Page 44 - Demo

44Two days before Kan%u00e1%u2019s Rite of Passage begins, he travels out into the forest to the Scared Cedar Grove. Here he finds and eats the revered chacruna leaf, known as N%u00f3ru, a verdant talisman of the spirit world. This is an emetic, which Kan%u00e1 has learnt, will help to balance his body up to a few days before he will consume the sacred brew. The plant also provides the chemicals needed to activate the power of the concentrated tea that he will make in order to enable him to consult with the Spirit of the Jaguar.The day before his initiation, Kan%u00e1 heads into the forest to locate and harvest a portion of Yag%u00e9 vine. With its twisted, serpentine form, the Yag%u00e9 is more than a plant; it is a bridge between the earthly and celestial realms.Then it%u2019s time to begin processing the secret mixture of ingredients required for Kan%u00e1 journey. The Yag%u00e9 in particular, takes many hours to correctly prepare. Incorrect doses or flawed preparation results in anything from no effects, to overdose. THE CHRYSALISThe blue morpho pupae then develops inside chrysalis until the butterfly is ready to emerge...which is timed to coincide (sometimes for months)with the arrival of seasonal rains.Getting the brew just right is a potentially fatal test in it%u2019s own right. But Kan%u00e1 has been a good student and is confident in his abilities. It is with practised diligence that he begins to pound, strip, grind and boil.Ayahuasca is made from a secret blend of plants and ingredients which are unique to each community, sometimes even to each shaman. The vine must be %u201ccleaned meticulously with wooden spoons%u201dand pounded %u201cwith wooden mallets until it%u2019s fibre.%u201d The macerated vine is then boiled, either alone or with other plants depending on the ritual purpose and the tendencies of the shaman.The actual preparation of the brew takes several hours, often taking place over the course of more than one day. After adding the plant material, each separately at this stage, to a large pot of water, it is boiled until the water is reduced by half in volume. The individual brews are then added together and brewed until reduced significantly. Yag%u00e9 contains several alkaloids which allow the primary psychoactive compound, known as DMT for short, to become activated when ingested orally.Scientific research has revealed that DMT significantly alters electrical activity in the brain. The plant%u2019s compounds increase brainwaves typically associated with dreaming. Brain activity becomes more chaotic and less predictable as the drinker becomes completely immersed in their experience.DMT in known to produce vivid %u201cprojections%u201d of mystical experiences, inducing a state where the person feels able to communicate with other intelligent lifeforms.THE SACRED CEDAR GROVE