Spirit Tech by Wesley J. Wildman Ph.D

Author:Wesley J. Wildman, Ph.D
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

SPIRIT PLANTS AS SPIRIT TECH

From the highly ritualized and disciplined Santo Daime and UDV sessions to the relatively unregulated and often unpredictable shamanic tourism ceremonies—and even psychonautic pharmahuasca experimentation—the spirit plant market appeals to a wide variety of people for a wide variety of reasons. While we understand much of the neuropharmacology behind how spirit plants affect the brain, there is not as much laboratory research done with spirit plants as with the classical entheogens discussed in the previous chapter, and even less research on an entheogen’s effects when combined with varied ritual settings. There are, of course, real limits to scientists’ ability to travel, carrying their equipment, into the Peruvian forest to interrupt an ayahuasca ceremony and take brain scans. However, as interest (and funding) increases, researchers are motivated to find creative ways to capture and understand the factors at play with spirit plants and their high-tech derivatives.

Currently, in order to partake in spirit plant technology legally, Americans must be a member of the Native American Church, become a member of Santo Daime or UDV, or travel to a South American shamanic center. However, it is not at all hard to imagine the potential popularity of legalized ayahuasca, peyote, or San Pedro centers throughout the United States that might offer daylong or weeklong retreats. Some centers may choose to brand themselves as more therapeutic, with ample psychiatric and psychologically trained staff; while others may brand themselves as places for people to explore reality and themselves in a safe, creative, and expressive setting. In addition, according to Dr. Labate, Western nations are already seeing a rise in the prevalence of Santo Daime and UDV communities. As the cultural milieu and perception of entheogens continue to shift, we expect this trend to continue.

As it is now, people interested in spirit plant technology should keep their wits about them, especially if their journey includes traveling to another country. There are many diligent, wisely managed, and beautifully run centers that offer spirit plant retreats. These retreats seem to facilitate healing, transformation, and personal exploration (whether or not the actual experience with the substance is a pleasant one). As we’ve seen, however, there is also the potential for dangerous or disappointing experiences if spirit plants are deployed by cynically exploitative or abusive people. Much is left to be learned about spirit plants, but one thing is certain: ayahuasca, peyote, San Pedro, and the ritual structures built around them are powerful and potentially transformative spiritual technologies.

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