"Ayahuasca said to me..." - Observing the voices of medicine

The Ayahuasca,The ancient medicine that has guided so many seekers on the path of expanding consciousness has the ability to open doors to the deepest part of the being. Through visions, sensations and sudden insights, it speaks to us. But, What is this voice we hear in experience, where does it come from and how reliable is its guidance?

The "voice of authority" trap

It is common that, after an intense experience, people feel that Ayahuasca "said" something to them. It can manifest itself as an unwavering certainty, a clear message or even a command. However, here it is where observation becomes fundamental.Are we really listening to the voice of medicine, or are we projecting our own conditioning through it?

EThe ego has many ways of disguising itself. It can cloak itself in humility, mysticism and even spirituality. It can make us believe that what we receive in a ceremony is an absolute, unchangeable truth, when in fact it is an interpretation influenced by our wounds, our desires and our mental structures.

Many masters have pointed out this phenomenon. Carl Jung, with his work on the unconscious, taught us that what emerges from the shadow is not always the ultimate truth, but a repressed part of our psyche that seeks to integrate. In the shamanic tradition, experienced taitas and healers emphasise the importance of discernment: not everything that is received in a ceremony comes from the "great truth". It can be a reflection of our projectionsor even from external energies that pass through the space of experience.

Ayahuasca as a mirror of consciousness and unconsciousness

Ayahuasca is a channel, a bridge. It is not an infallible oracle or an entity that dictates orders from an invisible throne. It functions as a mirror that reflects what is inside us, but that reflection is not always clear or pure.. Sometimes it shows the distortion of our own beliefs, sometimes it takes us through the labyrinths of the subconscious before reaching a deeper truth.

Terence McKenna, who explored the limits of the mind through entheogens, spoke of the 'self-transforming logos', an inner voice that arises in expanded states of consciousness and can take many forms. However, he cautioned against the possibility of falling into the trap of literal interpretation, in which the symbolic becomes dogma.

In the Buddhist tradition, we speak of the concept of maya, the illusion. What we experience in altered states of consciousness can be a revelation, but it can also be an illusion clothed in meaning. The only way to discern is through patient observation, conscious integration and openness to questioning.

How to distinguish the voice of medicine from the voice of ego

To navigate this process more clearly, we can ask ourselves:

1. Does the information received generate peace and expansion, or does it provoke anxiety and separation?

   • True understanding is born of harmony, not fear or the need for control.

2. Does what Ayahuasca "told me" reinforce my sense of self-importance or does it lead me to humility and service?

   • If the response puts us on a pedestal, it is likely that the ego is filtering the message.

3. Am I using experience as an excuse to justify actions or decisions without further reflection?

   • "Ayahuasca told me that I should leave everything and move to the Amazon" could be a genuine revelation, but also an escape driven by the need to escape.

4. Am I open to questioning what I have received or do I take it as absolute truth?

   • Real truth is not afraid to be questioned. If there is resistance to probing further, it is a sign of attachment.

The integration process: where the real transformation happens

The journey with Ayahuasca does not end when the ceremony is over. The real alchemy happens in the integration, in the application of the understandings in everyday life. As Ram Dass used to say: "If you think you are enlightened, spend a weekend with your family."

Wisdom lies not in the experience itself, but in how we carry it into our daily lives. A message received in a shot can be a starting point, not a final destination. It can be a symbol that needs to be unravelled with patience and observation, not a literal and immediate instruction.

The great spiritual masters have insisted on the importance of discernment and self-inquiry. Krishnamurti reminded us that truth cannot be delivered from the outside, but must be discovered from within. Ayahuasca can point the way, but the work of walking it is ours.

Learning to listen with an open heart and an open mind

Ayahuasca is neither a supreme judge nor an authority that dictates absolute truths. It is a mirror, a channel, a process of revelation. It can show us both the highest part of our consciousness and the shadows we still need to illuminate.

The real challenge is not only to receive the messages, but to learn to listen to them with humility, discernment and courage. Not from blind obedience, but from the deep connection with our essence. Not from the ego seeking confirmation, but from the soul seeking truth.

Because in the end, Ayahuasca does not tell us anything that is not already within us. It only reminds us of what, deep down, we have always known.

With love, 
Carlos Niwe