“As current data from the World Health Organization shows, half of the world’s population will suffer from a mental health disorder in their lifetime. This can include depression, anxiety, eating disorders, addiction or post-traumatic stress disorder, which ultimately affects our physical health, relationships and the world.” Can those suffering from it be cured?
The history of psychedelic science was defined by the discovery of LSD by Albert Hofmann in the 1930s. This influenced changes in society, music, and the arts from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. When the War on Drugs broke out in June 1971, hallucinogens were classified as Class A drugs and became illegal, resulting in the loss of over forty years of research. After years of government bans and scientific boycotts, there has been a renewed interest in the therapeutic potential of these substances. Since the 1990s, there has been a steady resurgence in human psychedelic research, including reports of the first modern brain studies using LSD and several clinical trials of psilocybin. The efficacy and healing properties of psychedelics are currently being studied to understand their therapeutic potential, including the social effects of MDMA, LSD, and psilocybin. The psychedelic hype is now widely accepted as a pharmacological model of what distinguishes humans from other species. It is possible to find explanations for many neurological disorders that affect our behavior, such as altruism, empathy, cooperation and the ability to recognize emotions and intentions. The enthusiasm that these substances inspire in the field of psychiatry is inversely proportional to the sad reality that even the most reactionary associations in psychiatry struggle to accept. A greater understanding of these therapeutic interventions, used by tribal people for thousands of years, casts doubt on standard medical treatments that only perpetuate the problems they seek to solve. Today, the latest research findings are being published in medical journals and the media is increasingly focusing on their ability to induce healing and transformative spiritual experiences. What is now clear is that mind-altering plants used in rituals and ceremonies around the world over 7,000 years ago have had a huge impact on shaping certain beliefs and cultures around the world.
To gain more knowledge and better understand the subject, I traveled to Peru, where sacred plants such as ayahuasca or San Pedro have been used for spiritual purposes for thousands of years. I work with Q’eros and Shipibo shamans who are passionate about psychedelics and the spiritual lifestyle. I attended a two-day ayahuasca ceremony and other ceremonies related to Pachamama. With the help of a translator, I documented the entire trip by taking photos, filming videos, and interviewing shamans.
The main religion in Peru is Roman Catholicism combined with Andean mythology. However, most Catholics are led to believe that ayahuasca was created by the devil. Peruvians in particular are generally skeptical of this controversy
Because these plants are protected by the government. It aims to preserve the centuries-old traditional ritual use of ayahuasca brewing by indigenous communities in the Amazon, including its intangible ritual components, the knowledge of the healers and the healers themselves, as well as benefit environmental protection and sustainable development. resources.
When I travel alone, my main focus is to document the story with photos. Looking at the material I have so far, I think this story should be explored more to gain a better understanding of the topic. We definitely need to take a deeper look at this topic from a scientific point of view. I had the opportunity to visit a laboratory at Imperial College London where I took photos and interviewed a scientist. I will visit the laboratory again to take photos and gather information from David Nutt, who has been working in the psychedelic field for over 15 years. Due to the importance of the issues mentioned, I think this work is a good starting point that will lead us into a long-term project, as we need to learn a lot from tribal communities and scientists about psychedelics and mysteries and mental health.
When I started working on this project, I knew I had to take it very seriously and be a part of it to understand it better. Working on this project not only required my own research, access, ideas and funding, but it also required a lot of self-discipline and commitment. Four weeks before the ceremony, I had to prepare myself physically and mentally for the journey. For better recovery, it is important and recommended to follow a specific diet and renounce the pleasure of sex, masturbation, drinking alcohol, smoking or taking drugs, including fasting for at least one day before and during the ceremony. From a personal point of view, I can admit that after two ayahuasca treatments, it really opened my mind. I became more aware of my negative emotions, which enabled me to control them and improved my daily mood. One of the eye-opening scenes was seeing myself lying on the mattress during the ceremony, facing the dead body in front of me. It was as if my soul had left my body and stood above me, watching my ritual and my death. This experience instantly destroyed my ego and taught me that life is much more precious than I thought. The drug took me back in time and allowed me to see my parents falling in love. During the trip I saw a white rose and at this moment I felt the presence of my niece, but did not see her face. It brought out the child in me. Although I have never been to the Amazon, I was able to connect with Amazonian creatures such as black jaguars, snakes or frogs that looked deeply into my eyes. I saw a lot of geometric shapes and heard “Face your fears.” The vibrations of the music played by the shaman I felt throughout my body like I had never felt before. Although I am not religious, my vision showed me Jesus Christ looking up and pointing his finger to the sky – it looked like a painting. These visions lasted for five to six hours and felt like a never-ending journey. At one point, I just wanted to stay in this unknown world, but at the same time, I felt so scared and uncomfortable in the purification after the ritual that I thought it would kill me. The next morning I felt a strong and positive connection with nature and all living species, including animals and humans. My mind is calm and clear. I felt like I was reborn, and the real world has become incredibly beautiful. Unfortunately, the experience I went through is hard to describe, but it made me see things from a different perspective.
I think this story should be told and shown by the Amazon community and shamans of the Peruvian Amazon. Only shamans have in-depth knowledge of hallucinogenic techniques, and shamans are legitimized through their communities, not through titles or academies. The communities I visited were accessible to small countries in the Amazon jungle that I could visit. However, I was told I needed a translator (probably a Peruvian journalist) who was willing to go inside the jungle and live in uncomfortable conditions with no electricity and limited food options. About the plants and how shamans prepare the beer in spiritual ways including prayer, ritual and special tools. I would also like to photograph the scientists working on it, therapists and the drugs in the lab, possibly at Imperial College London where psychedelics are being tested, as that is the only place I have access to at the moment.
Until recently, I was very skeptical about this topic. Since working on this project and experiencing ayahuasca myself, I have changed. This ceremony strengthened my belief that this project should be developed further. During this difficult time, it is important to raise awareness and highlight the beneficial properties of these traditional healing interventions to improve mental health and support the tribal communities that hold this valuable knowledge. Although the Q’eros and Shipibo shamanic cultures are slowly disappearing due to factors such as technology, climate change, political systems or religion, our descendants can look back at the devastation and loss of shamanic knowledge and wisdom and the growth of knowledge can accelerate the world. There is still hope for a solution to these problems, but we need to spread awareness about psychedelic therapies to heal those who are suffering and protect the younger generation who will build the future in this modern and chaotic world.
Artist Profile
Sandra Mickiewicz is a Polish documentary and portrait photographer who lives and works in London. At the age of 15, she was first introduced to photography when she stepped into a black and white darkroom. In 2018, Sandra graduated from Middlesex University in London studying Photography. She is drawn to the extremely ordinary and conventional moments of our daily lives. Her photographs have been exhibited in the UK and internationally. Sandra’s work has been published by the British Journal of Photography, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Financial Times, The New Statesman and The Telegraph. Sandra is fascinated by analogue photography. She shoots primarily with medium format cameras and develops her work in darkrooms (with photographers such as Photographer) and other photographers.
