The ‘Dieta’ in the Ayahuasca Healing Traditions of the Amazon

                The term ‘dieta’ refers to a practice within the indigenous healing traditions of the Amazon Rainforest that shaman, or curanderos, use to build relationships with plant spirits.  These curanderos drink ayahuasca regularly to communicate directly with spirits but their relationships to the plant spirits is ongoing, much like the relationships people have with each other.  While ayahuasca forms the heart of the indigenous healing traditions of the western Amazon, countless other plants are also used for specific purposes, and building relationships with these other plants is incredibly important in order to effectively work with them in the treatment of a multitude of illnesses and conditions.  Many plant spirits provide other benefits beyond healing as well, such as protection, guidance, and wisdom.  It is a bit tricky to understand this tradition, especially the dieta, from a western paradigm that looks more to material characteristics, chemical properties, and active ingredients to understand a plant, rather than its spirit, but hopefully, this article will be able to explain the concept and practice a bit.

                I am from the United States, so I come from a western paradigm, which I would classify as a materialist perspective, but I have lived in Peru since 2004, where I have studied with curanderos from three different indigenous groups, as well as a mestizo (mixed race) curandero.  What I will be putting forth in this article is my interpretation of the teachings I have received from my maestros, the curanderos with whom I have worked and studied for over a decade.  Obviously, the depth of my understanding of this science of plant spirit healing is nowhere near the understanding of my teachers, but because I do come from a western culture, I hope to describe the concept of the dieta in terms that might be more easily understood for people outside of the tradition itself.  I am not claiming to be an expert, merely someone who has studied and experimented with this powerful healing tradition, called curanderismo.

THE AYAHUASCA TRADITION

                It might be necessary to provide a quick overview of the spirit plant healing tradition centered around the use of ayahuasca in order to understand the dieta and more specifically, the concept of communication with spirits, which is central to the purpose and experience of the dieta.  Many books have been written about this tradition, so I don’t want to go into too much detail, but rather discuss some important concepts within the tradition so the explanation of the dieta makes more sense.  Again, what I present are my personal interpretations of my own experiences and the teachings of my maestros over the last eleven years. 

                The most basic concept to remember with this tradition is that it is based in a spiritual paradigm, rather than a materialist perspective, meaning that plants are considered in terms of their spiritual attributes, or quite literally, their spirits, more so than any physical attributes.  Within the tradition, every plant has a spirit, although each particular species is considered to have a unified spirit, like the spirit of the cedar tree, for example.  So, if you are communicating with the spirit of the Cedar tree, you may be communicating with the spirit of a specific tree, but its consciousness is qualified on a species level.

 When a curandero, student, or patient communicates with a plant spirit, it is very similar to communicating with another person.  Relationships can be formed with spirits, friendships of varying degrees, as well as working relationships, just like in the physical dimension with which we are most familiar in our daily lives and realities.  These relationships can develop into stronger bonds, or can fade away, again just like in our daily lives.  The dieta is a method provided by the spirits to form a stronger bond, as it is a way to demonstrate our true devotion, our true intentions and dedication.  The dieta is a way to prove oneself worthy, of gaining the trust and favor of the plant spirits.  It is the most essential aspect of the plant medicine tradition that enhances the abilities of the curanderos to accurately diagnose, treat, and heal patients.  Studying to be a curandero primarily means doing dietas.

WHAT IS A DIETA?

                Whereas ayahuasca forms the foundation of the indigenous plant medicine traditions of the Western Amazon, the dieta plays a crucial role in building upon that foundation.  It could be considered the support beams of the tradition, upon which the rest of the structure is built.  So what is a dieta?   In simple terms, a dieta is a contract made between a curandero, or student of curanderismo, and a particular plant spirit.  The terms of the contract are decided and agreed upon prior to the dieta taking place, and often times the motivation to do a dieta comes at the request or suggestion of the plant spirit, but can also be decided by the person.  For instance, in an ayahuasca ceremony or perhaps a dream, a plant spirit may present itself to someone and suggest that he/she do a dieta with it.  Another common practice is that a student or curandero feels a connection to a particular plant and decides to do a dieta with it, or a student’s teacher suggests that the student do a dieta.

                One of the key terms of the dieta agreement is the length of the dieta, meaning for how long the dieta will be kept.  Sometimes this is as short as eight days, although more common would be months and even years.  The general agreement in a dieta is that the curandero or student will sacrifice the pleasures of physical stimulation by refraining from sex, alcohol, and sweet, spicy, salty, or rich foods.  In return for this sacrifice, the plant spirits agree to teach, guide, protect, strengthen, or endow special abilities to the person doing the dieta.  Usually, the dieta is done in near isolation in order to avoid any temptations that might come from interactions with people who are not doing or do not understand the dieta.  In some indigenous groups, like the Shipibo, people doing dietas have their faces, hands, and feet painted with a dye made from a fruit called huito so that anyone with whom they may come in contact knows to treat them appropriately, and to announce the dieta to the plant spirits.

                An interesting feature of the dieta is that the terms are negotiable, meaning that while a plant spirit may initially want a dieta to be of a certain length, like one year, for example, the curandero can counter with an offer of a shorter duration, until the actual terms are agreed upon.  The other terms of the dieta, like how strict the dieta will be, can also be negotiated, although it is most likely done much less, as they are well established within the tradition.  A common example of the specifics of a dieta would be to refrain from all sexual stimulation and alcohol, and to eat just fish and green plantains for the entirety of the dieta.  Usually, only a few types of small toothless fish are eaten, perhaps due to their low fat content.

OPENING A DIETA

                Once the terms of the dieta are established, the curandero or student will then open the dieta, or have the dieta opened for them, as is the case with most students.  This is an ‘official’ announcement, made in an ayahuasca ceremony through the use of healing songs, called icaros, that the dieta has begun, or will begin the following day.  An announcement can also be made by speaking it outloud or in one’s mind to the physical plant in person, which would be done either the day of the ceremony or the following day, to help demonstrate the determination of the curandero or student and thus strengthen the connection to the plant. 

                After the dieta has been opened on the spiritual plane, the physical aspects of the dieta begin.  After again declaring the intentions for the dieta, the dieter ingests some form of extraction of the plant, which can be a preparation made from boiling the leaves, the bark, or the roots of the plant, or by soaking them in alcohol, or even by smoking a pipe made from the wood of the plant.  An extraction of tobacco is added to the preparation, as well, or in the case of smoking the pipe, tobacco would be used as the smoking material.  A particular type of tobacco is used in the Amazon traditions, called mapacho, known scientifically as nicotiana rustica.  The addition of tobacco plays an important role, as it creates a direct link to the plant, so that smoking mapacho during the dieta connects the dieter to the plant spirit being dieted.  Therefore, dieters are encouraged to smoke mapacho, with intention, and if possible using a pipe made from the plant being dieted, to enhance the effect of the dieta.

                The preparation of the dieta plant and mapacho is ingested and the dieter then fasts for at least two days.  Water is often limited during this time, as well.  The same preparation is ingested the following day, and possibly on consecutive days as well or again after a period of time.  Once the fast is complete, the dieter then begins eating according to the terms worked out.  In the case of students, their teacher may negotiate a less restrictive dieta that includes rice, beans, some vegetables, and even bananas, however the student may also decide on his/her own to keep a more strict dieta to further emphasize his/her determination.  Ultimately, it is the dieter who must keep the dieta, but if the terms were established by the teacher, the teacher will also take responsibility for the student keeping the deita.

THE COMPLETE DIETA

                While the outward expression of the dieta is often talked about in terms of food restrictions and sexual abstinence, the dieta goes much deeper than the physical aspects.  Thoughts have a very important role in the dieta.  When the dieta is considered as a demonstration of determination, it is easy to see how the physical act of abstinence and eating is just touching the surface.  Being unhappy or complaining about the dieta, fantasizing about sex or favorite foods like hot fudge sundaes is also a demonstration of determination, or the lack thereof.  Preventing oneself from getting angry, from doubting or losing faith in the process, or thinking negatively about the dieta are also important restrictions.  The dieta does not just take place at the dinner table.  It happens 24 hours a day, even during sleep. 

During waking hours, time is often spent in contemplation of the plant spirit, learning and singing icaros for the plant spirit, spending time with the actual plant, and communicating with the plant through the use of mapacho.  By smoking mapacho with the intention of connecting with the plant spirit, dieters further their connection and enhance their communication.  Dialogues can be formed, and interactions can take place in trance like states produced by smoking or in dreams.  The spirit of the plant can be felt on subtle levels and dieters can become more aware of those sensations by directing their attention to them.  The purpose of the dieta is to build a relationship with the plant spirit, and just like with building relationships with other people, the more sincere, honest, and well-intentioned attention a dieter gives to the plant spirit, the better the relationship will be.  More energy given results in more energy received.

As the dieta progresses, the sensations and communications get stronger.  The relationship becomes closer and deeper, eventually forming a special bond, a friendship between the dieter and the plant spirit.  It is through this friendship that the curandero or student receives benefit from the relationship, the fruits of the dieta.  This new friend provides information, guidance, and energy to assist in the healing process.  Sometimes, it takes time for a friendship to develop, especially if the dieters determination is not completely solid, and there is no guarantee as to what will result from a dieta, but if it is done right, with the right intentions, thoughts, actions, and energy, it should produce a beneficial connection that will continue to develop after the dieta has been completed or closed.

CLOSING A DIETA

                When the length and terms of a dieta have been fulfilled, then the dieta is closed.  Like with the opening of the dieta, this is typically done with an ayahuasca ceremony, where the dieta is declared ‘officially’ complete, and tremendous gratitude is expressed to the plant spirit in the form of icaros and prayers.  Statements are made regarding future plans to cultivate the relationship and use it for the betterment of humankind.  The following morning, within some traditions, another ceremony takes place where the dieter does a particular dance accompanied by song to again express gratitude and to give thanks, and the dieter then ingests a particular food, like hot peppers with salt, or fermented corn or yucca, before easing back into a ‘normal’ diet again. 

                There is also a post-dieta dieta, which may seem confusing, but is also important.  The basic idea is that during the dieta a strong relationship is formed, and a great deal of attention and energy is shared, so even though the contractual agreement of the dieta has been fulfilled, a dieter should continue to give energy, thought, and feelings to the plant spirit, which would also be expressed in actions.  Therefore, it is important to maintain the same reverence for the plant spirit, even during the ingestion of salt, sugar, oil, etc. so as not to disrespect the relationship or devalue the willingness to make sacrifices.  A dieter shouldn’t want to run out and do all the things that were sacrificed for the dieta, even though he/she is, technically, free to do so.   Perhaps it could be understood through this example: If a man enters a relationship with a woman as her boyfriend (which could also be considered as a type of contract with negotiable terms like exclusive physical intimacy) and then after a period of time, the two decide to mutually end that relationship, but remain friends, it would be disrespectful for the man (or woman) to have sex with someone else the next day or soon after, as their friendship would most likely suffer as a result. 

                 

BREAKING A DIETA

                Considering the dieta as a contract, especially a relationship contract, which is a familiar concept in nearly every society, can be helpful when trying to understand the dieta within the tradition of curanderismo.  As is the case with relationships between boyfriends and girlfriends, or husbands and wives, breaking the terms of the contract results in consequences.  In the case of actual, legally binding contracts like pre-nuptial agreements, the terms of those consequences may also be agreed upon, and most divorce courts recognize a general form of consequences as well.  Within the traditions of curanderismo, it is believed that breaking plant spirit relationship contracts, or dietas, also has consequences, and that those consequences are proportionate to three factors.

                The first factor would certainly be the form of the breach in contract.  Sex or sexual stimulation is considered the worst breach of a dieta and would thus result in the most severe consequences.  The degree of disrespect to the terms would play a factor in the consequences, especially regarding other breaches, like naked fondling compared to kissing, or eating a hot fudge sundae compared to putting salt on a grilled fish, or screaming at someone in anger compared to getting frustrated with the lack of connection felt, or fantasizing about sex compared to reminiscing about the sweetness of mangoes.  The consequence is proportionate to the act.

                The second factor would be the experience level of the dieter.  A student doing a dieta for the first time would not face the same consequences as a curandero with many years of experience doing his/her 40^th dieta.  How well the dieta and its importance is understood and accepted by the dieter would be a factor in the severity of the consequences for a breach.  The depth of a relationship with a plant spirit would usually be much deeper for an experienced curandero and therefore he/she should simply know better than a student not to break a dieta.

                The third factor would be the particular personality of the plant spirit.  Some plant spirits are known to be very strict and unforgiving while others are more easy going and willing to let things slide a bit.  The consequences for the same breach in two different dietas with different plants might vary significantly due to the nature or personality of the plant spirit.  This factor is also involved when negotiating the terms of a dieta, and is usually indicative at that time of how consequences will most likely be handled, although within the tradition the personalities of particular plant spirits is often well known historically.  Extra caution is sometimes advised by a teacher or elder curandero when one of these plants is going to be dieted, accompanied by remarkable stories recounting previous experiences of severe punishments.

                So what are the consequences?  Within the tradition, and depending on the factors just mentioned, the consequences range from lessening a connection to the plant spirit all the way to becoming seriously ill or dying.  The most common consequence would likely be blocking the dieter from having visions during ceremonies, although nearly every curandero has stories about incredibly severe consequences like losing the ability to walk or talk, or having bad things happen continuously until the breach is rectified.  Consequences tend to be permanent unless the situation is resolved.  Traditionally, this is done by redoing the diet, but for twice as long as the original. 

                Many people outside of the cultural tradition of curanderismo have trouble understanding the concept of consequences, feeling that plant spirits are like enlightened beings, and therefore would never punish someone, but I think in the context of a contractual relationship agreement, consequences might make more sense.  Even with the perception that plant spirits are loving and benevolent, and understanding of consequences is quite logical.  Parents teach the concept of consequences to their children to prepare them to be adults.  They teach their children about consequences because they love their children, and want to instill in them the ability to make appropriate decisions.  I think plant spirits are doing the same thing.  Of course, everyone is free to think whatever they like.  What I have presented is merely my interpretation of what I have been taught by my teachers and by what I have experienced myself by doing dietas.  It took a decade of study for me to reach this understanding, and I am sure I will continue to develop my perspective and ideas in the future.

                Beyond the relationships formed with plant spirits thanks to dietas, I think life as a whole can be understood in terms of relationships.  In fact, life could actually be defined by relationships.  Our relationship to the food we eat, to the environment in which we live, to our coworkers, employers and employees, clients, and job, to our friends and family, our community, and society, to substances like alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, or activities like singing, dancing, and making love, all of these relationships and many more define our lives.  It is the nature of the energy within these relationships, and the quantity of love we give and receive through these relationships, that most influences our health.  The dieta is a further extension of these life defining relationships into dimensions or energy frequencies often imperceptible in our normal reality, and it is these relationships with spirits that make it possible for curanderos to facilitate powerful transformations for others.  We are all aware of how much we get by with a little help from our friends, but perhaps no one knows this as well as curanderos. 

                NOTE: Recently, since foreigners have begun drinking ayahuasca and a tourist industry has formed around ayahuasca ceremonies and treatments with curanderos, a new diet has emerged that most people refer to as the ayahuasca diet.  This diet was designed to keep people safe during the ceremonies.  Ayahuasca can have dangerous effects when mixed with certain substances, namely pharmaceutical medication and most specifically anti-depressant medication or SSRIs.  Other negative effects are possible when mixing ayahuasca with some foods as well, like dairy products, but this diet is different from the dieta described above.  While the ayahuasca diet can be used to demonstrate one’s determination and is a good idea, it should not be confused with the traditional dieta that forms such an integral part of the science of plant medicine in the Amazon Rainforest.         

It's been a while...

Greetings from the Amazon Rainforest of Peru. I hope that 2014 was a wonderful year for you. It was certainly a very memorable year for me and the rest of the Ayahuasca Foundation crew. Here is a summary of the year for us and our plans for the upcoming year:

Retreat Programs
We ran nine retreats in 2014, with over eighty people attending, and had tremendous success as we continued to refine and further develop our healing treatments and care. Our assistant healers, Dean, Helm, and Skye, progressed a great deal thanks to their commitment to their studies and work, and the completion of dietas in their free time. While one of our assistant healers, Rachel, returned to the US to work with people in need and strengthen her healing community there, she was replaced by Sophia, from the UK, who immediately raced forward in her learning and abilities to help others during the programs. We were sad to see Rachel go, and she is missed by us all, but she will be returning to facilitate our All Women's Retreat in November, which I'll talk more about later. We've welcomed Sophia with open arms and she has already become a member of our family.

 Our curandera, dona Wilma, spent most of the year with a special development project of her own, and in November gave birth to a beautiful and healthy boy. She has taken time off to be with her little one, and will be replaced by her brother-in-law (don Enrique's brother) don Roner, who will be running the retreats in her absence. Like Rachel, she will return for the All Women's Retreat in November, as well. You can visit our website to watch video testimonials from a dozen retreat participants from the 2014 retreats: RETREAT TESTIMONIALS

Initiation Courses 
We also ran three six week courses and one ten-week course. This was only the second time that we'd done the ten week Advanced Initiation Course, and it went tremendously well, thanks to the fantastic job done by our staff but also thanks to being blessed with an amazing group of students who all got along, supported each other, and became close friends. We all learned a lot from that experience and have used it as a model for our future courses. The curandero school saw a few improvements as well, with carpeted rooms in the dormitories, double screening for the maloca, and the completion of three diet huts, not to mention an entire other camp that we may begin to utilize with another retreat program at some point in 2015.

Our maestro, don Enrique, continues to develop the course, adding new plants, treatments, icaros, and methods of teaching, and has also given the assistant healers a chance to step up more in their own work, a necessary part of coming into their own as curanderos. The entire staff has done a beautiful job of creating an atmosphere of safety and comfort while providing the optimum opportunities for growth and learning. We look forward to our next course in January. You can also watch video testimonials from some of the students on both the six and ten week courses: COURSE TESTIMONIALS

I think one of the biggest improvements we made to our programs in 2014 was our emphasis and work on the integration of retreat and course experiences into daily life upon participants' return home. Much more thought, energy, and effort was given to this important aspect of the healing process and it was met with great enthusiasm and gratitude from program participants. Teaching meditation, yoga, breathing, and healthy eating habits, as well as common remedies to boost immune system and brain function has served to continue the healing process long after the programs have ended. We look forward to the continuing development of these teachings that have been put together by the assistant healers.

Plans for 2015
Of course, we will continue to offer our two and three week healing retreats and our six and ten week initiation courses, but we have added one special program for November next year, an All Women's Retreat. Ever since I started running retreats nine years ago I have met and helped a lot of women who were the victims of sexual abuse or trauma. Nearly every woman who attended our programs seemed to have traumas associated with her gender. I began to see that just being a woman in modern society was traumatic, and that it was difficult for men to understand, as it took me a while and I still have much to learn. I began to see how beneficial it would be for women to have a program where they wouldn't need to explain their situations to anyone, because everyone would already understand. 

The idea for an all women's retreat was something I had wanted to do for several years. I think what kept me from doing it earlier was because I am not a woman, and I knew I needed a competent and experienced female staff to properly run the retreat. Thankfully, the Ayahuasca Foundation now has the perfect staff to make this retreat a reality and we are really looking forward to this first retreat in April. You can find more information on this special event online: WOMEN'S RETREAT

Another development that we plan to pursue further in 2015 is research into the healing process, particularly the role of consciousness. We began using quality of life assessment forms in 2014 to begin a process of data collection for research purposes, and we will be enhancing that effort and deepening the research elements of our work much more in the upcoming year. We've also devoted more time to reviewing prior research and have created a resource for that research on our website. You can now read previous studies and watch video presentations of lectures given at conferences on the Ayahuasca Foundation website: RESEARCH and LECTURES

 We also gathered some of the better documentary films on ayahuasca and plant medicine to make it easier to find and view them. More and more attention is being given to the sacred medicine, ayahuasca, with newspaper and magazine articles, books, news coverage, interviews, conferences, websites, and even feature films. We hope to put more of this coverage on our website but for now we have several interesting documentaries up and I encourage you to watch them: FILMS

 Well, that's about it for us. I hope that you are feeling healthy and happy, and that you get to share in the magic of love with friends, family, community, and nature. It is a miraculous experience to be alive, especially at this time in human history, as we stand on the precipice of a true metamorphosis in our consciousness and existence. In order for water to transform into the higher state of being of vapor, it must heat up to a boil. We are seeing the boiling now. May we always remember the transformation it brings. I wish you the happiest of happy holidays and the most prosperous of prosperous new years. The journey continues...

Ayahuasca Foundation Website

Ayahuasca Curandero Initiation Course

Another six week ayahuasca curandero initiation course was completed in May of 2012. The group was fantastic and the majority of the students have continued to work with the healing tradition, which is our goal with the course. The students learned more during this course than any other, thanks to their enthusiasm and the improvements to the curriculum. We are really looking forward to our future courses, especially because they will be held at our new school which just opened.

For our upcoming courses at the new school, students will be dieting with a very special plant that is highly revered as one of the most powerful teacher plants in the Amazon. Curandero search for years to find one of these luminescent trees to diet with, and our new school has two of them on the property. We are very fortunate to have found such an amazing plant, and all of our future students will be blessed with the opportunity to diet with it. For more information on our upcoming courses or retreats, please visit our website: www.ayahuascafoundation.org

Ayahuasca Retreat Testimonial

Here is a video testimonial from Jason, who attended an Ayahuasca Healing Retreat at the Ayahuasca Foundation in 2011. Below is a transcript of the testimonial. For more information on Ayahuasca Retreats, visit the website: www.ayahuascafoundation.org

"I’m Jason. I’m forty years old. I’m from Northern California San Fransisco Bay area. It’s been a long quest of finding the inner side of life and ayahuasca came to me through other process of self exploration and discovery. I spent about a year researching it, reading books about it, and checking out retreats online and really got a great vibe when
I came across the Ayahuasca Foundation site and decided to take advantage of it. I actually applied to the six week course and was accepted but it was full. A bird in hand is worth two in the bush so rather than wait until next spring when situations could be different I grabbed the opportunity to come down now to the three week retreat and it was definitely the right time for me.

The desire to seek another modality to go inward and explore another part of life and another side of life was found here in a really wonderful wonderful, wonderful, nurturing and loving way. My experience down here has been fantastic. I came down pretty light hearted with the desire figure out what my path in life was and I got reaffirmed and validated in what that was. It had come to me before but I just wanted more answers now so I came down with the idea of getting more answers with regard to that. I ended up getting, like so many testimonials said, so much more. You come down here and you can come with an objective in mind and you can accomplish that, but there is so much more waiting to be accomplished so the trip has been rewarding on so many levels. Not just the introspection and clarity and validation in regards to which direction I want to head with life but also in terms of recalibrating your senses, recalibrating your inner sense, your physical senses, emotions, taste, textures, touch… pretty much everything down here. It’s a real rebalancing and a real grounding experience in so many ways and you add the layers of nature to that, you add the layer of camaraderie with another group of people that creates this synergistic energy that culminates into this amazing experience that blows away even what you came to get ten-fold and more so it’s been phenomenal on every single level: physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, intellectual, everything.
Don Enrique is incredibly loving, incredibly compassionate. He is transparent. He is open. He is nurturing. He is pure energy. He’s an awesome dude.

This camp is really fantastic. The community is very caring, very nurturing, very loving, very open. The energy here is very peaceful, very calm, very supportive and very nurturing. What’s great about the community is that we’re not just stuck in some commercial venture. This is a community, it really is, and we’re a community within a community within a community and it’s neat to be able to be a part of that. Just to come here, even if there wasn’t an ayahuasca element to it, if you just came here and saw how these folks live and reconnect yourself with that whole process of being alive and how we all started this process of forming culture and forming society and working together as a group. You get to feel that experience here as well. Again, another layer of experience built into the whole process which I think is invaluable. I would love for my children to experience this so that they could reconnect with that whole roots concept of being integrated with the world around you, not just the people, the natural world around you. This is a complete immersion into that experience, which is phenomenal.

If you’re coming to Peru to drink ayahuasca I would say don’t hesitate because you can come down here and any one of those experiences that I’ve just been talking about is worth coming here to have, let alone all of them. To come to a place where you’re gonna be safe, where you’re gonna feel well taken care of, well provided for, incredibly well supported, and as far as the hanging out in the wild jungle, to have the showers and the river to clean in and the safety and the community support, this is the place for it. If you’re gonna come to Peru and do an ayahuasca experience, to be able to do it next to a river that you can swim in with a group of people that live here and survive here together, with a group of people that are experienced, talented, loving, like Enrique and Carlos, what more would you want. You can drop any potential thoughts or concerns that have anything to do with hesitation and just jump in two feet first. We’ve already tested the waters. It’s totally cool."

What it means to receive treatment from a curandero

     As ayahuasca continues to spread around the world, with ceremonies happening in nearly every city of every country, curanderismo continues to be a mysterious and often misunderstood science of indigenous wisdom.  Unfortunately, due to a general lack of understanding this sacred science, many people think that ayahuasca is a magical medicine that cures everything.  In reality, ayahuasca can only heal a few types of illnesses.  It is magical in other ways, though.  So what does it mean to receive treatment from a curandero?

      There are basically seven components to receiving treatment for an illness in the Amazon curandero tradition.  Ayahuasca is just one of these components.  Depending on the illness, the other six components are often more important than the ayahuasca.  These seven parts work together to heal the patient of their illness and bring about health on all levels, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.  Only when a person has achieved balance and harmony on these levels can he/she truly be considered healed.

     The first component is the diet.  It is very surprising that western medicine has not yet realized the importance of diet in treatment, with hospital food still being on par with airplane food.  Often times, people’s diets are the reason for their illnesses; therefore, making dietary changes is necessary to restore their health.  The diet one follows during treatment may have specific prohibitions according to the illness, but every diet shares the same basic rules: no salt, no sugar, no oil, no hot spices, no caffeine, no alcohol, no chemicals, and no sex; basically, no stimulation.  When a bland diet is followed, the body does not change from its normal function and can therefore return to a normal harmony.  Having the digestive system working properly is the foundation of health and aids the other components as well.  The diet is followed during the entire treatment.

     The next component is the vapor bath.  This is a very important aspect of healing that would greatly help western medicine.  The vapor bath uses water boiled with medicinal plants to create a medicinal steam that the patient stands or sits in like a sauna.  By opening up the pores many toxins are removed and the medicinal qualities of the steam are absorbed into the body, cleansing the system from the outside in.  When a patient has been cleansed, the body has a much easier time returning to its normal, healthy state.  Usually a patient will start treatment with a vapor bath each day for several days.

     The next component is the plant bath.  Patients bathe in water that has had certain plants soaking in it.  The patients then refrain from bathing as they normally would in order to let the plants soak into their systems through their skin.  This is a further cleanse of the system that also has aroma therapeutic effects.  Plant baths help a patient open the mind and cleanse his/her spirit.  They are very effective in enhancing the ayahuasca experience in ceremonies.  Patients often do plant baths each day for consecutive days during the treatment.

     Another important component is the purgative.  While ayahuasca is also a purgative, it is not as strong as other plant preparations.  Some well known purgatives are oje, huacapurana, pinon blanco, mapacho, and sangre de grado.  The patient takes the purgative early in the morning on an empty stomach.  The usual effects are vomiting and diarrhea, as the body is cleansed on the inside and the blood is purified.  This part of the treatment can sometimes be the most important part in the case of illnesses carried in the blood, but regardless of the condition, a purgative is always helpful in cleaning the physical body, and also enhances the ayahuasca experience.  Patients typically take a purgative once during treatment.

      Of course, ayahuasca is an important component in the healing process.  It is important for many reasons.  Probably the most important reason is that it provides the curandero the capacity to see inside the patient to understand and properly diagnose the affliction(s).  Much like an MRI or an x-ray, ayahuasca is a powerful diagnostic tool.  In addition to diagnosing the illness, the curandero also uses an intimate connection to the spirits of the plants to determine the most effective remedy for the patient.  For the patients, their experiences during ayahuasca ceremonies can be very helpful in determining the roots of their illnesses, which may be traumas from their past or times of emotional or spiritual weakness when they lacked self love.  By understanding these roots, the patients can become active participants in their own healing by releasing pent up emotions, realizing their true beauty and specialness, and returning to a state of self love where they deserve to be.  By experiencing their true selves, their spirits, patients remember their divinity and can once again fill their hearts with divine love.  Love is the active ingredient of healing.  Patients may attend ceremonies throughout the treatment, but at least once in the beginning and once at the end of treatment.  The curandero will often use the ceremonies to measure the progress of the patient during treatment.

     The most familiar component is likely the plant remedy, the medicine.  A preparation made from a single medicinal plant or group of plants is taken by the patient for the duration of the treatment.  Often the quantity of the remedy is a measure of the length of treatment.  For example, the treatment will last until the patient has finished the bottle(s) of medicine.  While the vapor and plant baths cleanse the body of toxins, thus helping to weaken the illness, and the purgatives remove many more toxins, further weakening the illness, and the ayahuasca strengthen the mind and spirit, it is the plant remedies that heal the affliction once and for all.  It is common that when patients have been healed they say that it was the particular plant remedy that healed them. 

     The last component was touched upon during the description of the role of ayahuasca, but it deserves its own attention, and that is the connection to God.  Essentially, all of the healing components in curanderismo treatment increase and strengthen the patients’ connection to God.  Cleanliness is next to Godliness.  God is what ultimately heals all afflictions, for God made the plants.  This connection requires work on the part of the patient as well as the curandero.  Both must have faith in the healing, and prayers play an essential role in demonstrating, maintaining, and utilizing that faith.  The curandero says prayers over the baths, over the remedies, during the ceremonies, and throughout the treatment process, asking that God heal the patient.  The curandero also demonstrates their faith by fasting during the preparation of all the components, making a sacrifice for the benefit of the patient.  It is also essential for the patients to make a sacrifice, which is done through the diet, and to know in their hearts that God will heal their afflictions.  When we know that we will be healed, then we will be healed.

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