My Trip To the 4th Annual Amazonian Shamanic Conference

I had been wanting to go to Peru for awhile to work more with Ayahuasca but I wanted to go and meet some true healers and women shamans as well, without having to wander around the country trying to find them. For about three days I could not get Peru out of my mind. I knew I had to go there this summer, somehow, someway. Suddenly, on the third day of this, the opportunity arrived. I saw an ad for the 4th Annual Amazonian Shamanic Conference. Instantly I knew that that was the answer I had been asking for. I paid for the conference that day and got a plane ticket to Peru, leaving in three weeks.
The conference was fascinating. There were speakers on just about anything having to do with Ayahuasca, the paranormal and shamanism. Topics included plant teachers, sorcery, near death experiences, trance, and visionary art, among others.
The first day we were introduced to many of the curanderos (healers/shamans) that would be leading ceremonies throughout the conference. A panel was set up with about 8 at a time and each curandero gave a summary of their work and life. Some gave the short version, “I work with Ayahuasca and use it to help heal people.” while others went on and on about their power and work with the plants since birth. One, the rock star of shamans, wore an elaborate headdress and held a decadent staff, shaking everyones hand beforehand like a politician. Another just simply sang an icaro (ayahuasca ceremonial song). It was a diverse group to say the least.
One of the real treats of the conference was when renouned visionary artist, Pablo Amaringo, spoke about his art and work with the sacred Ayahuasca. Amaringo was once a powerful shaman himself until others became so jealous that they tried to kill him with black magic. From that point on he focused on his art instead, using his paintings to demonstrate the lessons he learned from the sacred plant teacher. His art is a wonderful example of many of the visions produced by Ayahuasca and its sacred teachings.
Also speaking at the conference was Dennis McKenna himself. He came with no formal lecture but discussed how the Ayahuasca teaches us to connect with nature. He expressed his belief that plants want to migrate. They want to teach us and to grow everywhere in everything so that they are integrated into our lives on a deeper level. Ayahuasca is one plant especially that does that through us, spreading itself across the world through our experiences and sharing of them and through the mass conciousness.
Another fascinating part of the conference, maybe a little too new agey for some, was the “Telekenises Party”. We were all given cutlery to practice bending with our minds. Of course that does not happen without lots of practice but we did learn how to bring energy down into our minds and bodies to be able to bend the forks with very little physical pressure. Once one person got it then people all around them began to have the power to bend metal cutlery and watch it melt like butter in our hands. It was an amazing testament to how powerful our minds truly are.
The conference was a very well produced event, held in a beautiful ampitheatre at a nice hotel. There were too many speakers to mention them all here but it was a diversified and educational program. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about learning more on these topics and I will probably go back myself next year.