British-based Ayahuascero Peter Aziz
Disturbing news that a Shaman living in England has been convicted and imprisoned for supplying a class A drug. Peter Aziz is an Ayahuascero who has been conducting Ayahuasca healing-sessions in the West country for several years now. Ayahuasca – the Peruvian “Vine of Death” – is technically legal in the UK … but decocting it into an Ayahuasca Tea is not, as apparently this counts as supplying L-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which in England is a banned substance.
This will come as disappointing news to Ayahuasca enthusiasts in this country, who will now have to travel abroad to Spain or Peru itself if they want to go on a healing session.
Your humble blogmaster whilst not a partaker himself is nevertheless acquainted with more than a few people who have gone on Ayahuasca retreats. The remarkable thing is that in most cases they have come back looking and acting healthier, and reporting beneficial changes, for example, resolution of various psychological issues, or being miraculously cured of long-standing illnesses such as allergies.
However, I have also heard of people who complained that some Ayahuasca sessions were run by people who did not know what they were doing, and hence the sessions did not go particularly well. Clearly, Ayahuasca should only be taken – if it is going to be taken at all – strictly under the supervision of someone who is thoroughly trained in it, e.g. by having studied extensively under Peruvian shamen. Which is ironic seeing as Aziz, who is one of the few British-based Ayahuasceros who is reputable in this respect, has just been banged-up in hokey.
Given that Ayahuasca apparently has therapeutic uses, we should be conducting scientific studies to see if it can be incorporated into mainstream medical practice, and establish a responsible methodology for its administration: not prosecuting Ayahuasceros who act in good-faith, such as Aziz. I do hope that Aziz gets out soon, preferably by having his conviction overturned.
Sol Ascendans - The Website of Alex Sumner 
Nicely put
Yeah it`s so sad the our western society is so frightened and ignorant about healing ceremonies but that´s must likely due to a very strong and powerful pharmaceutical lobby that would rather sell ineffective and very expensive products against cancer
sorry for the bad spelling but I still can´t believe that they want to imprison him and that the dutch are trying again to make ayahuasca ceremonies illegal. It can help all people that want to be helped and want to improve their mindsed
I was particularly bemused by the Daily Mail’s headline of “Bogus shaman convicted of spiking people’s drinks…” or words to that effect. He isn’t a bogus shaman, he’s a genuine one – and he didn’t spike anyone’s drinks, he gave it to them with their full knowledge and consent!
Yes. Peter Aziz is a true Shaman. I have personally received healing from this wonderful man. It is a crime that he has been jailed.
I just find it ironic that each and every one of us is producing DMT in our bodies right now, and yet most of us would be arrested for mucking about with it.
Plant medicine has been used for thousands of years. Having investigated thoroughly on the internet I have not heard of anyone coming to harm from it. It seems to have only brought great benefit to people. The problem seems to me firstly that the pharmaceutical industry can’t profit from it as it is not patentable and also that it is not in government interest that people are empowered by it and do actually realize that there is much more to reality than the 3D world that we know through our 5 senses. This makes us less easy to manipulate and be the blind consumers they would have us be. Our consciousness is ours and no-one has the right to tell us we can’t explore it.
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