My first stop will take me deep into the Peruvian Amazon, living with indigenous tribes and working with curanderos (better known as shamans) of these tribes. This first stop is not inspired by anyone in particular other than myself, but knowledge of the ability of these shamans to transform lives is growing in mainstream culture with celebrities such as Sting, Paul Simon, and (recently) Lindsey Lohan attributing these shamans to changing their lives for the better. From mental illnesses such as PTSD, addictions, and depression to physical illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, real results have been seen from working with these shamans where modern treatments have failed (see links – The Sacred Science, The Jungle Prescription, and Dr Joe Tafur MAPS Conference).
For me, my meeting of these shamans happened by pure chance on a guided trip to Peru in 2011 that I only went (slightly begrudgingly) on as my mother wanted to hike the inca trail, and I was the only member of the family slightly open to doing so. My only request was that we include a stop in the Amazon rainforest, mainly as I wanted to impress someone I had a crush on who had recently traveled there. Little did me or my mother know how instrumental that trip would be in completely changing the direction of my life, and I’m sure if my mother had any idea she would have left me at home! Though I knew nothing about the Peruvian shamans and only a little about shamanism in general at the time, upon meeting a Peruvian shaman at the Eco-lodge we stayed at I immediately felt a strong and undescribable draw that I needed to return to the Amazon and work with these shamans. Since a that fateful trip I have been fortunate to have traveled to the Peruvian and Ecuadorean Amazon four times, working with shamans from the Shuar and Shipibo tribes where I have found healing and significant personal development. This trip will be a little different from my previous trips as I will be traveling to a different area of the Jungle to go to a remote center with no internet, power, or English speakers on staff and staying twice as long compared to any of my trips before.
Peru Blogs
1. A Disclaimer
2. An Introduction to Amazonian Shamanism
5. The Exorcism
8. Palo Fuerte
10. The Characters You’ll Meet
11. Awakening
12. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
13. What Happens When You Don’t Drink Ayahuasca
Spirit Healing Adventures 