Marnix returns to the podcast to talk about his Ayahuasca experience. We talk preparation, the experience itself, and lessons and insights. Previous episodes with Marnix Episode 7: Hippies in Nepal and tribal life in Papua New Guinea Episode 8: LSD, DMT, martial arts, and traveling the world About this episode Marnix will talk about his experiences with Ayahuasca and how it has changed his outlook on life. Ayahuasca is is an Amazonian plant mixture that induces incredibly intense altered states of consciousness, usually lasting between 4 to 8 hours after ingestion. It is mostly used as a medicine and as a shamanic means of communication, typically in a ceremonial session under the guidance of one or more experienced drinkers. The psychoactive ingredient is dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. This neurotransmitter is found in the human brain, blood, and lungs. It is the stuff that creates your dreams, so technically, you’re tripping on this stuff every night. Yet, as a substance, it is illegal in most countries around the world. The moment you die, your brain releases a mega-dose of DMT into your bloodstream, causing intense hallucinations and altered states of consciousness. This is where the stories come from when people have near-death experiences; the light at the end of the tunnel, seeing all one’s loved ones, having a flash-back about one’s entire life, meeting God, etc. Many intense things happen when under the influence of DMT. Time distorts; 5 minutes in real time can feel like eternity. Religious experiences are often had, including by people who don’t believe in any deity. It’s a deeply personal experience, dictated by the deepest realms of the subconscious. Long story short; Ayahuasca pulls you into the world that you enter after you die, only to come back into reality a couple of hours later. I can’t even begin to imagine how intense it must be. Marnix will talk about the preparation required, the experience itself, and the lessons and insights he took from it. Put on your seat-belt, this is a good one. The show Contents 00:03:00 – Big Green Egg cookin’ 00:05:45 – Marnix’ new house on wheels 00:08:40 – Ayahuasca 00:13:30 – How to do it safely 00:17:15 – The arrival at the campsite 00:23:00 – The preparation for the journey 00:28:58 – The ceremony 00:54:50 – Compared to magic mushrooms 00:56:55 – The day after 01:02:35 – Round number 2 01:08:45 – Appreciation & clarity 01:13:00 – Cooking & food 01:20:05 – Camper van 01:21:38 – Lessons and reflections from an incredibly intense experience Recommended reading The Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook Notes & links The place where Marnix had his experience Wikipedia Ayahuasca info Erowid DMT vault Recording details Recorded on September 9, 2017; in my backyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands. Recorded on the big setup.