Page 160 - ce_cusco_2019

The ways that the western world has experimented

with this has been very touchy subject for many and

because of this has limited extensive use and

experimentation among psychology professionals.

Metzner summarizes the similarities between these

two sides by stating that, “it is recognized that

psychotherapy with hallucinogens invariably

involves an experience of a profoundly expanded state of consciousness, in which the individual can not only

gain therapeutic insight into neurotic or addictive emotional dynamics and behavior patterns, but may come to

question and transcend fundamental self-concepts and views of the nature of reality”, that “it is widely

accepted in the field that set and setting are the most important determinant of experiences with psychedelics,

while the drug plays the role of a catalyst or trigger”, that both sides agree that psychedelics allow for an

“opening up to direct, repeatable, verifiable observation realms and processes of the human mind that have

hitherto been largely hidden or inaccessible”, that “personal experience of the therapist or guide is an essential

prerequisite of effective psychedelic psychotherapy”, and finally that “access to transcendent, religious or

transpersonal dimensions of consciousness can be attained” (4). These are beliefs that are held by all shamans

but also by many psychologists. Although not a unanimous belief among all psychologists and clearly not

ideas practiced by all psychotherapists, the majority of psychological research confirms these beliefs.

Carl Jung was the founding scientist of analytical psychology and had a lot of shamanistic characteristics

throughout his studies. In Linking Shamanism and Psychotherapy, Abby Wynne states that, “he may not have

known at the time that that was what he was experiencing, but he become known as the ‘Shaman of

Psychotherapy’, and his students called him such, even to his face. In his later years, Jung travelled widely

around the world to study indigenous shamanism. Jung realised that in spite of their apparent differences, both

shamanism and analytical psychology focused on the healing and growth of the psyche.” This idea of growth

is important because it shows more of the similarities between these two paths. Despite the different

160