In my previous article “20 Essential Books on the Mysterious Power of Ayahuasca”, Rak Razam (one of the co-coiners of the term “entheodelic storytelling” along with Graham Hancock, Jeremy D. Johnson and I) had the great honor of having two books on the list; The Ayahuasca Sessions and Aya Awakenings (now a documentary).

Everyone’s journey is unique, and my calling to the medicine of ayahuasca was also a unique path–I never realized I was writing a book until it was too late. I went to Peru in 2006 on a magazine assignment to track down the mythic archetype of the shaman, and discover how that was changing as a generation of western seekers went in search of a reconnection to plant entheogens and the spiritual world they open up.

Right now, I am undergoing what ayahuasca users call “integration.” Following a ceremony, there’s an indefinite period, maybe days or weeks, when the plant’s lessons continue to seep in. People often tout taking part of an ayahuasca ceremony, or experimenting with any intense mind-altering substance, as “life changing.” Integration, in a way, determines just how your life changes.