The first time I took Ayahuasca....
The first time I took Ayahuasca was in France, with members of the Church of Santo Daime. (At that time, there was no legislation on this plant). The Church of Santo Daime originated in the Amazon in the 19th century, when Portuguese missionaries were converted to the shamanic practice of drinking Ayuhuasca (the vine of the dead) They made up their own ritual. I met people belonging to this "church" and decided to experiment. I didn't really know what to expect. Ayahuasca is a very, very, very bitter beverage. I found myself dancing - two steps to the right, two steps to the left over and over again and again - among a group of French and Italian people. Imagine the sound of maracas, guitars, lyrics in Portuguese... I felt very ridiculous and then I started to feel sick. It was the feeling you get after overindulging in food and drink, then your liver isn't happy at all, but you still hope you won't have to throw up. The room was a merry- go -round, the walls w...