or the origin of the illumination is, the revelations will only have practical effects with the permission and dedication of the individual.