Journeying Through the Invisible: The Craft of Healing With, and Beyond, Sacred Plants, as Told by a Peruvian Medicine Man

A lifelong Peruvian shaman and curandero (healer) provides a rare, in-depth look into the world of Ayahuasca, a special medicine used in healing ceremonies by Indigenous South Americans for thousands of years that is taking the world by storm.A mysterious and powerful plant medicine with curative powers that is drunk as a "tea" during a sacred ceremony, Ayahuasca has been known to change people's lives dramatically. But what was once a healing experience practiced only by Indigenous South Americans-and sought out by the adventurous few-has, in the past fifty years, become increasingly popular around the world. Jorge Araoz, a Peruvian curandero known by his shamanic name-Hachumak-has been practicing Ayahuasca ceremonies in his compound in the Amazon for twenty-five years as well as traveling the world as a healer and educator. In this remarkable book, he shares his secrets to broaden our understanding of this powerful medicine and protect it from misuse and exploitation. Whether you are curious or skeptical, you will gain a deeper understanding of what shamanism is and how and why it works, as well as its possibilities and limitations. In Secrets of a Shaman, Hachumak reveals his own history of learning to become a shaman, explaining how a traditional Ayahuasca ceremony unfolds when run by an experienced curandero, and describing in detail what to expect-both physically and psychologically-while under the influence of the sacred plants. Open minds who have embraced Michael Pollan's How to Change Your Mind and the works of Roshi Joan Halifax, as well as those interested in spirituality and alternative healing, will be mesmerized by this unique and fascinating book that presents aspects of shamanism never before revealed.