Ethical Ayahuasca Tourism: A Guide for First Time Ayahuasca Seekers Coming to the Amazon
Approaching ayahuasca for the first time can be a daunting task. While anecdotal accounts and emerging scientific studies abound about its incredible healing properties, there are also many cautionary tales out there when it comes to disingenuous shamans and...
The Science of Ayahuasca: Inside the ICEERS Study at the Temple of the Way of Light
After his first trip to the Amazon in 2007, Matthew Watherson founded the Temple of the Way of Light as an ayahuasca healing and retreat center, and since then he has dedicated his life to learning and sharing the gifts of this immensely powerful plant medicine. To...
The Tradition of Ayahuasca in the Amazon: Creating the Temple of the Way of Light
Sometimes when you enter the heart of darkness, it turns out to be a heart of light and a whole new world opens up to you. And then, in the heart of light, darkness reappears and the cycle continues ever onward. Matthew Watherston is the founder of the Temple of the...
Recovering from Depression: Two Meditations for Integrating a Psychedelic Experience
I’ve gone through bouts of situational depression since I was a teenager. I’m lucky to have never been diagnosed with chronic depression (when you have more bad days than good for at least two years), but I’ve had periods of weeks, sometimes months, when the critical,...
Heart Medicine: Interview with Elizabeth Bast and Chor Boogie
There are many wonderful books out there about psychedelics and the promise they hold for mankind as tools for healing, addiction treatment, therapy, and self-realization, but Heart Medicine by first-time author Elizabeth Bast is something entirely unique. Written as...
Ibogaine Therapy: Why You Probably Need Multiple Treatments to Fully Recover from Addiction
“It’s only now after six months I can say I’m not addicted anymore,” a woman wrote in a series of personal testimonies collected by ibogaine researcher Howard Lotsof. “Ibogaine is not the solution in itself. [However,] it takes withdrawal away completely and gave me...
The Ayahuasca Pre-Diet: How to Prepare for an Ayahuasca Ceremony, According to Shamans
The first (and only) time I’ve participated in an ayahuasca ceremony, I didn’t know much about preparing for it. By coincidence, I found myself traveling to Pucallpa — one of Peru’s epicenters for ayahuasca tourism, along with the Amazonian city of Iquitos — and I...
Treating Depression: Human Study Shows Psilocybin Works Where Conventional Antidepressants Don’t
I field a lot of questions, whether it's people asking about where they can find a reputable ayahuasca clinic, to how ibogaine can treat their addiction, or where they can find psychedelics for sale (due to the legal status of most psychedelics in the States, we...
Witness to Transformation: John Harrison on Ibogaine Addiction Treatment
"I call myself a witness to transformation. As a therapist and a human being it’s an honor to be part of that." - John Harrison John Harrison sits on the board of directors for the Global Ibogaine Therapy Alliance (GITA) and is a psychologist who specializes in...
The Ancient Roots of Psychedelic Harm Reduction at Modern Festivals
You find yourself at one of your favorite transformational art and music festivals, and things are extra exciting because, this year, you are attending as a volunteer, not just a participant. As someone who has had positive and life-changing experiences with...
