Ayahuasca has been used for thousands of years by South American tribes for its mental, emotional, physical and above all, spiritual benefits. As the medicine becomes more popular across the world, Westerners are also discovering that it has much to offer. Here are 10 reasons you should drink Ayahuasca.
1) To benefit physical health
There are accounts of individuals with conditions as diverse as diabetes to irritable bowel syndrome reporting an improvement in their health after an ayahuasca ceremony.
2) To unleash creativity
Are you an artist or musician feeling jaded in your work, or a writer suffering from that dreaded block? You may find that ayahuasca helps you to connect with your inner muse and rediscover the joy and inspiration that will make your work a meaningful and successful pursuit again.
3) For intellectual stimulation
It’s not just artistic types who benefit from taking ayahuasca. As a scientist, you may gain insights into your chosen field, as an entrepreneur you might hit upon a new idea that will take your business to the next level.
4) To fight physical addictions
It might sound paradoxical to use a psychedelic plant to free you from drugs, but there’s a lot of evidence to suggest that an ayahuasca retreat might enable you to do just that. Be it alcohol, illicit drugs, or even tobacco; many people have discovered that their need for the substance diminishes after drinking ayahuasca. That’s not to say this is a magic cure….it isn’t. But it could bring useful insights that help overcome the addiction.
5) To address negative behavior patterns
Not all addictions are physical, many of us become trapped in repeated patterns that bring us nothing but unhappiness. If you’re battling with constant fear, shame, guilt, out of control gambling, sex addiction, self-harm or something similar; you may find that asking questions of yourself in the course of a well-conducted ayahuasca trip will give you a different perspective and enable you to start making the changes you’re aiming for.
6) To discover the source of depression
Some favor the idea that ayahuasca unmasks the hidden reasons for the depression, enabling the sufferer to confront and overcome their demons, other researchers suggest that the ayahuasca has a biological effect and ‘resets’ the brain chemistry. If you happen to be suffering from depression, chances are you’re not that interested in why it works, just the fact that it does is enough.
7) To understand the cause PTSD and anxiety disorders
Again, opinions are divided about whether the action of ayahuasca is a direct biological one or whether the fresh perspective gained as a result of taking ayahuasca makes it easier to overcome mental health challenges.
If you’re planning to drink ayahuasca with the aim of addressing any mental health condition it’s important that you do it in a well-managed environment with the support of a skilled facilitator with a background in psychology who’s aware of your specific vulnerabilities.
8) To gain a perspective greater than the self
Some describe profound ayahuasca experiences as ‘ego death’ which actually sounds rather alarming. A more moderate phrase sometimes used is ‘to put the ego in its place’. In the course of daily life, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day petty concerns about things which aren’t actually all that important. Ayahuasca will help you to remember that no ones last words were ever ‘I wish I’d spent more time in the office’ and will grant you the opportunity to reconnect with what really matters.
9) For personal and spiritual development
It’s not necessary to have a specific mental health problem to benefit from an ayahuasca retreat. The medicine has a long history of being used to help people reconnect with the most meaningful aspects of their lives. At it’s simplest and most basic, this could be as ordinary as choosing a new career path that will grant greater personal satisfaction, on another level it could mean transforming personal relationships towards more positive and happier directions. At the most profound level, some ayahuasca drinkers report insights that enable them to live according to their ‘higher purpose’.
10) To regain a sense of wonder and mystery
For many people, this is the central reason for drinking ayahuasca. It’s often described as a sense of wonder, an awareness that life is a beautiful gift, never fully understood, but to be lived with joy and in fullness, It’s not something that’s granted with every ayahuasca ceremony, but when it comes it’s worth the wait. When experienced, this sense of joy, and the realization that all can be right with the world if we allow it to be persist long after the medicine has passed from the body. If you’re lucky enough to attain this state, it can grant you the power to help you to transform your life in any direction or way you choose.
