Discussing the indigenous use of plant medicines

In this article, Cristian Cortes, Psych-K health and wellbeing facilitator, discusses the indigenous use of plant medicines, emphasising that he believes they must be treated with respect as the psychedelics industry evolves.

I come from a family and blood culture with an ancestry steeped in mystical, clairvoyance and shamanic lineage. The Atacama region was the cradle of the Atacamian people, creators of the San Pedro culture, which developed in the area more than 11,000 years ago. 

These people spread through the highlands and the Atacama desert, settling especially in oases such as San Pedro de Atacama. The native peoples who inhabited the northern part of Chile before the arrival of the Spanish were the Changos, Aymara, Atacameños and Diaguitas. 

They inhabited the northern area between Arica and the Choapa River. They were nomads and great believers in sacred, medicinal and psychotropic plants such as magic mushrooms, peyote, ayahuasca and Salvia. 

This helped the community to have an elevated state of consciousness and connection with the planet and any living being within the natural system of existence. All these plants were used to treat illnesses, traumas, fears and endless negative situations.

We should note that the word psychedelic is a term adapted from psychedelic and of Greek origin, formed from the Greek words ψυχή, meaning “soul”, and δήλομαι, meaning “to manifest”.

So it is simply the ‘Manifestation of the soul’.

 My native ancestors after years of research came up with an impressive classification of sacred medicinal plants, and at the same time understood that some of them had such powerful healing effects that they allowed them to elevate and open their consciousness to different worlds imperceptible to the senses.

In this way, they could dialogue, feel and have a connection with their ancestors and with the creative essences of the universe.

Sacred medicine has shown promise for mental health problems, addictions of all kinds, for the treatment of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress – and to potentially revolutionise the field of mental health and the future of treatment – if used responsibly and wisely.

Treat sacred medicines with respect

We should treat sacred medicines with a lot of respect as, working with these plants, among others, is not an easy thing, since proper use, that is in its traditional form, requires a lot of work consisting of preparing the body and mind. 

And perhaps this is why many people feel cheated by wanting so much from a psychedelic experience, as often their life continues the same as before.

It is not a matter of sitting on a mountain, taking the plant and waiting for gods known by our culture or elaborated by our minds to appear to clarify everything for us.

I hope that one day the authorities will become aware and will understand that sacred plants, when used in the right way, are very beneficial for the human being. They have been medicines used by our ancestors for thousands of years. 

People who consume the sacred plant medicine containing psychedelics experience intense euphoria, a greater sense of empathy, love, peace, fear and anxiety and at the same time a greater connection with their loved ones, their surroundings and nature.

You must also be open and flexible, because this experience is unlike any other. Often the best intention is to have none at all, to put no limits or restrictions on the experience and let it flow in any direction spontaneously.

In the medicine space, you can have a direct connection with your creator, your soul, your spirit and the unconscious parts of yourself, and they may tell you things you don’t want to hear, but it is the best way to heal and get to know the real you. 

It will hold up a mirror to your true reality.

People may experience different types of emotions while taking psychedelics, so their trip may seem different from other people’s, even if they took the same dose.

It should be noted that negative trips are not necessarily undesirable. Psychedelics expand the mind and force conversations that we would not otherwise have with ourselves because we are afraid of remembering a trauma or an undesirable situation from the past or we simply do not want to recognise ourselves with our faults and virtues.

By the time you have had your experience with psychedelics you will realise that we are all special. We are all loved. We are all connected. Everything is energy and frequency of the reality you want to live. Your story is my story, and life is our story. That is the truth that I experienced my first time with the sacred medicine.

I could see, hear and feel that “Love is everything and everywhere” during my journey through the medicine ceremony and overall “Psychedelics save lives”

My concern is that, if the use of psychedelics is distorted and becomes a multi-million dollar business for multinational pharmaceuticals, we can not forget that Nature gives us all these sacred medicinal plants with a purpose for us to heal, to help the human evolution and find our individual purpose in our life.

I hope that pharmaceuticals will not manipulate these kinds of sacred plants that are completely natural and organic. 

I hope that this will not become a manipulated product with toxic and harmful chemicals for the human being and that it will not be used in an incorrect way and will be treated with the respect it deserves.

Cristian Cortes
PSYCH-K®️ Facilitador.
www.cristian-cortes.com
hello@cristian-cortes.com