Out Out Damb Pathogen!

So I’ve had a pathogen living in my body for the past four years! It has been called “an amoebic infection” by my acupuncturist and a “parasite” by shaman Don Javier but I like the word “pathogen” because it sounds so “X-Files”.
It has been like an x-file too because for so long I have had these terrible colon issues: from constipation to diarrhea and flatulence to belly aches, with no idea why. I even had an impacted colon about two years ago, that almost killed me!
By July of this year I had been having diarrhea for weeks on end and just could not take it anymore, so I finally went to an acupuncturist to help cure me. I answered a simple questionaire and then he diagnosed me with “amoebas”, mostly by using his intuition. He gave me some Chinese medicine and said I’d feel a big difference in a few weeks.
He told me that you get it from bad food or water and I knew right away when I had gotten it. I was in Brazil for a month, very careful not to eat any salads when on my last week I went to a fancy restaurant and decided to take the risk. I was sick for two days and when I came home the colon problems began.
Soon after visiting the accupuncturist I went to Peru, still with belly aches and beginning to notice headaches as well. Then on my first visit to Javiers for ceremony, he too diagnosed me with a “parasite”. He said that it was filling up my entire belly, robbing me of all my nutrients, keeping me from gaining any weight and generally trying to kill me. Almost precisely what the acupuncturist had already said. He said that if I did not have such a strong spirit I would already be dead. I went to him for two private healings hoping to finally be rid of the nasty varmit.
By the time I came home I thought it was about gone but low and behold the belly aches came back and refusing to wait any longer I went to a western medicine doctor for testing. Then the county health department called, having received the results even before my doctor. They said that the lab let them know because legally the health department has to be informed of these cases. Although two healers had already diagnosed what it was, the tests were more proof of a pathogen with the medical name of “campylovacter”. They said that in most people it goes away in a week or two but in 20% it relapses. I decided to just take the damb antibiotics and be done with it. They ripped up my stomache but within a week I knew it was finally out of me. I can not stand to take western medicine but I am grateful to have the option when it is absolutely necessary.
I feel better than I have in a really long time now and energy is returning that I have not felt in years.
Although I believe it was a combination of all of the medicines that helped to make me well, it was not until I began to fully focus on healing myself that the healing truly began. I also believe that it is due to my neglect of the issue from the start that it lived inside of me for so long.
The lesson? To pay close attention to any health issues as they arise and do not expect the healing to come completely from an outside source when you yourself have the willpower to manifest healing.
(Here are some pictures of the acupuncture at work, helping to heal my digestive system after the damage the pathogen and antibiotics did to it.)

A Gifted Shamanic Healer

On going to Peru, I wanted to find a shaman with the ability to heal and a true desire to help people. I had already done ceremony with several shamans and although I’ve had lots of good experiences, I also found that many shamans are just as lost as the rest of us, with alcohol addictions, adultery issues and a craving to make money more than to heal.
The first day I got there I heard about a ceremony to be held at the house of a talented Banco Espiritual in Iquitos, Don Javier Dasilva Oliveira. Bancos are rare because they work on each of the three planes (here, above and below) while many shamans work on only one plane.
Don Javier was originally from Brazil and had been practicing shamanism since his early teens, trained by his father, who in turn was trained by his father. He was said to be an amazing healer. He held ceremonies in his home, a small house with many chairs and a alter to the Baby Jesus. The dining room and kitchen was where those of us who would drink the ayahuasca (around 15 people) would sit for the night, while the front room would hold all of his other “patients”, locals mostly (about 50 or so people).
Throughout the night Javier would perform limpias (cleansings) on each person there, giving valuable information about health and things to watch out for in the future.
Javier said that he worked through the Baby Jesus, his main spirit guide, and that it was only through him and the “doctors” that he was able to perform this magic. He called these spirits the “doctors” because when they were alive, about 250 years ago, they were powerful healers. Now they performed healings and psychic surgeries through Javier. He would embody these spirits, speaking in their ancient languages and singing icaros throughout the night. It was amazing how his personality would change with each spirit that spoke through him. By the end of the night he would become even more vibrant and would have performed limpias on 50 to 80 people.
The man was clearly a powerful shaman. This was evidenced by the fact that each person I talked to found his assessment of them to be right on, including myself.
I had never seen a shaman with such focus and devotion to his “patients”. His icaros were powerfully beautiful and I felt I could sit and listen to him sing for days. His medicine was very pure too. He used only ayahuasca and chacruna in his brew.
I wish I could better express what an incredible impact he had on us all. The best I can say is that being in his ceremony was one of the most amazing experiences ever. I truly believe that not many as powerful as him exist, and that I was blessed and guided to find him.
Here are a few pictures of him next to his alter. In one he is blowing tobacco smoke into the jar of ayahuasca, cleansing it to prepare for the ceremony and there's another of him and me. I am also posting a video is of one of the private healings that he performed on me, during a regular business day.

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.