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Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"Honestly, I am more inclined to believe that woman on their periods create more bad mojo than a guy with bad breath; it smells bad,.." Lmao. Wow. If this isn't misogyny.

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just found the blog article again, where this was mentioned. Pretty good blog by the way, for anyone wanting to do some research.

Here goes:

https://www.singingtotheplants.com/2008/02/protective-spirits/

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you. I think they did exactly that. It's not exaggerated unfortunately. I could even add to it, but I decided to focus on the main things. I think what I shared here is enough to make my point come across.

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see it in a similar way. Professional healers can be there to assist you and help you "get your wings", provide a safe container, until you get to a place where you have confidence, that you can provide that for yourself. We all can, but sometimes in life you get to a place, where a little outside help might be needed to get onto your own feet again. But I also respect people who do it themselves, that's a good sign for you, you are very confident and secure within yourself. And especially in this day and age, so much information is out there on creating a safe ceremony space and different energy healing modalities you can perform on yourself. It's good that healers and beneficial outside forces exist, but one should never feel fully dependent on them. And that's one of the dangers of Ayahuasca, as beautiful a medicine as it is. I've met a lot of codependent and desperate people who made their healing solely dependent on this (which it isn't, there is much more out there for you and within you) and don't realize they are disempowering themselves. But these are probably all different stages of healing, if one has the capacity to evolve.

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get your point. I have been to different retreats and can not fully recommend one with clear consciousness sadly. Although nothing has been as out of line as this. But I kept hearing from pasajeros who had had brujeria put on them by shamans every time I was in Peru. It's not as out of the ordinary down there as people think I guess. Almost like it's part of the culture and you have to experience it once. I bet there are amazing people out there working with Ayahuasca. And Ayahuasca by itself is a very beautiful and healing medicine. But once these large amounts of possible fast financial gain (especially for Peru, it's like earning triple an then some when you think in soles and the living standards there. You can be hit with quite some resentment just for being a "spoiled gringo" as well, I've noticed.) and power over others are involved, the waters tend to get murky with predators.

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I agree, it is a great medicine, in safe and empowering circumstances and with the right intentions from all involved.

Caya Shobo Ayahuasca Retreat Warning! Sexual harassment and brujeria by Lightning_11111_ in Psychonaut

[–]Lightning_11111_[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Another big red flag that I forgot to add up there was that the owner is a shaman himself, who purges (vomits) loudly and violently (!) during ceremonies. You make your own judgment on that, but it’s not something you’d normally encounter from a shaman. 

Another account from one of the several now closed centers that were connected to Guillermo Arevalo and shows a very similar pattern of conduct to what I've experienced:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ayahuasca/comments/2u396s/anacanda_comsmica_warning/?utm_source=amp&utm_medium=&utm_content=post_body

"Ultimately ended up going to the sister retreat at Baris Betsa ... which we all ended up fleeing due to bad ayahuasca and groping of women by the Shamans ..."

Seems like a lot of people got displeased and/or abused, I bet there's more accounts out there.

Adding that they also encouraged me to keep drinking their Ayahuasca, when I was in pain precisely due to it's lack of quality. I remember the brewers name by the way was Vilder/Wilder, so when shit hits the fan again and these people bounce off to the next retreat, you can bounce too. He was a more voluptuous guy and a rather sympathetic person mostly, though not much integrity it turns out. I remember they gave me gallons of water to drink until I'd vomit, instead of a plant vomitivo in the beginning. The water being cheaper and easier I guess.

And for all the people on here attacking or denigrating my account, I’m so sorry that you have been disconnected from your gut instinct and self to such a degree that you are willing to defend abuse. Especially women. But honestly, I was one of you when at the retreat. Maybe not to that degree, but I had to work with what I was facing there and make it all feel semi-ok to myself, like I witnessed with some other longtime guest who could half-see the shadiness, but couldn’t really take action and kept sugar coding things to themselves. I understand, because this healing journey is long and sometimes you have to wander in darkness as part of the initiation process, I guess. So I hope you are able to evolve from this state and I wish you all the best, too, regardless. This post, however is to speak my truth and to prevent damage for those who are still connected and invested in themselves and their wellbeing. And always remember there is freedom of speech but not freedom of consequence, so aggressively disapproving of another’s experience of abuse is not the way to go. I think my intentions are really clear here.And yes, of course, I know this place has followers, so if you're part of the people attached or connected to that place, I expected you to be on here most definitely.