Ayahuasca, Yoga and Mysticism

Greetings friends. Today I'm inspired to share a little with you about the intersection between the traditional indigenous practices of the Amazon and the wisdom sciences of the Far East. I'd like to approach this dialogue through the lens of a mystic. To do this, I think the best place to start would be by introducing how I , Grant, understand the concepts of "mystic" and "mysticism". I'll do my best to stay on track in this essay but also giving myself the grace to think out loud on these topics, as I find my writing is a way to extract ideas and organize them into a coherent flow. Please enjoy the conversation and may you feel like a friend to me. I appreciate you for taking interest in what I have to say. Let's dive in.

I really love to start with the etymology of words to begin to organize our meaning of them and establish common ground. All hail the great mystical machine of ChatGPT for this:

The word mysticism comes from the Greek root μύω (mýō), meaning “to close” or “to shut,” especially in reference to the eyes or lips — implying secrecy or silence.

Here’s the full etymological breakdown:

• Greek: mystikos (μυστικός) → “secret, mystical,” from mystēs (μύστης), meaning “an initiate” (someone initiated into secret religious rites).

• English (14th–15th century): “mystic” and later “mysticism” (17th century), referring to “belief in direct union with ultimate reality or the divine.”

Belief in direct union with ultimate reality or the divine.

So etymologically, mysticism means “the practice or doctrine of those who are initiated into secret or hidden spiritual knowledge.”

It literally carries the sense of closing the outer senses to open to inner revelation — a perfect metaphor for the mystical path itself.

Hmmm...

Closing the outer senses to open to inner revelation.

Can anyone relate to this?

When thinking about that which is "mystical", I tend to find myself carried off into the realms of the magical and mysterious. More than ten years of thorough study and discipleship in a few "mystery" schools, as we might call them, has revealed to me that there is far, far more to "reality" than meets the eye. This is not really news to anyone, I don't think, alas our minds (generally speaking) are quite stubborn or have a difficult time grasping onto ideas and subject matter that escapes the realm of rational scrutiny. However, this tendency towards rationalism must not obstruct our pursuit of knowledge of the unseen. Being born as we are into the age of science and reason, our conditioning would have most of us prone to reliance on facts and data to "prove" what we are incapable of determining for ourselves; it is precisely this need to "prove" that, ironically, derails the quest from the get-go. I'm speaking about the quest of the human Spirit: a pursuit of knowledge beyond mere books and into the direct experience and true nature of ... well, things. We're getting a little woo-woo here; let's circle back to ground it in a little bit. I'll pose a few questions for your contemplation. Rather than merely glancing over them, I invite you to pause. Feel. And inquire. Sometimes the answer we come up with is part of the conditioning we must escape from to arrive at true insight and inner revelation. Think on these things:

How do we really know anything?

What IS "knowledge"?

What gives when it comes to the unexplainable mysteries that science seems to write off or turn a scrutinous eye towards (and rightfully so -- there is a place for objectivity in this quest)?

Why are we so quick to take things at face value, and follow what we've been told, without ever really questioning for ourselves?

I think of the science of anatomy, for example. Scientific revelations posited as facts less than 20 years ago are becoming replaced by new and updated models and theories, such as the model of fascia, which reveals our body does not function as independent muscles but rather an interconnected whole of chains and pulley systems... a recent discovery. I won't go into detail on fascia in this post, as I am just using this an example. A more obvious example would be the originally geocentric view of the solar system which asserted that the Earth was the center of the physical Universe. Claims otherwise were seen as blasphemous and punishable by death. Think on that for a moment.

What else is out there that we do not know, and yet we have "facts" and assertions which we claim to be true? How often and how rigorous are we in our own scrutiny of our experience and perception?

As a "mystic", I believe these are good questions to ask -- going back to the quote above: "closing the outer sense to open to inner revelation." I smell a parallel to the fifth limb of Raja Yoga: pratyahara. The withdrawal of the senses. Those with meditation experience may understand that this sense withdrawal is the doorway to the light within. When we think about the energy that animates our senses, this point can be clarified. Feel into this for a moment -- what power or force drives the senses to make contact with our sensorial world, and therefore "powers" the sensory experience? This is a force; it's not something that happens by accident. What causes our eyes to see and our ears to hear?

In the yogic tradition, the force or perhaps more accurately the impulse of life at the core of each of us is the Atman: the Soul. A spark of divine intelligence that is seeded sometime around birth. This spark or force is powering the lights inside and causing awakened consciousness to become in the world of form. We are not merely inanimate objects powered by chemistry alone. There is a force, a supreme intelligence, that has so far remained beyond scientific conclusion as to what it is, where it exists, and how it operates. Simultaneously, this force remains an irrefutable fact and fundamental principle of life. We exist and we are aware that we exist. Which brings us back to the question -- what is knowledge? Let's separate facts from fiction, folks.

I had a conversation the other day with my partner -- she was saying how God is unprovable, because God exists outside the realm of "proof". This had me thinking about God. I like to think about God -- it expands my mind when I do. I am reminded of a teaching that I received from Kapilnath, the head of the International Nath Order -- an authentic Tantrik lineage and sect of modern day Tantrik practitioners. He said, and I'm paraphrasing, that "to contemplate God means to expand the mind beyond what is possible," or something to that effect. The way I took that teaching and integrated it into my practice was by spending time in each meditation to attempt to open my comprehension to something beyond my intellect, beyond my reason, and beyond even my "belief". There have been many fruits from this simple and yet profound teaching.

For some people who fall under the category of what we might label as "non-believers" -- self-proclaimed atheists, and perhaps that is all of us at different points in our life, we may doubt the existence of some supreme intelligence beyond the ego. This is understandable, as learning to contend with the Great Mystery can be quite destabilizing. I mean, we're dealing with a very, very vast Universe and even our best attempts to understand it leave us stumped, despite all these incredible advancements of technology.

This is not the case for the mystic, for she is one who turns instead to the inner revelation as the final say in the matter. This is where things get funky, and yet we have an enormous library of sacred knowledge that helps to point the way when the going gets dark. We are, after all, plunging into a realm beyond time and far, far beyond reason -- where the laws of physics as we know it seem to fall apart. Quantum physics has done well to illuminate some of these very interesting realms. However, its time to offer a sincere bow to the yogis and mystics of ages past for their commitment to not just explore, but to map the spiritual dimensions. At the same time, let's not forget the magical and shamanic cultures of the Amazon basin. Cue: Yoga and Ayahuasca.

I find it really fascinating to see the parallels between the various spiritual traditions across time. While the subject of this essay is not meant to delve into a meta-analysis of all the different ideas, mythologies, and spiritual beliefs of so many different people, I must assert that we are all attempting to answer the same core set of questions. We are all, each in our own way, on some sort of spiritual journey, or quest as it were. I think the real problem arises from the belief that our spiritual experience is unique, because this belief perpetuates separation. We forget that maybe, just maybe, each person's puzzle piece fits together. I really believe that this idea of everything fitting together, is at the core of mysticism, because when everything gets along, the experience arises of the unified nature of all things. The spiritual platitude "we are all One" comes to mind. Interestingly, even people with little to no religious or spiritual proclivity, after profound transformational moments such as NDE (near-death-experience) have been reported to experience the divine nature of reality and this "unified field" thing is no longer just an idea but is made tangible. Again, this is where things get funky.

For a period of perhaps several thousands of years, entire generations of people have consumed a psychedelic tea comprised of the two plants -- the vine of Ayahuasca and the leaf of the chacruna. When brewed together in the proper recipe, imbibers of this ancient indigenous medicine have reported countless cases of direct mystical experience, similar to the experiences of yogis in the East, and of those in the example above with near-death-experiences. An experience of the unified nature of Reality; that we really aren't separate from the Source of life, but our perception is or has become obstructed from experiencing this unified state.

According to traditional folk healers -- not just from the Amazon, but around the world -- there is a parallel assertion that dis-ease and illness is, at its root, a spiritual malaise. Ultimately, a disconnection from our own Source. Like a baby cut off from its Mother, we walk around with our eyes closed to the Mystery, and the spiritual umbilical chord becomes shriveled. I think we do this out of fear, and out of a general lack of adequate practice in the modern culture. Few and far between are the people who genuinely walk the path of Spirit, and for good reason. This path, in my own humble experience, can be quite terrifying, and at times can feel like something I'd rather just not do. This is a projection and an opinion but without judgment I must say that there seem to be frustrating levels of avoidance and distraction from the real problems in our world. Of course, who am I to say this? What do I know? I can only speak for myself, and if I'm being honest -- I am guilty of these. I am prone to avoiding and distracting myself, for sure, despite having many experiences in my life that have smacked me in the face with Reality. I am working hard and often to get real with myself about this. I say this because maybe you can relate. And this is precisely the reason that I've ended up sick, weak, or injured. I just wasn't paying attention or listening to the deeper messages from life and, ultimately, abandoning my connection to Spirit and isolating myself from the bigger picture. Really, this is not an easy path. It's no wonder the traditional healers who possessed an ability to actually see into spiritual dimension underwent extremely rigorous training, including lengthy periods in isolation, and intense practices over not just a period of weeks or months but years. Because to be able identify the root cause of the problem and actively provide solutions to people who are seeking healing, one must have traversed those inner realms themselves. This is not a dog and pony show. Someone disconnected from their own Source is ill-equipped at leading other to drink from the well. Unfortunately, we're in a day and age where sometimes it can be the blind leading the blind. Just look at where this has led us.

If we turn to scripture as an authority, we may be supported in dismantling our illusions. The yogis asserted that scripture was as valid of an authority as a living guru, but that direct experience was the ultimate authority. However, scripture (and sangha -- the spiritual community) were and are extremely important tools for they serve as a system of checks and balances. There is a fine line between insanity and enlightenment, and from the outside looking in, we might not be able to tell the difference. The stories of the mad babas and crazy saints come to mind. Whose to say that they hadn't "figured it out" and went mad with the tremendous voltage that came into their system? Kundalini awakening in a pre-mature nervous system has a similar affect. This may have been precisely why the spiritual science of Hatha Yoga was created to prepare one to handle the experience of the Realm of Light. One might even say that Yoga is a spiritual technology meant to help us "die before we die", so to speak -- to cross over to the other side and take a peak behind the curtain into Eternity. As I've said earlier, this can be terrifying and would be better off left alone unless a person is absolutely committed and willing to jump of that cliff when it presents itself.

How many cases have we had of people who've gone off the deep-end from psychedelic journeys gone wrong? I've known a couple, personally. Shit, one time when I was 14 years old I ate a half-ounce of dried psilocybin mushrooms and went there myself. I didn't think I was "coming back". I thought I'd have to wake up my parents and tell them that I was.... gone. Gone to where? Who knows. Luckily I managed to put myself together... eventually. Or maybe not...? Ha ha...

I digress. Yet personal anecdote(s) may be helpful here. What's a good teaching without stories?

Hundreds of ayahuasca ceremonies later, I must say that each time I drink a cup of the powerful tea, I say a very sincere prayer of thanks and humility and trust, because we really are playing with fire. What's most interesting to me about this, though, is that I've also known people (even friends of mine who are grounded and stable people, generally speaking) who have lost their shit during meditation or yoga retreats. For some people a very profound spiritual experience, which creates a radical shift in perspective, can completely shake loose the personality structure for a time. Some people actually don't come back and remain permanently changed -- for better or worse. In India, when someone is seen behaving strangely, people donate food and protection because they assume something sacred is happening. I wouldn't disagree with this assumption. In the Western world we put those same people in insane asylums. Like I said, we're playing with fire. Whether its a single cup of ayahuasca tea, a gram of dried mushrooms at a music festival with friends, a couple tabs of LSD, or a morning walk with your dog, a car crash, the death of a loved one... the force of awakening can descend and leave us obliterated into fragments. To help a person return to some semblance of integration after an experience like this requires a tremendous effort on the part of both a community of practitioners who understand these types of experiences (a community like this is not an easy thing to find) AND an elder or elders who possess the wisdom of experience and the ground of a tradition or lineage to navigate the uncharted and terrifying territory where a person's soul may be lost. Yes, we are playing with fire.

Where are we going with all this? Are you still with me?

Yoga. Ayahuasca. Mysticism. I think we can start wrapping up this essay by circling back to our topics. What did we learn so far?

What has become apparent to me in my process of "thinking out loud" through writing is that, we know very, very little. Or, at least, I, Grant, know very, very little. And what I do "know" is in question, as I could very well be wrong, or inaccurate in my "knowing". The realm of Spirit is indeed mysterious and, at times, terrifying. My limited personality is prone to burying its head in the sand and avoiding the confrontations with Truth, even when I know in my Soul that these "confrontations" may be necessary for my growth and well-being. Despite all of this -- despite all of my misgiving, mistakes, failures, and fear -- I also somehow know that there IS something more. I don't need proof for that, and yet somehow "proof" is everywhere, in everything. The seed that sprouts and grows into a life-giving fruit tree. The cycles of the moon and fluctuations of the ocean tides. The possibility of man and woman coming together to create new life -- creating something from nothing... or, more accurately, creating life... from Love. Life that has the possibility to do or create anything. To perceive as one chooses. To pursue a life of freedom and happiness and joy and the eternal adventure of figuring it all out.

We were all babies at one point. We were helpless little infants completely dependent on our mother for life. Even though we've grown into adult bodies, are we really any different than we started out? Maybe we are still babies, completely dependent on the Mother -- the Great Cosmic Mother, who continues to power our senses and beat our hearts and breathe our breath. The separation that we experience from time to time? Just a call to the plate. For life to live.

Sitting on the sidelines is death. Worse than death, actually, if that's possible.

We have the ability to choose our destiny. When we close our senses to the world, we can become aware of that Light which animates all things. It's like trying to see yourself in the a reflection of mirrors -- each mirror reflects the other back and forth and back and forth and back and forth and if you follow the trail of reflections into the very center there is nothing but darkness. Yet from this darkness, everything becomes. Interesting that the Light is born from this void. This is a teaching that, if contemplated deeply, I think can give us clues into how we come to know anything.

We decide, and it is done.

This is how the Universe is born, and each time we decide... it is born again.