Interview with Yatra on Ayahuasca Therapy

Interview taken from: http://www.newbrainnewworld.com

Yatra was born in Brazil where she studied the use of psychedelic plants with native Shamans. For many years she was also trained at Osho’s School of Mysticism in Pune, India. She eventually developed her own Ayahuasca Therapy combining the use of Ayahuasca with meditation and feeling release therapy. Yatra lived for some years in Amsterdam Holland where she founded the organisation “Friends of the Forest” (FoF) which had the purpose of preserving the Rainforest and the native tribes who lives there. In addition, FoF supported the scientific study of Ayahusca and organised spiritual ayahuasca rituals, according to old Brazilian traditions, in Amsterdam and in Brazil.


Erik Hoffmann interviews Yatra on Ayahuasca and Kundalini

Q: Kundalini is conceived by the Hindus to be a coiled up energy residing at the base of the spine. In most people this energy is asleep, but it can be aroused through a number of practices involving for exampel yoga, meditation and the consummation of psychedelic drugs such as LSD. Do you think that ayahuasca can arouse the Kundalini energy in man?

A:  - Yes. That is the reason why I suggest that people do not have sexual orgasms at least 3 days before and after the rituals, as well as during the workshop "Quest for inner truth".

Q:  It is said that this slumbering energy resides in the root chakra, Muladhara, and when aroused it ascends through the spinal column passing through each of the chakras which are interconnected with different silent areas of the brain. Do you think it's possible that ayahuasca affects the chakras facilitating the flow of energy and the awakening of Kundalini?

A:  - It certanly does. Ayahuasca is a journey through the chakras upwards, and it consequently opens and clears the path for the Kundalini to rise.

Q:  According to Swami Satyananda the silent areas of the brain are primarily in the frontal lobes and supposedly these areas can be activated by the Kundalini accor ding to both Satyananda and Gopi Krishna. In our EEG study in Brazil we found substantial increases of theta and alpha waves in the frontal lobes after drinking ayahuasca. This might be an indication of an opening up of these dormant areas of the brain. Do you have any comments on that?

A:  - No

Q:  What are the most obvious,  subjective changes of consciousness following the intake of ayahuasca?

A:  - The possibility to contemplate the Self without the interference of the analytical and critical mind, therefore accepting and integrating the Self at a higher level of consciousness.

Q:  How would you describe your state of consciousness following the last dose of ayahuasca? I remember that you once claimed to be in ‘a state of total awareness'. What did you mean by that?

A:  - I meant: Not thinking, not judging, nothingness, witnessing and being. Of course that is my own experience. I can not say that it will be like this for everybody. It depends on the level of consciousness you are at, so it will be your experience.

Q:  Is this state of 'total awareness' a high energy, lucid state of consciousness? And how would you compare it to the 'twilight' or hypnagogic state between awake and asleep?

A: - It is a higher octave of energy since you are totally awake in a lucid state of con scious ness. There is no comparison with the "twilight state" when you are awa kened. Here again, I can only speak for myself, and about my own state of aware ness. I cannot say it is like that for everybody. Each person is at his own specific level of con sciousness and will experience according to that level as I said before.

Q:    Why do you think that ayahuasca tends to induce lucid dreams in your sleep?

A:  - It is because you have awakened the connection to your unconcious. You can even watch your dreams conciously, that happens to me very often. Some times I wake up in the middle of a dream and then go back to sleep to continue the dream in order to see the outcome. Although I can not alter it's course, I can wacth it.

Q:  Gopi Krishna and others say that when the Kundalini awakens it may bestow the individual with unusual abilities such as telepathy, clairvoyance and out-of-body experiences.  Have you ever experienced such phenomena?

A:  - Yes. All the time since I was a child. It is like I become a mirror and reflect other people and situations. It's like I am a radar with an antenna covering 360 degrees, and any movement in terms of energy is available to me from any direction. If some body is thinking about me or direct their energy toward me, many times I feel it. I know who is calling on the phone before I pick it up or feel the arrival of the person before the person is actually there. I also sometimes know the death of a person before it happens.

Q:  According to Gopi Krishna the Kundalini is an evolutionary, biological force channelling transformed sexual energy through a reversal of the reproductive functions. Thus sexual energy should be preserved and utilized for the transfor­mation of consciousness and for spiritual development. Do you agree with that?

A: - I agree with that when it happens spontaneously and  with awareness, otherwise it becomes repression and through repression there is no spiritual growth.

Q:  How does ayahuasca influence sexual functions and sexual energy? Is it pos sible to have an orgasm when you are high on ayahuasca? What would happen if you had one?

A:  -  Everything is possible. But if you had an orgasm in such a situation, you would just drain away all the energy that you need for the transformation and there is nothing left to awaken the Kundalini.

Q:  Is it possible to have a Kundalini awakening and a normal sex life at the same time?

A: -  It depends on what you call "a normal sex life". You can practice Tantra for example and benefit from it to transform the sexual energy.

Q:  In order to awaken the Kundalini, yoga, meditation, pranayama, celibacy, fasting, etc. has been suggested. What method do you suggest?

A: -  The one which is most harmonious to you. Many roads lead to Rome.

Q:  What is in your mind the importance of a proper diet for the Kundalini? And what is the importance of cleansing the body physiologically (through diet) and psychologically (through feeling release and meditation)?

A: - The cleansing is very important physiologically and psychologically, otherwise there is no room for ascendance of the energy since there will be physiological and psychological blocks. For the energy to run freely in the physical and the subtle bodies, the blockages have to be dealt with and dissolved. The chakras will be aligned and the energy able to flow.

Q:  How do you evaluate modern psychotherapy using primarily feeling release and talk therapy leaving out spirituality?

A:  - The talk therapy keeps the person in the mind as it is done through intellectual impressions. Only primary feeling release therapy, with emphasis on spirituality will bring the person in touch with his/her true feelings. This will open his/her heart space to love and open doors to higher levels of consciousness. In the first place, man is a spiritual being, and one way or another, he carries a spiritual search within himself which is the reference point to who he is beyond his physical body.

Q:  What is the importance of LOVE and GOD in your ayahuasca therapy? And what do you mean by breaking through the emotional body to LOVE, SELF and GOD?

A: -  When we break through the emotional body, we poke the veil that is keeping us away from experiencing our true feelings and our true Self. Breaking through this veil, brings us back to our inner Self without separation, to our inner truth, to our being of pure love and joy, to the divine within. That is God within us.

Q:  What are the higher spiritual purposes of ayahuasca rituals?

A:  - To heighten the level of consciousness and to make us aware that we are beings of light.

Q:  What does ayahuasca do in terms of LOVE? Does it affect the heart chakra?

A: -  It affects all of them, dissolving the blockages and creating unity.

Q:  The Kundalini is said to be responsible for genius as well as for certain forms of psychoses such as schizophrenia and manio-depressive disorders. Do you have any comments on that?

A:  - No

Q: Do you have any experience of  adverse psychological effects of drinking ayahuasca? How do you assess the risk of ayahuasca precipitating a premature Kundalini awakening leading to mental disturbances?

A: -  Yes. There are adverse psychological effects with higher doses of Ayahuasca in people presenting certain disorders. For people with severe psychiatric disorders, we refuse to give Ayahuasca as it is a contra indication. Ayahuasca is not for everybody. Sometimes, it can cause a manic state during the session in people with some psychological or mild psychiatric disorders, but they will go back to their normal behaviour by the end of the session.

Q:  Do you think that ayahuasca can heal mental disorders?

A: -  Yes many, but not all.

Q:  Does the regular use of ayahuasca facilitate meditation and creativity?

A: - Without doubt

Q:  I have found in my research that ayahuasca and feeling release therapy create the same kind of EEG changes, namely increased alpha and theta activity. Do you think that ayahuasca could be used as an adjunct to psychotherapy? And how would that work?

A: -  Yes, Ayahusaca is a great help to psychotherapy. They work together and shorten the time for success of the intervention.

Q: Can you explain why ayahuasca therapy would be especially good for treating drug addicts?

A:  - The drug addict is a Shaman using the wrong carburator. He does have a spiritual search for a higher state beyond his emotions. Ayahuasca prepares the drug addict to deal with his issues by bringing him into his heart space, recon-necting him with his true feelings and inner truth. Ayahuasca also fulfills his spiritual search, establishing his connection with his true Self and with God within him.