AYAHUASCA AS SPIRITUAL OPTION:
A potion such as Ayahuasca is capable of helping to bring to consciousness an expanded sense of identity, providing the stimulus necessary for overcoming the habit of restricting the consciousness of the 'I' to the world of egoic desires; of orienting toward the realization of the considered, tolerant and integrated homo-sapiens. The path of the 'vegetalists', or ayahuasqueros, provides early and intense contact with the numinous (from Lat. numen, inis, 'divinity', 'numen', + -ous: according to Rudolf Otto — 1869–1927 — German theologian and philosopher, the unique feeling experienced in religious experience, the experience of the sacred, in which fascination, terror and annihilation merge). Such contact may open the doors to enthusiasm and creativity, inspiring commitment, helping to overcome and relativize uncomfortable contents. Certainly, similar experiences can be obtained by those who master the science of meditation, through a great investment of time and effort. For investigators whose spiritual practices require integration with the necessity of working and providing for their sustenance, the proper use of this millenary technology can make the process of realization feasible, representing a qualitative leap in their practices. However, Ayahuasca is not a path for everyone; psychoactive substances are not shortcuts, only paths potentially faster. The choice should be based on the proper apprehension of the factors involved: to become enlightened requires the resolution of conflicts; those who aspire to such realization need to evaluate their disposition and courage, decide the pace and intensity with which they wish to encounter this psychodynamic, this 'purgation', or purification.
Ayahuasca reveals that the knowledge we have of the world, of existence, is a psychosomatic process; the mystical experience realizes the scientific description of ecological relations, of the unified field, implying detachment and transformation, that is, the emptying of the ego. Possessing sincere intention, sufficient courage and generosity, this path will be useful for spiritual realization. This potion of the indigenous peoples of South America, Ayahuasca, used with motivation, skill and integrity, contributes to the relief of existential suffering, giving access to wisdom and vision, to mystical union.