Dave Ford Does Earth

Posted by Dave Ford

I first heard about Ayahuasca a few years back. A very good friend of mine, Mike Schwartz (he is an actor living in LA), sent me an article about about a center in Brazil where you drink a concoction made by a Shaman and hallucinate. This vine grows only in the Amazon Basin and has been used medically by the indigenous people of South America for 2000 years. I was interested, but soon forgot about it.

Two years later, in the airport of Lima, I met an Australian guy that was going to Puerto Maldonado, Peru to study hallucinogenic medicine and to work with Ayahuasca and San Pedro. We talked for an hour about Ayahuasca, and Mikes email came rushing back. One month later I found myself in the Amazon Basin, walking in the jungle, standing face to face with an Ayahuasca vine.

The Vine

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If you have never heard of Ayahuasca before, I would advise you to read the National Geographic article linked to this post before reading about my experience. Its an amazing account of a women’s experience with Ayahuasca. It also gives much of the background information about the medicinal and physical properties of Ayahuasca. The article is very much worth reading.

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I guess we (Ben, Billy, and I) heard about the opportunity to do Ayahuasca first in La Paz. We had met people that had come from Rurrenbaque that had done it. Most of which had an extremely positive experience. They recommended that we find a Belgian guy named Tim when we got to the jungle. Tim, who eventually became our guide and shaman, came highly recommended. We were warned by many people to make sure that we had a proper guide for the experience. We heard stories of how Ayahuasca can be big business, and of certain shaman giving people the Ayahuasca and then laying in hammock for the rest of the night.

When we got to Rurrenbaque we found Tim very quickly. He sat us (Ben, Billy, Myself, Siri, Jess, and Leah) down and gave us an orientation of what the experience would be like. First and foremost, he promised that he would take care of all of us. He has been working with Ayahuasca for the last four years. He wanted to help people, and working with Ayahuasca is the method he chose. Tim was very quick to tell us that Ayahuasca was NOT A DRUG, but a medicine. I can speak for all of us that we trusted Tim from the start. He had and has a very strong presence. His confidence radiates outward. I immediately felt like this guy was on a different plane and was connected to a different kind of energy or power.

We decided unanimously that we wanted to do the Ayahuasca. Unfortunately, at the same time Tim came down with Dengue fever. We could not do the Ayahuasca on our original date, and at the same time the girls had to head back to La Paz. This is when Ben, Billy, and I did the jungle and repelling trip with Diego. We decided that if it was meant to be, it would happen. Over the course of our three days in the jungle, I had a feeling that Tim would recover. When we arrived back after our final day trekking, we were happy to find Tim smiling, waiting for us. He was not feeling great, but wanted us to experience Ayahuasca with him. That night, at 7:00, we had the ceremony.

The ceremony was held in a Temple in the Jungle. It was beautiful wooden structure. The ceremony was held in the dark, and in complete silence. The only person that we would be connected with would be Tim as he would be singing and playing instruments throughout our journey.

We were advised that the experience may not be pleasant, but the most important key would be to make sure they we do not attach any objective reality to any of our visions. They would appear for a reason, representing something from our deep subconscious.

The medicine would search for whatever “was not supposed to be there”, and bring these substances and issues to the surface. We were advised that there was a very good chance we would get sick, and not to fight the urge to vomit. It is an important part of the self cleansing that takes place as part of the experience. Tim said that by and large we would feel physically good after vomiting.

I had a list of goals that I wanted to accomplish. First and foremost, I wanted guidance on my current path, which is by and large out of the ordinary for Americans. Secondly, I wanted to dig into some issues from my childhood, with a previous relationship, and with my last job in Washington DC. While I had a great job by all American standards (ie: great money, free tickets to anything, most popular radio station in the area), I can say that I was very unhappy with my career in radio.

Ben and Billy went into the ceremony a little more skeptically, and without such a regimented agenda. Ben and Billy are both atheist, and did not buy into the spiritual nature on the outset.

We all set in a circle on wooden chairs, Tim blessed the medicine, and we each drank a glass of the Ayahuasca. The taste was actually not as bad as I expected, but still utterly disgusting. We were instructed that we would not feel anything for up to an hour. Tim started singing and playing a variety of musical instruments. We sat with our eyes closed and listened. Throughout the ceremony Tim was very active, and very much in control. There was no doubt who was in charge.

I did not feel anything at all until after my second cup of “medicine”. Then from out of nowhere, one of my best friends, Steve Huppity was talking to me. Steve came to America from Australia, and married one of my good friends Wendy. He has been one of the biggest influences on my decision to travel. He has been all over the world, and had his own trip over 20 years ago. I am going to be living with Steve when I am back in the states for a few months this fall.

So, I did not see anything, but Steve was talking to me. “How are you mate”? Is along the lines of the first thing he said. I was not talking out loud, but in my mind. We had a pretty good conversation about my life and the trip. Steve told me he was proud of what I am doing, then promptly encouraged me to take my third cup. “Mate, when the hell are you ever going to do this again? Have another cup Dave-O.”

Right on cue, less than one minute later, Tim asked us if anyone wanted a third cup.

I went ahead and had my third cup. Immediately, Steve went from being behind my left shoulder to out in front of me to the left. He was standing behind a bar, grinning from ear to ear. For the rest of the experience, Steve was my bartender.

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to Bob.

Sometime shortly thereafter, I heard another voice from my right shoulder. This is where I met Bob. Bob happened to be one of the Toucans that we saw on our Pampas tour. Bob was also my guide throughout the duration of the journey. We talked for what seemed like hours. He affirmed everything I am doing in my life, and told me that I was on undoubtedly the right path. This trip is exactly what I am supposed to be doing, and it should not be ending anytime soon. We talked about my childhood, he helped me make sense of my some things happened the way they did, and how it was all for the best. We talked about my past relationships, and my old job. He affirmed my own thoughts on these matters. I instantly felt better about everything. We talked about the direction of the blog (this is one of the reasons I have decided to write about my experience with Ayahuasca), and we talked about my future. I had an unbelievable, positive, confidence building experience. I have never been more confident in my entire life.

Sidenote: Toucans are now by and large my favorite bird in the entire world.

In addition to hanging out with Steve and Bob the Toucan, I had a few moments where I was flying though space. I started through a rainbow wormhole. It was 3D and real, at the end of the wormhole I was floating with nothing around but the stars. It was extremely tranquil and very cool. I vomited twice through the duration of the ceremony. Both were surprisingly pleasant experiences.

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Benny had a very up and down experience. He thought quite a bit about some very personal experiences that were not sitting right with him. He described the experience as extremely painful at times. Then after vomiting, he felt better. He took command of the entire jungle at one point. He was swimming with crocodiles, ordering them around. He also had an entire pack of eagles working for him as scouts. I am not exactly sure what exactly they were scouting.

Billy, the most skeptical of the three of us, did not feel a thing. We were warned ahead of time that this might happen. The medicine apparently chooses who it wants to work with.

We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, and talked about our experience. I still felt overwhelmingly good. For me, the experience could not have been more powerful. I sit here more confident about my life than I have ever been.

I would not recommend that anyone take Ayahuasca unless it something thoroughly researched, and with a recommended Shaman. If you read the very powerful National Geographic article, you will see that some people have hellish, yet productive experiences. Nonetheless, the girl in the article claims to have come face to face with the devil, and ended up having cured years of depression. If you did not read it, READ IT !

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0603/features/peru.html

I took the medicine a second time in the Andes outside of La Paz with Tims mentor and teacher. I will write about my second experience in my next post. It was largely positive once again.

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