Page 12 - Issue 2

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Ayahuasca for Conflict Resolution
ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS CONFRONT THEIR TRAUMA TOGETHER IN CEREMONY
Madison Margolin
A Palestinian man with Israeli citizenship sat in
in
in
in
an an an ayahuasca ceremony where songs were sung in
in
in
Hebrew He He had grown up in
in
in
Israel disconnected from his Arab background But in
in
in
ceremony he he he had a a a a a a a a a vision of the the house they were in
in
in
in
in
in
located on on on on what was once Palestinian land now inhabited by Israeli residents singing Jewish songs In the the the vision he he he he interviewed the the the original Arab owners of the the the house who had been expelled The vision angered him as he he he he returned back to to the the ceremony space and began to to to sing off-key in
in
in
in
in
Arabic rather than in
in
in
in
in
Hebrew Without erupting into tension the the group welcomed his offering and and everyone began singing and and dancing in
in
in
in
in
Arabic During another ceremony a a a a a a a a a a Jewish Israeli woman who had had been been harassed by an an an an Arab man man when she was younger had had been been holding onto trauma vis-à-vis “the other” even the the the Arab language could upset her her her And yet here she was was in
in
in
in
ceremony sitting next to an an an an Arab woman who was was having a a a a a a a a a a a a a a challenging experience and praying aloud in
in
in
in
in
Arabic “Alamin Allah ” This triggered the the Jewish woman’s trauma but rather than sink into fear or hate she she sent love and light to to to the the the the Arab woman knowing that she she too was struggling And since then the the the Jewish woman reports feeling much more connected to her Arab neighbors These are just a a a a a a a a a a few out of of dozens of of anecdotes from a a a a a a a a a a a a a study looking at at whether ayahuasca can promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians While the the study is ongoing researchers Dr Leor Roseman a a a a a a a postdoc at at the the Centre for Psychedelic Research at at at Imperial College London Natalie Ginsberg policy and and advocacy director for MAPS and and Palestinian peace
activist Antwan Saca have so far conducted more than 30 interviews with both Jewish and Arab participants who have sat in
in
ceremony between 10 10 and more than 100 times Themes of oneness peace
from within connection to “the other” based on on on on shared humanity and and healing the the the the the blood-stained Holy Land weave together the the the the participants’ stories But the the the question remains: can ayahuasca promote peace
or or simply individual healing in
in
in
in
a a a war-torn region?
We have yet to come upon an an official answer but one thing is is certain: Addressing trauma is is part-and-parcel to the peace
process When you’re voting rebelling or or making political decisions out of existential fear or or or alienation from your neighbors doing so so is is is less likely to to bring peace—but some hypothesize if individuals begin to to to heal heal the the region might have a a a a a a a a a a chance at healing too These ceremonies are just one small but promising step towards testing that hypothesis