Overview

Used for over 8000 years as a medicine in the Amazon rainforest, ayahuasca is a powerful psychedelic with a fully formed shamanic cosmology. Central to the indigenous belief system is the plant teacher, Grandmother Ayahuasca, who communicates with people both during and after ceremonies. DMT (Dimethyltryptamine), the active ingredient in ayahuasca, is illegal in this country, listed on Schedule 1 as a dangerous drug with high potential for abuse and no medical benefits. Despite the legal risks and the unfortunate fact that ayahuasca is a powerful purgative as well as a powerful psychedelic, there are increasing numbers of people in Western countries who have experienced the medicine. This fast-growing group of people is highly educated, mature and sophisticated, often dubbed cultural creatives. Some have suffered with intractable psychiatric illnesses who, failing to find relief from Western medicine, are seeking new hope with ayahuasca. Others are psychospiritual explorers who have learned about the benefits of ayahuasca, are connected enough to the subculture to find a safe opportunity to take it and are willing to run the risk of an exotic, illegal experience.

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9781608684021

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Reviews

An excellent book on the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca; clearly written and well researched, it is an important addition to the literature on the subject. -- Jeremy Narby, PhD, author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Finally, finally, finally -- an ayahuasca book I can recommend without reservation. Rachel Harris focuses not on the journey (giant snakes, dismemberment, insights, purging, etc.) but on what eventually matters far more: the ongoing and robust aftereffects in people 's lives. Harris is a skilled psychotherapist and a serious ayahuasca user, and her credibility in both worlds makes her own story, interwoven with those of the many people she interviewed, informative and discerning. -- James Fadiman, PhD, microdose researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys A fascinating and provocative compilation of riveting testimonies of individuals who experienced miraculous healing by drinking the psychedelic medicine ayahuasca. Inspired by her own amazing transformation, Harris was driven to research ayahuasca and document her findings. Readers will be inspired by the numerous accounts of how ayahuasca succeeded where Western medicine has failed many of the ailing people described here. . . . Though research on ayahuasca is still slim, the numerous life-changing revelations that Harris's contributors describe will be illuminating for those curious about this mystical medicine. -- Publishers Weekly Anyone considering visiting Grandmother Ayahuasca for the first time needs to read this book before making a decision. Harris is not an advocate, and her book is not a polemic; however, it seems clear that this plant medicine has the power to transform some people's lives in ways that seem to be filled with the magic and mystery so sadly missing from our overly civilized world. -- Stanley Krippner, PhD, Alan Watts Professor of Psychology at Saybrook University, coauthor of Personal Mythology, and coeditor of Varieties of Anomalous Experience Rachel Harris has produced a uniquely brave study of ayahuasca use and users, through the experiences of others and, most significantly, her own explorations. She never dodges the big questions (Who or what is the guiding intelligence experienced?) or comes up with static answers. Instead, she moves through the mysterious process of self-encounter, sharing a string of hard-won insights into how ayahuasca can work its magic to relieve human suffering. -- Diana Slattery, PhD, founding board member of Women's Visionary Congress and author of Xenolinguistics: Psychedelics, Language, and the Evolution of Consciousness In Harris we have a guide we can trust: someone who for years has actively immersed herself in a wide variety of ritual ayahuasca contexts; who has thought long and hard about the shadow side of taking ayahuasca; and who does not let the all-too-human aspects of the ayahuasca experience undermine her willingness to underscore the potentially life-changing therapeutic potential of this powerful substance. With humor, care, and (it must be said) wisdom, Harris invites us to join her as she walks, eyes wide open, into the enchanted and wondrously thought-provoking world of Grandmother Ayahuasca. -- G. William Barnard, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University and author of Exploring Unseen Worlds: William James and the Philosophy of Mysticism If you are interested in any aspect of psychedelics, I emphatically recommend Listening to Ayahuasca. Writing with a long history both as a participant in healing ceremonies and as a very skilled therapist, Harris shows a deep awareness of this long-revered plant medicine 's potential in helping patients not only heal difficult psychological problems but also, with proper guidance, integrate the experience into fuller emotional and spiritual dimensions. -- George Douvris, author of Crossing Karma Zones Rachel Harris delivers a refreshingly honest, balanced account of the complex literature concerning ayahuasca, discussing potential risks alongside purported benefits and allowing room for the sometimes extraordinary and mysterious experiences reported by initiates. At once accessible and well informed, this work represents a much-needed guidepost for health professionals who may encounter ayahuasca users in their practice, as well as for spiritual seekers with an interest in entheogens. -- Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Rachel Harris brings . . . the perspective of an astute observer, the rigor of a scientist, the compassion of a therapist, and the insight that only a participant can offer. Anyone contemplating an ayahuasca experience, or who counsels such a person, would be well advised to first consult this profound and important book. -- Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation -- How Indian Spirituality Changed the West. . . in Listening to Ayahuasca I felt that we have at last a publication that reveals the essence of the plant. We also have a publication that carries the core spirit of Grandmother Ayahuasca in a wonderfully warm and uplifting way. -- Spirituality Today Impressively informative, exceptionally well organized and presented, Listening to Ayahuasca is very highly recommended . . . -- Midwest Book Review An excellent book on the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca; clearly written and well researched, it is an important addition to the literature on the subject. -- Jeremy Narby, PhD, author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Finally, finally, finally -- an ayahuasca book I can recommend without reservation. Rachel Harris focuses not on the journey (giant snakes, dismemberment, insights, purging, etc.) but on what eventually matters far more: the ongoing and robust aftereffects in people 's lives. Harris is a skilled psychotherapist and a serious ayahuasca user, and her credibility in both worlds makes her own story, interwoven with those of the many people she interviewed, informative and discerning. -- James Fadiman, PhD, microdose researcher and author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys A fascinating and provocative compilation of riveting testimonies of individuals who experienced miraculous healing by drinking the psychedelic medicine ayahuasca. Inspired by her own amazing transformation, Harris was driven to research ayahuasca and document her findings. Readers will be inspired by the numerous accounts of how ayahuasca succeeded where Western medicine has failed many of the ailing people described here. . . . Though research on ayahuasca is still slim, the numerous life-changing revelations that Harris's contributors describe will be illuminating for those curious about this mystical medicine. -- Publishers Weekly Anyone considering visiting Grandmother Ayahuasca for the first time needs to read this book before making a decision. Harris is not an advocate, and her book is not a polemic; however, it seems clear that this plant medicine has the power to transform some people's lives in ways that seem to be filled with the magic and mystery so sadly missing from our overly civilized world. -- Stanley Krippner, PhD, Alan Watts Professor of Psychology at Saybrook University, coauthor of Personal Mythology, and coeditor of Varieties of Anomalous Experience Rachel Harris has produced a uniquely brave study of ayahuasca use and users, through the experiences of others and, most significantly, her own explorations. She never dodges the big questions (Who or what is the guiding intelligence experienced?) or comes up with static answers. Instead, she moves through the mysterious process of self-encounter, sharing a string of hard-won insights into how ayahuasca can work its magic to relieve human suffering. -- Diana Slattery, PhD, founding board member of Women's Visionary Congress and author of Xenolinguistics: Psychedelics, Language, and the Evolution of Consciousness In Harris we have a guide we can trust: someone who for years has actively immersed herself in a wide variety of ritual ayahuasca contexts; who has thought long and hard about the shadow side of taking ayahuasca; and who does not let the all-too-human aspects of the ayahuasca experience undermine her willingness to underscore the potentially life-changing therapeutic potential of this powerful substance. With humor, care, and (it must be said) wisdom, Harris invites us to join her as she walks, eyes wide open, into the enchanted and wondrously thought-provoking world of Grandmother Ayahuasca. -- G. William Barnard, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University and author of Exploring Unseen Worlds: William James and the Philosophy of Mysticism If you are interested in any aspect of psychedelics, I emphatically recommend Listening to Ayahuasca. Writing with a long history both as a participant in healing ceremonies and as a very skilled therapist, Harris shows a deep awareness of this long-revered plant medicine 's potential in helping patients not only heal difficult psychological problems but also, with proper guidance, integrate the experience into fuller emotional and spiritual dimensions. -- George Douvris, author of Crossing Karma Zones Rachel Harris delivers a refreshingly honest, balanced account of the complex literature concerning ayahuasca, discussing potential risks alongside purported benefits and allowing room for the sometimes extraordinary and mysterious experiences reported by initiates. At once accessible and well informed, this work represents a much-needed guidepost for health professionals who may encounter ayahuasca users in their practice, as well as for spiritual seekers with an interest in entheogens. -- Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Rachel Harris brings . . . the perspective of an astute observer, the rigor of a scientist, the compassion of a therapist, and the insight that only a participant can offer. Anyone contemplating an ayahuasca experience, or who counsels such a person, would be well advised to first consult this profound and important book. -- Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation -- How Indian Spirituality Changed the West Finally, finally, finally -- an ayahuasca book I can recommend without reservation. -- James Fadiman, PhD, author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide An excellent book on the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca; clearly written and well researched, it is an important addition to the literature on the subject. -- Jeremy Narby, PhD, author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge Rachel Harris brings...the perspective of an astute observer, the rigor of a scientist, the compassion of a therapist, and the insight that only a participant can offer. Anyone contemplating an ayahuasca experience, or who counsels such a person, would be well advised to first consult this profound and important book. -- Philip Goldberg, author of American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation -- How Indian Spirituality Changed the West Rachel Harris has produced a uniquely brave study of ayahuasca use and users, through the experiences of others and, most significantly, her own explorations. -- Diana Slattery, PhD, author of Xenolinguistics: Psychedelics, Language, and the Evolution of Consciousness At once accessible and well informed, this work represents a much-needed guidepost for health professionals who may encounter ayahuasca users in their practice, as well as for spiritual seekers with an interest in entheogens. -- Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Finally, finally, finally -- an ayahuasca book I can recommend without reservation. <b>-- James Fadiman, PhD, author of <i>The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide</i> </b> </p> An excellent book on the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca; clearly written and well researched, it is an important addition to the literature on the subject. <b>-- Jeremy Narby, PhD, author of <i>The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge</i> </b> </p> Rachel Harris brings...the perspective of an astute observer, the rigor of a scientist, the compassion of a therapist, and the insight that only a participant can offer. Anyone contemplating an ayahuasca experience, or who counsels such a person, would be well advised to first consult this profound and important book. <b>-- Philip Goldberg, author of <i>American Veda: From Emerson and the Beatles to Yoga and Meditation -- How Indian Spirituality Changed the West</i> </b> </p> Rachel Harris has produced a uniquely brave study of ayahuasca use and users, through the experiences of others and, most significantly, her own explorations. <b>-- Diana Slattery, PhD, author of <i>Xenolinguistics: Psychedelics, Language, and the Evolution of Consciousness</i> </b> </p> At once accessible and well informed, this work represents a much-needed guidepost for health professionals who may encounter ayahuasca users in their practice, as well as for spiritual seekers with an interest in entheogens. <b>-- Albert Garcia-Romeu, PhD, Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine</b> </p>

Author Information

Psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD, has been in private practice for thirty-five years. She has received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator's Award, published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals, and worked as a psychological consultant to Fortune 500 companies. She lives on an island off the coast of Maine and in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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