Did Ayahuasca Tell You to Become a Shaman?
Hi, I'm Adrian Baker, the creator of Sahaja Soma, and a meditation teacher and psychedelic preparation & integration coach.
In this blog post, I want to talk about something common in the Ayahuasca community. Some people drink Ayahuasca a few times and think they are meant to be a shaman.
If this has happened to you, someone you know, or if you're thinking about trying Ayahuasca, this is for you.
Prefer watching and listening? Here is the Youtube version of this article. More at youtube.com/@sahajasoma.
What is the “The Shaman Calling”?
It's not uncommon for people to try Ayahuasca once, a few times, or even ten times and feel like they've received a message from the medicine to be a shaman in their altered state of consciousness. The important thing is to approach this experience not with judgment, but with curiosity. Quite a few people seem to act on this feeling and become shamans right away.
I’ve heard stories from friends of friends who have done this. Imagine if you did meditation, yoga, or played a musical instrument just a handful of times and then decided you were going to teach others.
Most people would find that rather bizarre. They would question your level of competency, wondering how you're able to guide others when you're so new to it. However, something about Ayahuasca seems to make people feel incredibly convinced that they’re called to become shamans after only a few experiences.
For greater insight into why this calling seems to be particularly pronounced with Ayahuasca & Ayahuasca analogues like Soma, you can find more detail in my video on karmic visions.
Exploring the Positive Intention
If you or someone you know has felt this calling, recognize that the intention behind it has a positive quality.It shows that you want to help others. It also shows that the medicine has had a significant impact on you.
This has made you more curious to learn more about it. It might point towards a desire to work in healing or to live a more meaningful life in the long term.
Recognizing the Shadow Side
While there may well be a good quality to this intention, it’s important to notice the potential shadow side as well. Many people wouldn't think about teaching others after just a few tries at something, but psychedelics can lead to ego inflation.
I've noticed this tendency more with people from the U.S. and Western countries, where people are often conditioned to project confidence and authority. We are often encouraged to pursue higher levels of responsibility, authority and status—sometimes too quickly. In retrospect, I can see how I have had this tendency myself at times.
Reaching a level of competency before sharing your knowledge is a general principle that holds true in most areas. The bar is even higher when it comes to working with psychoactive compounds, which have incredibly powerful effects and can draw out shadow elements of people’s psyche.
This is an inherent power dynamic and associated level of great responsibility when one assumes the position of a shaman or a psychedelic facilitator. Any individual interested in pursuing such a position should have a proper respect for the personal development work and emotional maturity that necessarily accompanies such a position of authority.
Cultural and Ethical Shadows
Calling yourself a shaman can also be culturally inappropriate if you're not from the cultural background that originated this practice, or if you haven’t trained in an authentic lineage and weren’t authorized by someone from such a lineage and culture. It could have a negative impact.
Recognize the healthy aspects of wanting to help others but also be wary of the shadow that can come with wanting to be a shaman, a facilitator or a healer. Often, people use healing others as a way to heal themselves.
While this can be healthy if one is actively working with the unconscious and open to feedback and accountability from peers and mentors, there is potential danger if such a motivation drives someone without actively cultivating self awareness and building proper guardrails in place.
The Importance of Competency and Depth
I believe in incorporating multiple modalities while working on spiritual paths, personal growth, healing, and transformation.
In my teachings, I emphasize meditation, integrating a secular Buddhist approach into my coaching. Working with therapists has also been immensely important.
Buddhism or any spiritual path is not a substitute for psychotherapy. If you feel you’ve received a message from Ayahuasca to become a shaman or to serve the medicine in any capacity, use it as an opportunity to explore both the positive intention and the possible shadow side of such a calling.
Ayahuasca and similar analogs like Soma have a unique capability to bring aspects of our unconscious into the light, allowing us to work on and integrate our shadows.
To truly benefit from the medicine, I suggest finding a spiritual practice, considering psychotherapy, and building healthy habits and conscious community. Western medicine and science also play critical roles.
Use this opportunity to pause and choose to apprentice with the medicine.
Seek out a qualified teacher to deepen your knowledge and experience, not just to train you to be a facilitator or a shaman, but to first become an experienced practitioner. This depth of experience as a practitioner may lead you to serve these medicines one day, or you might realize it’s not your path after all.
Final Thoughts and Encouragement
Hopefully, this post sparked some curiosity about Ayahuasca and its unique ability to amplify and bring out the shadow element of our psyche.
If this has happened to you or someone you know, please feel free to leave a comment or share your perspective and questions on the Youtube video.
Thank you for being here.
Sahaja Soma creates free resources for meditation coaching and psychedelic integration.
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