Imagine: You are now in your Ayahuasca ceremony. And it is incredibly difficult, you feel overwhelmed… What do you do now? How do you handle the situation?
Understanding how to navigate these difficult experiences is important, for your safety and wellbeing first and foremost, but also for realizing the growth that it can lead to. This article outlines 13 practical tips to help you navigate through challenging Ayahuasca ceremonies with confidence.
Key takeaways
- Trust the facilitators and medicine. Knowing that you are in safe, experienced hands can allow you to surrender more fully to the experience.
- Remember: the experience is temporary. This can help you stay grounded and reduce anxiety during the ceremony.
- Be open to whatever insights or messages Ayahuasca may bring, even if they are hard. This can turn difficult experiences into opportunities for growth and understanding.
Table of Contents
Tip #1: This difficult Ayahuasca experience won’t last forever
During a powerful Ayahuasca experience, it can feel like this intense state will never end, which can make one anxious about their mental state and sanity. But, remember that Ayahuasca experiences don’t last forever. Knowing that you will return to your normal state the next day can anchor you during the ceremony.
It’s also helpful to know that often with Ayahuasca it reaches a peak and then starts to go down. What may feel overwhelming at one moment is going to ease within the next 30 minutes.
Remind yourself that each moment of discomfort is temporary and that the journey is cyclical… what goes up must come down.
Must read blog – Ayahuasca what to expect
Tip #2: You are not going to die
In an Ayahuasca ceremony you can even be confronted with death itself. And it can feel very real, not just like a simulation that I am going through in a ceremony.
Know that if you’ve been medically cleared to participate – meaning no existing conditions like epilepsy, heart issues, recent surgeries, or psychiatric conditions, and are not on medications that alter brain chemistry – that you will be fine.
In a way death is a great liberation. And in some ways we need to spiritually die to create a new life.
This ‘death’ isn’t literal but represents the letting go of past traumas, outdated self-concepts, and destructive patterns. The idea is that the foundation is so rotten, that you cannot build the life you wish for on that foundation. And the foundation needs to be wiped clean – to make way for new growth.
This process is challenging and demands a high level of trust in the experience and in yourself, but it can lead to incredible feelings of liberation and renewal.
For example, after experiencing a symbolic death in a ceremony, many report feeling freed from burdens they’ve carried for years, ready to start anew with a clearer vision for their lives. This idea is similar to the Buddhist practice of maranasati, a meditation focused on contemplating one’s own death to achieve peace and clarity about life’s unresolved issues and to know what path to go on instead of mindessly living from one day to the next without a purpose.
Similarly, Ayahuasca can facilitate a deep confrontation with death and the unresolved issues we carry, offering us a chance to resolve these and choose a more meaningful path forward.
As we will look into further in this article, keeping an open mind to what Ayahuasca wants to show you and being thankful for the experience are important to navigating difficult experiences like spiritual death.
Must read article: Ayahuasca Preparation – how to prepare for your Ayahuasca experience
Tip #3: Focus on your breath during an intense Ayahuasca experience
When facing an intense Ayahuasca experience, it’s common to feel the urge to react physically – move around a lot and abruptly, to fidget, make sudden movements, start saying random sentences. This physical restlessness can exacerbate the hectic energy, adding more fuel to it. In a way we can put ourselves in that energy. And the more we “feed” it with our movement, the more it amplifies.
Instead, you can practice grounding yourself by sitting still and focusing solely on breathing.
When we actually sit down, and focus on our breath, just taking one breath after the other, we still notice that the Ayahuasca is strong, but we also notice that it starts to be more manageable.
Tip #4: Trust the Facilitators
Trusting the facilitators you choose for your Ayahuasca ceremony is so important. If there’s a lack of trust, it’s advisable not to participate in a ceremony with those facilitators. Suspicion or fear, such as concerns about being harmed or exploited, can seep into your experience, potentially amplifying any underlying paranoia. This may seem like straightforward advice, but it’s so important to highlight to lead a safe and positive experience.
The dynamics of trust in an Ayahuasca setting are complex. Sometimes, our own fears and apprehensions can project onto the facilitators. For instance, I’ve had participants tell me that they saw me as an angel, I have had participants tell me I looked like the devil. This had less to do with my own energy but more with what the participant was going through themselves. Obviously trying to calm down a participant while he thinks that you are the devil is not that easy.
Trust your intuition and also know that sometimes you might be projecting your fears onto the situation. So again, really make sure you trust the place that you choose to do your ayahuasca ceremony at… Before committing, take the time to research, visit/interact with the retreat and its facilitators to confirm that it’s a place where you can be vulnerable and open to the journey.
Find out if Ayahuasca is right for you
- Will you be safe physically and emotionally?
- How will you be supported in the ceremony?
- How do the facilitators handle difficult situations?
- How will you be able to process the experience?
- You want change, but will your life be unrecognizable after Ayahuasca?
+ 13 things to consider before drinking Ayahuasca?
Tip #5: Ask for help during a difficult Ayahuasca experience
When the Ayahuasca experience becomes overwhelming, remember that it is totally ok to ask for help. Many people might struggle with asking for help, maybe feeling shy or perceiving it as a sign of weakness. But in the context of the ceremony, speaking up for help is an important part of the process if you need it.
The facilitators are there to guide and support every participant through their journey. Each medicine giver has their own techniques and methods to help to harmonize the energy when it feels too intense.
It’s important to understand that while the effects of Ayahuasca cannot be simply turned off, skilled facilitators have the experience to help manage challenging moments. They cannot just make the effects stop but are able to help harmonize the energy.
Asking for help not only eases your journey but also deepens your connection with the session, allowing you to engage with the experience in a safer and more controlled environment.
Must read blog – Fears around drinking Ayahuasca
Tip #6: Don’t Think About Time
During intense Ayahuasca experiences, it’s common for participants to become preoccupied with time, frequently asking how much longer the session will last. This reflects a desire to go back to a familiar reality, to figure out how much longer they must stay in this state.
In those cases I like to say, it is going to be like this until you learn the lesson that ayahuasca wants to teach you. Focusing on the duration can detract from the experience itself. The key is not to resist or rush the process.
Trying to calculate the remaining time or wishing for a quick end only hinders the journey Ayahuasca is guiding you through. Instead, embracing the experience as it unfolds can lead to profound insights and healing. It’s important to let go of concerns about time and be fully in the moment, trusting that the ceremony will proceed at the pace that is meant for you.
Tip #7: Be Open to What Ayahuasca Wants to Show You
I often use a specific example to illustrate this point. Consider a conflict you’ve had with someone. It’s rare that one person is entirely “right” and the other entirely “at fault”; usually, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Ayahuasca might choose to show you the perspective of the other person involved in the conflict. Naturally, your ego may resist this perspective.
It’s challenging to confront and admit one’s own shortcomings and mistakes, to acknowledge that perhaps the other person isn’t as much of a villain as you thought, or that you’re not as blameless.
Learn from a difficult Ayahuasca experience
Accepting this new perspective can be hard because it can shatter long-held illusions and beliefs about ourselves and others.
Sometimes it hurts to see the truth. But this is also what allows us to grow. Because in this case we are no longer building our life based on illusions and wonder why we are not progressing.
If, instead, we remain open and receptive to the insights Ayahuasca provides, even when they challenge us, the ceremony can can start to become harmonious. This is when the acceptance, the compassion, the forgiveness, the comprehensions, the healing is coming to you.
So whenever you are going through a difficult experience, be open to what Ayahuasca wants to show you, instead of trying to avoid and pushing it away.
Tip #8: Know That Ayahuasca Will Not Give You More Than You Can Handle
At times, an Ayahuasca ceremony can push you to what feels like your utmost limit, leading to overwhelming feelings and doubts about your decision to participate. You might find yourself questioning, “Why did I drink this? Is this really necessary? I want this to stop right now…”
It’s important to understand that Ayahuasca only brings to the surface what you are capable of handling, even though it may not seem like it at the moment. This is part of how Ayahuasca teaches us – by showing us that we are much stronger than we often believe ourselves to be.
This process, though intensely challenging, is a form of growth. The Spanish verb “fortalecer,” meaning to fortify or to strengthen, perfectly captures what happens in a night of ceremony. It’s a time when we can substantially strengthen our bodies, our spirits, and the inner resilience we carry.
During the ceremony, you are given the opportunity to explore your deepest fears, worries, and emotions within a safe and supportive environment. You can confront those unwanted aspects of yourself that limit you in various ways, move through them, and gain so much just from one night.
Such an experience allows you to see that things can indeed be different after the ceremony – because you’ve faced and grown through challenges rather than avoiding them. This concept of fortification ties into the importance of gratitude for the experience, a topic I will explore further in the next paragraph.
Tip #9: Be Thankful for the Experience
Being grateful for an Ayahuasca ceremony, especially when it turns intensely overwhelming, might seem counterintuitive. You might wonder why should you feel thankful if it was so hard?
Yet, the desire to connect with Ayahuasca and to truly feel its effects was yours from the beginning. And now when the effects of the medicine is here, welcome it. Be thankful for its teachings.
Think of Ayahuasca as similar to life itself; we ask for certain experiences and opportunities from life, but when they happen, we sometimes reject it, thinking, “Yes, but not this way.” But life doesn’t conform to our exact preferences… it expands, evolves, and contains mysteries that we cannot control.
In the same way, Ayahuasca teaches us to trust and surrender to the journey, much like the journey of life. Resisting or complaining about the experiences only leads to more suffering. Instead, embracing these moments with gratitude allows us to engage with the full spectrum of what Ayahuasca – and life – has to offer.
Must read blog – What is Ayahuasca?
Tip #10: Prayer
The relationship of Ayahuasca with concepts of God, religion, and spirituality is a big topic and there will be a separate blog about this. In the context of an Ayahuasca ceremony, the act of prayer is not about adhering to specific religious dogmas or dictating how one should connect with the spiritual or divine. Instead, it’s about tapping into a personal belief system that provides comfort and grounding during challenging times.
If you find yourself struggling during a ceremony and you hold a belief in God, it is perfectly natural to turn to prayer. You might seek light or guidance, appealing to the divine according to your own religious or spiritual inclinations. Similarly, if your beliefs are more aligned with the concepts of energy, spirit, or the universe, directing your prayers to these forces can be equally powerful. The essence of prayer in this setting is to find and use whatever spiritual connection resonates with you, helping to anchor and reassure you that there is a positive purpose behind the experience. Praying as a tool can help you navigate through the ceremony with a more centered and hopeful perspective.
Tip #11: Ask Ayahuasca to Be Gentle
When you drink Ayahuasca, you’re not just ingesting a substance; you’re engaging with the spirit of the plant. This concept may seem strange to those who have never participated in a ceremony, but for those who have, it becomes a recognizable truth. The experience is more than a physical interaction; it’s about nurturing a relationship with the spirit of the plant.
In this context, it’s entirely appropriate to ask Ayahuasca for gentleness during your journey. While this request doesn’t guarantee an immediate change in the nature of your experience—Ayahuasca will do what it’s meant to do—it does open a line of communication. Expressing your needs can influence the experience, as Ayahuasca often responds to genuine requests. For instance, early in my own journey, a challenging issue surfaced during a ceremony. I wasn’t ready to confront this issue, so I asked Ayahuasca, “Please, not right now. I can’t handle this.” To my relief, the topic receded and only reappeared in a subsequent ceremony when I was more prepared to face it. This experience was a testament to the responsiveness of Ayahuasca and the potential for a more manageable journey when we openly communicate our needs.
Tip #12: Be Okay with the Worst-Case Scenario
This might sound like unusual advice, but consider this commonly cited example: when you’re told not to think about a pink elephant, invariably, a pink elephant pops into your mind. This same psychological principle applies when you enter an Ayahuasca ceremony hoping that a specific topic doesn’t come up. By hoping to avoid a particular issue, you inadvertently focus on it, which might actually increase the likelihood of it surfacing during the ceremony.
Being open to whatever experience Ayahuasca brings allows you to be truly receptive to the direction the ceremony might take, including potentially confronting topics you’d rather avoid. By accepting that any aspect of your life could come into focus, you liberate yourself from the tension of resistance and are more likely to engage with the experience constructively, regardless of its nature. To dive deeper into setting intentions for an Ayahuasca ceremony, which is crucial for navigating your experience, check out the detailed discussion in a separate blog post: Setting Ayahuasca Intentions.
Tip #13: Don’t Have Your Phone With You
Having your phone during an Ayahuasca ceremony can lead to unintended consequences. The potent effects of Ayahuasca might prompt actions that seem rational in the moment but are regrettable later. For instance, impulsively calling your mother at 2 AM to express love might cause unnecessary worry, and more so if you alarm her with distressing messages about your state during the ceremony in a foreign country like Colombia. Similarly, deciding to quit your job or reaching out to an ex-partner in the midst of profound introspection could lead to decisions you might later question.
It is crucial to be fully present with Ayahuasca and yourself during the ceremony, free from external distractions. Engaging with your phone can not only disrupt your journey but also skew the experience based on an unexpected message or call. The ceremony is a sacred time for internal exploration and connecting deeply with your own spiritual and emotional landscapes. Ensuring that you are free from outside communication helps maintain the integrity of your experience and protects you from making spur-of-the-moment decisions influenced by the intense and often unpredictable revelations that Ayahuasca can bring.
