CASA MÁGICA – PERÚ
When I visited Peru several years ago and for the first time joined an ayahuasca ritual as part of a traditional shaman ceremony, I was fascinated. Like most people from the western world, I had long been accustomed to evaluating the world by relying solely on my reason and senses. Suddenly there was an accessible way to abandon conventional reality for a while, “switch” to a different state of consciousness, and perceive the being directly. There were no limitations of body or mind, and the experience was so pure, consistent, authentic and meaningful that it was basically impossible to dismiss it merely as a hallucination triggered by unnatural chemical substances in the brain.
The basic substance of ayahuasca is one of the strongest known psychedelic substances — DMT (N, N- dimethyltryptamine). What is very interesting is that, unlike artificially produced synthetic drugs, DMT occurs basically everywhere in nature. It can be found in the animal and plant kingdoms. It is a natural element of the chemical composition of the human body. Its molecules can be found in bark, grass, blooms, roots — in almost every living thing. Also important is the way it is traditionally used: A shamanic ceremony is not — in contrast to the unrestrained consumption of psychedelics in the wild 1960s — a spontaneous “recreational” activity. On the contrary, it is a sophisticated ancient ritual in which the shaman acts as an essential, trained guide to the landscapes of the altered states of mind.
Most people evaluate their experience with ayahuasca very positively in relation to their further life. The experience usually contributes to a deeper understanding of oneself and the world and in many respects reveals how to live a “better life”. It teaches one to distinguish between important and unimportant things, to open up to all types of emotions, and to remove unnecessary blocks. It can serve for excellent therapy, providing unique insight and help with resolving significant life events. Last but not least, ayahuasca is taken as la medicina, a substance curing all types of physical problems because, as the curanderos believe, if a problem in the “other world” is resolved, the material body will heal also.
Peru is one of few countries where it is legal to use ayahuasca, as the country recognizes the legacy of the original Indian cultures. That is why I bought a house in the Amazon Basin to serve as a base for these experiences which, though repeated many times, present, in my opinion, one of the most interesting experiences available to human being. When I am not present in Casa Mágica, it serves as a studio of the visionary painter Otto Placht.
Since generally quite little is known about ayahuasca, and any mention of this phenomenon always unleashes an endless avalanche of questions, this website has been created.
Prague - CZ, 2009/11/03, vaclav@DOXprague.org