Jung and Amazonian Shamanism in Synthesis 2016

 

JUNG AND AMAZONIAN SHAMANISM

IN SYNTHESIS: An Intensive Retreat Interfacing the Power and Wisdom of Jungian Psychology With AYAHUASCA Ceremonies.

Dates:  March 13-20, 2016

Location: Iquitos, Peru KM 15. Lodging and ceremonies at Ayahuasca Medicine House, in the North Amazon Jungle.

“There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”      –-C. G. Jung

 

Crows Nest Centers for Shamanic Studies International and C. Michael Smith, Ph.D. (Mikkal) invite you to join our team in the Peruvian Amazon for a combined psycho-educational seminar and intensive retreat focused on the power and soulful depth of Jungian psychology in helping significantly with the preparation, experience, integration, and implementation of powerful Ayahuasca ceremonies. This workshop theme will focus on psychoshamanic principles in working with the jungle medicine.

Ayahuasca is one of the most spectacularly powerful medicines on the planet. Increasing numbers of people seek its power to help them heal intractable diseases of mind, body, and spirit. It can be especially effective in the healing of depression, post traumatic stress, and alcoholism and other addictions. Others are drawn to it as a tremendous shamanic plant teacher, seeking profound visionary experiences and insights to the core questions of their lives. For some it becomes a medicine for vision questing, in search of clarity about the next chapter in life. Few medicines are like it in being able to treat the whole person physically, psychologically, and spiritually. C.G. Jung spent a lifetime crafting a psychology with the Sacred at its center. It is a psychology highly aligned with the shamanic way of life. Jung himself considered shamanism as a prototypal individuation process. He called it an “archaic individuation process,” meaning that shamans were the first human pioneers of individuation. Ayahuasca brings flesh and blood, color, art, song and and incredible vision to the Jung’s abstract concept of individuation and wholeness-making. Jung’s life and work, and his key concepts and techniques when applied to ayahuasca experience bring illumination for what occurs in these sacred ceremonies, in the darkness and unconscious depths, and can give you incredibly valuable tools for deeply interacting with the visionary transpersonal and transcendent entities and images you encounter in deep trance.

 

The Vine and Chacruna weaving a Mandala of Wholeness
One of the great challenges of any shamanic ceremony resulting in profound vision, insight, or healing, is how to integrate the experience and implement what you received in your actual daily living after the ceremonies. Indigenous peoples of the region have a social context and an ancient supporting mythological cosmology, rich in numinous archetypal structures that support and even demand integration and implementation in daily living. In an indigenous shama
nic culture, if you come back from the ceremony and do not change, your experience and the shaman’s reputation is put in question. When modern Western people descend on the Amazon for ayahuasca ceremonies, this social context and mythic cosmology rich in supporting archetypal structures is not in place. Modern Western culture and its assumptions about medicine, health and sickness has long been highly secularized and devoid of the sacred. When we return from the Amazonian ceremonies to our own culture, the supporting archetypal structures for our profound experiences are likely to not be available. As a result, the only thing that has changed is our conversation. What we talk about: our ayahuasca adventures, about our adventure in a foreign country, and so on. This is an unnecessary side-effect of gringos taking ayahuasca. This seminar/retreat is designed to demonstrate that lasting change and healing can be sustained, – far beyond the changes in what you talk about afterwards.

You will receive daily, crucial information, principles and techniques that will help you insure integration and implementation of your insights and healings. You will discover the importance of the mythological-archetypal contexts, the phases of preparation and intention making, the skills you need in the ayahuasca ceremony (and virtually any entheogenic ceremony) to get the most out of it, and know how to inquire more deeply in the ceremony through Dialogue with the numinous powers involved. You will learn how to process the experience the next day through use of felt-sense of crucial areas of your ayahuasca experience, and how to inquire more deeply into the content that emerged. You will learn both shamanic and depth psychological techniques, which Mikkal has crafted into The Archetypal Heart and The Four Acts of Power for opening to transcendent healing and intuitive-visionary insight, inquiring into it more deeply, keeping durably ahold of your experiences. You will be guided in forming daily principles and talismans that support your implementation in action steps, day by day, week by week, month by month, after the ayahuasca ceremonies. The event is also available as a part of the Crows Nest Certificate program in Amazonian Shamanism and Depth Psychotherapy for graduate and doctoral students interested in field and/or dissertation research projects. Ask about details if you are interested in that track and mentorship with Mikkal.

 

Retreat Leader and Team

C. Michael Smith, Ph.D. (Mikkal) 

 

Is an internationally renowned Jungian scholar, pioneering psychologist, medical anthropologist, and shamanic teacher. He has been a student of entheogenically-based shamanism for three decades, and has a special interest in the healing powers of Psilcybe Cubensis within a depth psychological and sacred context. He is director of Crows Nest Centers for Shamanic Studies International, with communities in Bruxelles, Belgium, Payzac, France, Capetown South Africa, and the USA. Author of the best selling JUNG AND SHAMANISM IN DIALOGUE  and the acclaimed PSYCHOTHERAPY AND THE SACRED (Gradiva Awards, 1996). He was elected to Le Collège de
Chamanisme Ancestral in Paris, and has been a teaching member of the French Cercle de Sagesse de l’Union des Traditions Ancestrales for many years. In 2012 he was keynote presenter at the 8th International Conference on Amazonian Shamanism, in Iquitos,and a featured speaker and workshop leader there in 2013. Mikkal is also a former psychological consultant to Mi Templo Sagrado, Tarapoto, Peru, having collaborated in the Jungle and in Europe with the maestro Raul Diego Nelson Falch, Ph.D. In the USA he has been involved in pioneering research in Jungian psychology and Shamanism, and has for many years served on doctoral committees of many cutting edge institutions: Pacifica Graduate Institute, California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (Sofia University) , Saybrook Institute, Argossy University, the University of Chicago, The Chicago Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School. He has been keynote lecturer at various C.G. Jung Societies throughout the USA, and is currently a research consultant to the University of Michigan Medical School.

 

Mikkal will be leading the seminar and retreat, focusing on psychoshamanic principles and skill-sets, integration and implementation of the ayahuasca ceremonies, which includes preparing yourself for the medicine ceremonies, skillfully inquiring and receiving during the ceremony, and skillfully integrating the material and developing implementation after the ceremony. He will also facilitate shamanic journeys during the week (on non-ceremony days) to further explore and ‘digest’ what came in the ceremonies the previous evening. The final day will feature a special shamanic journey supported by amazing percussion by Nicholas Brahban dyadic processing and identification of the results and central insights and healing tasks to return home with, and group sharing of the implementation plan.

Three night ayahuasca ceremonies will be offered, alternating with morning workshop presentations and group work with Mikkal.  Adelita Navas-Viderya, a curandera who has 63 years experience running tradttional ayahuasca ceremonies.  She often runs ceremonies with her son, Jose’ Navas, whom she initiated, and whose icaro voice is legendary. Nicholas Brabhan will be assisting with facilitation of the integration processing, employing altered state integration with sonic driving and holotropically-based meditations. He will also offer morning Qigong sessions. Optional group tours of the Jungle and the Bora tribe are possible, tours of the Belen Medicine Market, a boat tour of the Amazon River and a visit to the Bora Tribe are possible for those interested, and amazingly inexpensive. Also an option is to work with the frog medicine, Sappo with Juan Nicolas Maldonado Romero, and work with Maria Louisa, the local bone setter doctor (a kind of ancient jungle chiropractic-massage healer).

EVENT CURANDEROS
The Banco Curandera Adelita Navas
Adela Navas-Videyra: Beginning her training with ayahuasca at age 11, Adela has been working with la madre and other plant medicines for 63 years. She is one of the few remaining Banco shamans in the Iquitos area, and her work is held in high regard by all ayahuasqueros who know her. Quick to smile and laugh, exuding love and compassion, Adela’s control of the energies in ceremony is second to none. 

 

Adela was the teacher of Don Augustin Rivas, who in turn was one of the teachers of Ron Wheelock, the ‘Gringo Shaman’. In addition to Spanish and Quechua, she also sing icaros in 7 different regional dialects. Adela loves sharing her knowledge, teaching others about the mysteries of ayahuasca.

Jose Navas. The curandero Jose Manuel Navas Garcia was born in Iquitos, Peru to the curandera Adela Navas, and has been living and working in curanderismo his entire life. For 25 years he has been a practicing Ayahuasquero. He has led more than 3,000 ceremonies in Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile. Of his icaros and incredible voice, Alan Shoemaker has written: ‘The icaros that Jose sings are those learned from his maestros over the years, particularly from his Mother, Adela Navas. Most importantly, his voice is absolutely incredible, they are the most incredible icaros you will ever hear! I promise you!’

ASSISTANT FACILITATOR
Nicholas Brahban, Jazz drummer, percussive healer Nicholas Brabhan leading an innovative percussive journey, preparing participants to inquire and dialogue during Ayahuasca ceremonies. Nicholas Brabhan is a Latin/Jazz drummer and percussionist with a high interest in the spiritual music of Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean.

He has been playing for over 15 years in a variety of musical settings including Avant-Garde/progressive jazz and rock groups, West African dance classes and for Trance Dance and Sacred Breathwork ceremonies with Mikkal and Raul Diego Nelson Falch at the 9th International Conference on Amazonian Shamanism, in Iquitos, Peru. He is a certified studio production specialist with Berkley School of Music and certified in the Holotropically-based Sacred Breathwork from Crows Nest Centers for Shamanic Studies International. He is a student and practitioner of Chinese Qigong, Shamanism and has special interest in,  entheogenic/NOSC healing. He has been assisting and co-facilitating with Mikkal in the Peruvian Amazon workshops.

Huerera:

Maria Luisa Amaparo. Known as a bone setter is a Jungle chiropractor and message healer. Maria-Louisa’s work is amazing at realigning the body and optimising release of tension, and openness to ceremony. She is available upon request for an additional $30.00 USD, and most when they see her work want to take agavantasge of it.

 

Our Jungle Guide: Juan

Juan Nicolas Maldonado Romero has lived in the Iquitos his whole life and knows the Jungle well. He serves as Jungle tour guide and assists with logistics of these events. Juan seems to know everyone in the region, and offers jungle tours on off days, and prepares you for them psycho-spiritually. He has an incredible knowledge of the flora and fauna. He also arranges boat tours of the Amazon River, and takes you to fascinating places, including a visit to the Bora tribe, if interested. He is an invaluable part of our team. One the interesting optional medicines, Sappo, the frog medicine ceremony, will be offered by Juan.

Ayahuasca Medicine House, located at KM 15, Varillal, near Iquitos , Peru, about 7 km from the airport. 

For a very Grounded and well-balanced Introduction to Ayahuasca, see this new documentary by Seti Gershberg:

Costs: $1,750.00 USD | Register and Pay Here

(includes lodging and three ayahuasca ceremonies, and seminar, at the Ayahuasca Medicine House, Iquitos Peru). Air Fare and meals not included. We chip in on food costs and a local cook and house cleaner to give us freedom and space to just be with the Medicine. Also during free time there many Iquitos restaurants offer lovely food fresh from the jungle, and also have ayahuasca diet selections.

People often arrive a couple days early ad stay at Hotel la Casona in Iquitos where we can meet each other ahead of time. A private Facebook page is set up for us to meet and communicate, ask questions and have support before and after the event.

Earlybird Extension: Save $100.00 when paid in full by February 10th, 2016. Please keep in mind that the event will be limited to 20 participants, so the event will likely be full before January 15th. ALSO Note: After February 1st, 2015 the money is non-refundable as we must pay in advance for the curanderos, jungle guide, the house and ceremonial maloca.

Stay tuned to this web page for postings and links about travel, location, what clothing to bring, medical contraindications, and opportunities to journey on the Amazon River, visit the amazing Amazon Zoo, visit the indigenous Belen Market, where plant medicines of every kind abound.

FAQS: For important logistical information regarding this event, and ayahuasca diet and health issues, click here to see the event fact page. Concerns Iquitos culture, money exchange, set-up, health issues, medications and diet, all important info designed to make it safe. Do not hesitate to ask questions.