“The Disastrous Intersection of Ayahuasca with Shamanic Sorcery and Sexual Predation”

There are some occurrences in life that you wish for no one else to have. Yet I have learned that my experiences with a disguised false-shaman who engaged in sexual predation through the means of shamanic sorcery is just one of many. Unfortunately, I am not alone.

We all have our reasons for sharing or not sharing our experiences. For me, I share not to expose certain people or to reveal a particular retreat center, but to be of support to others who have had similar encounters. There is a sacred medicine that arises from sharing our experiences such as knowing we are not alone. In sharing we can also learn from each other and better understand the complexities of what we got entangled in. Shamanic sorcery is a gnarly thing to break free of, and understanding the complexities, I believe, can lead us to a deeper level of freedom.

My experience happened at a plant medicine retreat center, which served both ayahuasca and yagé. I had been invited to be an intern there, and I arrived in Latin America assuming I was safe and in good hands. I had heard of people having horrific experiences with false-shamans, but did not think it would happen to me, nor happen at a place that got good ratings and was well-respected.

Everything was wonderful for my first few weeks. In fact, if my internship was only a few weeks long I would not have noticed the undercurrent of malicious practices and would have left thinking highly of the place. I can completely understand how people can go to…