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Here’s some examples of textile patterns that the Shipibo-Conibo people of Peru are noted for. These designs are inspired by ayahuasca visions, and can also be found on Shipibo pottery, which in turn is seen in many paintings by Pablo Amaringo.
A handout by Dave Lee presented as part of his talk on Psychedelics, Ritual & Time.
Dr. Stanislav Grof‘s methods of spiritual exploration and healing with psychedelic sacraments were extremely simple, and simply extreme. The client was given a very high dose of the sacrament, and virtually no external stimuli other than music. The facilitator / coach / healer took a smaller dose, and the session proceeded typically for about 8 hours.
A handout presented during Dave Lee’s talk on Psychedelics, Ritual & Time.
First we conceive of and plan what kind of ritual we want to do.
Then we create a sacred space with the use of banishing rituals, circles, smudging and so forth.
Now we focus on the purpose of the ritual, using statements of intent, silent focusing and objects that symbolize our goals.
This is woven in with the exaltation of consciousness that forms the main part of the ritual.
Finally we need to let go of our intention, and eventually of the ritual itself as we leave the sacred space.
A talk by Dave Lee presented at the Head Over Heels event at Green Angels, Borough, London, 5 June 2004
The psychedelic experience challenges us to make better use of its incredible potentials for healing, ecstasy and transformation. Using the techniques of breathwork, energy work, chanting, meditation and magic, how do we create psychedelic rituals for the 21st century?
In this talk I’m going to review some of the ideas and techniques that have accompanied my work with psychedelic sacraments over the last 30 or so years, and draw a few lessons for future practice.
An evening of talks, films and music around the theme of altered states, religion and healing to celebrate the launch of the headoverheels.org.uk website.
This film takes us on an astonishing journey, from the director’s near fatal encounter with polio as a child in Ireland to an archaic world of ritual magic deep in the Amazon jungle. Here rainforest dwellers consume powerful hallucinogenic plants, to communicate with ‘spirits’ not only to diagnose and heal illness but also to do harm through witchcraft.
Inspired by a chance meeting with Pablo Amaringo, the renowned visionary painter and former shaman, Donal Ruane went on a year long odyssey to the Peruvian Amazon in September 2001 in the hope of learning about the magical practices around the legendary hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, but more importantly, to heal himself. When he was 3 years old Donal had a near-fatal encounter with polio and spent two years recovering physically; but the psychological scars remained. As he grew older, he suffered increasing bouts of depression that were exacerbated by years of alcohol and drug abuse. By the age of forty, Donal’s life was a mess. In a desperate attempt to turn it around he decided to take a trip to the Amazon to visit Amaringo.
Donal was born in Dublin, Ireland. He graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin in 1984 with a BA(hons.) in Fine Art. He is an artist, film-maker, publisher, writer and teacher, and has had a life-long interest in shamanism, the occult and folklore. He moved to London in 1985. Donal has worked as an art therapist at the Maudsley Psychiatric Hospital in South London, a youth worker, painter and decorator and as a pop video director for Chrysalis and Island Records. He was a video artist and technician on cult sci-fi horror film Hardware (1990), directed by Richard Stanley, and created the video cut-up sequences and other visuals effects for the film.
In 1985, Dennis McKenna, brother of the late Terence, travelled to Pucallpa, the fastest-growing town in the Peruvian Amazon, to work on an ethnobotanical project with Luis Eduardo Luna. During this trip they encountered Pablo Amaringo, living with two adopted children, his mother and several other family members in a very humble house in a swampy area of one of Puccallpa’s poorest districts.
A talk presented by Daniel Waterman at the Head Over Heels event at Green Angels, Borough, London, 5 June 2004
Hallo, my name is Daniel Waterman. I am going to tell you a little about myself, then I will speak briefly on two subjects that are very important for those working with Plant teachers: