a bird's eye view of the universe - part 2

mini-memoir part 2

"Kimono Forest” of Arashiyama in Kyoto, which is similar to what I saw in my ayahuasca vision.

Welcome to part 2 of my mini-memoir that might have a name soon…or maybe not. You can read Part 1 HERE.

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People have asked how long an ayahuasca trip takes, and my guess would be anywhere between 40 minutes and 5 hours? I have no clue because I was in a parallel dimension and had no concept of time.

(I will say the first night my trip was pretty short compared to my second night - I think? The second night the medicine hit quicker and my trip was drastically different compared to my first night, which was pretty mild, and dare I say, a little disappointing. I’ll get much more insight into that later.)

The ceremony was held in a pitch black room with no clock. So yeah, really no way to know.

The shaman chants at (with?) each person individually, both meditating on the individual’s intention, and one night he truly played the most incredible music on a guitar. Like, I felt like I was discovering music for the very first time, that’s how heavenly it sounded. I don’t know when he leaves, and I don’t think I want to. I’m assuming it’s when he’s done chanting and maybe when things have visibly died down. Like, there aren’t as many people sobbing or throwing up.

But honestly, it’s a very long night for him and he probably leaves when he need to sleep.

Anyway, both nights I fell asleep on my mat, and woke up way too early the next morning to the sounds of light snoring around me.

But let’s back up to the beginning of the trip.

I’m lying on my stomach in unimaginable pain. I’m rocking left to right, and for a second I’m concerned everyone might think I’m masterbating. I know, weird! The thing about ayahuasca (and again, this is just my experience, and in fact, just this singular experience) one can go in and out of “tripping,” and sometimes you’re aware of both your trip and your reality at the same time. IDK, maybe this is every drug? I don’t know because I famously don’t really do drugs! Not even weed. In fact I think people who are so into weed are kind of an eye roll. I’m annoying like that! (But 420 is actually stupid.)

I was in S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) in high school, and in elementary school I took D.A.R.E too seriously. At recess, while playing with Polly Pockets, I casually mentioned that if you took a drug you will die, and you would deserve to die, and I dared all the other 8-year-olds to keep away from me.