“I mightn't be a shaman in the indigenous sense, but as a world-bridger between Western culture and the indigenous world, I knew I was playing a shamanistic role. Language was my medicine and with it I would do my best… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“Outside, milling under the ubiquitous gaze of security cameras, are bright splashes of colorful souls wearing crystals, beads, and Native American Indian paraphernalia; middle-aged academics with "Erowid" drug website t-shirts; and passengers that give you that odd conspiratorial smile that says, "yes, we are here for the conference." And here we are chowing down on McDonalds and donut King, getting… — Rak Razam Copy Share
“It is true ayahuasca that has the potential to change everything and allow you to see the world in a different way. It's just that from within the perspective of the person undergoing the changes it's also hard to discern which bits are fantasy and which bits are oracular insight. That's part of what the shaman is supposed to be… — Rak Razam Copy Share
“The sound of his purging next to me, long and deep and often was like a backbeat throughout the night. He's been wrestling with… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“Stripping away the scientific language, what you find is that our most eminent minds agree that on the subatomic and quantum scales the universe… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“The Hindus believe that in the beginning was sound, a pure vibrational ohm, and as I surf these wave emanations I feel like I've… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“Are you seeing Jesus yet? Eric the ayahuasca virgin asks me this morning over a late brunch at the Yellow Rose... We're trading visions like trading card stats, comparing our different curanderos and gossiping like schoolgirls while the street vendors and fabric hustlers stand around by the dozen... 'Am I becoming like Jesus would probably be a better way to… — Rak Razam Copy Share
“I can feel myself gently slipping away into a light trance by the quarter moon light as the candles are blown out, and my… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“Ayahuasca ceremonies are usually very structured rituals where the shaman or shamana holds the space and guides the drinkers on their journeys of discovery. The shaman is not just administering the hallucinogenic brew; he or she is also calling in their allies, banishing evil spirits, and safeguarding their immediate physical environment–playing the role of psychic bouncer. And while personalities vary,… — Rak Razam Copy Share
“The poor are so common they're invisible, just part of the ambience of this place. I tuck a few soles under them as they… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“...what science cannot explain is the psychic effect of this 'mother of all plants,' the sense of the numinous and the spiritual world it… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
“One must always be careful, for the art of shamanism is fueled by the power of the will, interacting with the power of the… — Rak Razam Copy Share Image
