The Journey of Lyndall

by Lyndall Goff (Australia)

A leap into the unknown Australia

Following my usual routine of work and study in my home town of Sydney, Australia, I sat at my desk to listen to my latest lecture. I was studying psychology and decided to choose an elective outside my faculty. My choice, an anthropology subject called ‘drugs across cultures’. The beginnings of a dramatic shift in my life had just begun. Ohh a guest speaker, awesome! No notes to write! Lily, a young masters student began speaking about her masters thesis on the effects of ayahuasca, she had travelled to east Peru to gather evidence. My ears pricked up and I was immediately sold. Ayahuasca, a regional vine, when consumed causes an increase in the brain of the neurotransmitter serotonin; needed for feelings of happiness and well being. It also aids cognition, learning and memory among other things. When brewed with other local Amazonian vines containing DMT, this powerful mix invokes an altered state of consciousness. Often allowing access to the unconscious mind; a feeling of one with the universe and sensory experiences usually only possible in dreams. This highly mystical state of being offers spiritual insights that lends itself to healing by offering a perspective so much greater than that of reality. They say Ayahuasca calls you, well that day my phone rang and I answered. Six months later I boarded a plane bound for Pucallpa, Peru. Early December 2014, I landed late at night in Pucallpa with a nervous anticipation. The next morning a Peruvian man came to my hotel door grabbed my bags and ushered me to an old car that was nothing more than a shell and definitely would be deemed unroadworthy by Australian standards. As we drove through the city he suddenly took a right turn down a dirt road. To my left a wall of houses and abandoned land on my right. I felt all my sensors start to heighten. We eventually stop at a community on the water where he leads me to a little wooden row boat, with cautious blind faith I jump in. We spend the next hour cruising through mangroves until I am offloaded at an island leaving me to find my own way. I had arrived, safely. The accommodation was a simple wooden shack boosting an uninterrupted view of the lagoon and a hammock on my deck, simply beautiful. I got started immediately. No need to meet with the sharman I was told ‘he already knew what I needed’. As I stood intrigued I was led to a makeshift sauna heated by a pot of cooked leaves followed by a delicious green juice to commence the detoxification process. This was the start of my rapid weight loss and many trips to the toilet, also paving way for the development of my new toilet paper scarcity fears on account of the daily cleaner often omitting to replace such items, I began hoarding just in case! The cleansing went on for 3 days before my body and mind were ready to attend the Ayahuasca ceremony. During my 14 day stay I attended 5 Ayahuasca ceremonies, each more enlightening than the last. Ayahuasca is not for faint hearted, it leads you to spiritual awakening by revealing your inner most fears byway of an alluring trance. Each movie, as it was experienced by me was always concluded by hurling or diarrhea or both, and only occurred once I had resolved the issue, conquered the quest or stared death in the face repeatedly. Ceremonies began at 9pm and come down was around 6am, brutal as it was, I have never felt so much connection and clarity. Leaving the island saw me filled with deep sadness knowing I may never return to utopia. Arriving home I soon learned that integration of such powerful insights would be my greatest challenge yet. I am not sure if I wish I knew about the integration process, to be honest I think I am glad I didn’t. Regardless, it was inner work that needed to be done which has enriched me more than I can articulate. The changes I have made to my life have been transformational and profound. I don’t regret a thing, and that’s travel for you.