On a warm night in 2009 filled with spirit and stories, we gathered in Mullumbimby to launch my book Aya: A Shamanic Odyssey and to explore the sacred resurgence of ayahuasca and shamanic traditions worldwide. It wasn't just a panel discussion; it was a call to remember. To return. To heal.
I kicked off the evening by sharing my own journey, what I call the "spiritual backpacking circuit of the soul." Back in 2006, I went to Peru on assignment, chasing down the archetype of the shaman in the 21st century. I'd heard whispers of a booming ayahuasca scene in Iquitos, and what I found was a spiritual movement rising like jungle mist.
"Ayahuasca is not a drug in the Western sense. It's a medicine, a teacher, a portal," I told the crowd.
There is a spiritual realm, a dimensional space beyond what we see in the mainstream world.
Indigenous cultures have long used ayahuasca across the Amazon as a tool for healing, guidance, and connection to the spiritual world. But the West only stumbled onto its existence relatively recently, and we've often misunderstood or misrepresented it.
Now, as interest surges, we're witnessing a kind of spiritual cross-pollination. The Eagle and the Condor prophecy, an ancient Andean legend, speaks of a time when North and South America, symbolic of mind and heart, logic and spirit, would reunite. We're living in that time, and it's crucial that we approach this reunion with respect and responsibility, honoring the cultural traditions that have given birth to this sacred medicine.
What I witnessed and documented in Peru was not just a local tradition; it was a global awakening. Jungle lodges were sprouting up to cater to international seekers. Ayahuasca was becoming a buzzword. But beneath the surface trend was a profound truth: we are all being called back into relationship with nature, with spirit, and with each other. This medicine is not just healing individuals; it’s helping reweave the threads of a fragmented world, reminding us of our shared spiritual journey and interconnectedness.
Holding Space: Wisdom from the Circle
One of the most heartfelt voices on the panel was Margaret, a seeker from the psychedelic trance scene who found deeper purpose through Madre Ayahuasca and Grandfather San Pedro.
We are all being given a gracious opportunity to find new divine expression through working with the plants. But we need to ground this into our lives, into our communities.
Margaret's story is emblematic of the journey many in the West are now taking. She began with synthetic psychedelics, seeking peak states and transcendence. But over time, she realised those moments weren't sustainable or rooted. She longed for something more profound, more connected to the Earth. That longing led her to shamanism, to the jungles of Peru, and eventually back to Australia, where she carried sacred wisdom with her.
Her voice was one of compassion but also caution. She reminded the audience that while ayahuasca opens powerful doorways, the real challenge lies in what we do afterward. Integration, she said, is where true transformation happens. That means processing the visions, embodying the insights, and reshaping how we live and love in our daily lives. And in this process, the support and understanding of our community play a vital role, making each of us an integral part of the healing journey.
There should be no trauma except what is experienced in the circle and let go
She also spoke of the energetic dynamics of ceremony; how important it is to have skilled facilitators, safe environments, and post-ceremony support. In her words, the medicine is sacred, but without proper care, it can be misused or misunderstood. Her call was clear: we must grow into a culture that honours these sacraments, not exploits them.
Ancient Future and the Role of the Plant Teachers
Dean Jefferys, filmmaker of Shamans of the Amazon, brought a grounded yet deeply spiritual voice to the conversation. He traced his own psychedelic path from LSD and mushrooms to finally meeting Madre Ayahuasca.
It dissolves separation. It reunites you with the matrix of unity. It's not about chasing visions; it's about becoming whole again.
Dean reflected on how Western culture often lacks formal rites of passage, processes of initiation into adulthood and spiritual responsibility. Psychedelics, particularly ayahuasca, have begun to fill that void for many. But as Dean pointed out, the medicine is not a shortcut. It demands deep inner work, humility, and the willingness to face one's shadow.
He unpacked the multidimensional nature of the ayahuasca experience. The brew, he explained, doesn't just offer pretty pictures or cosmic visions; it opens portals to the subconscious and the transpersonal. It reveals the layers of trauma, ego, and conditioning that separate us from the truth of who we are. Yet, it also offers the blueprint for returning home to wholeness.
Respect and sincerity are the two most important things. The medicine knows if you're ready. And if you are, she will show you everything.
Dean's experiences over more than a decade have shown him how the plant spirit seems to tailor each journey to the individual's needs. Some are shown their trauma. Others are given healing directly through the body. Some experience ancestral beings or visions of Earth's future, but ultimately, the core message is that everything is connected; separation is an illusion, and the ceremony reflects this truth.
Dreamtime Awakened - Power of Place
Perhaps the most mind-expanding thread came from Dan Schreiber, who connected the Dreamtime of Australia with the global ayahuasca current. He spoke of the eastern seaboard of Australia as a spiritual hotspot, rich with Acacia trees carrying DMT and the potential for mass awakening.
The Dreamtime is the collapse of space-time into pure creative space. All the work is learning how to cultivate self-love.
Dan drew lines between biology, myth, and cosmology, suggesting that the land itself is alive with intention. He explained how Australia, often perceived as a peripheral player in global spirituality, may, in fact, hold a key to planetary consciousness. Through his understanding of the expanding Earth theory, he proposed that ancient connections still exist energetically, linking Australia to South America and beyond.
He shared stories of working with 5-MeO-DMT, found naturally in the bufo alvarius toad – a cousin to Australia's cane toad – and how these animal medicines are appearing in Australia not by accident, but as part of a larger ecological intelligence. The land, he said, is offering its own version of awakening; one rooted in the Dreamtime, the songlines, and the ancestral memory of this place.
More than visionary speculation, Dan's insights were a call to action. He encouraged people to listen to the land, to work with native plants responsibly, and to treat all entheogens with reverence. He stressed that awakening isn't abstract; it must be grounded in how we live, how we relate, and how we care for the Earth.
What the Medicine Asks
As the night unfolded, a shared truth emerged: the medicine is not here to dazzle. It's here to teach. To heal. To reconnect us with the Earth, each other, and ourselves.
If you're not willing to take responsibility for who you are, better not touch the medicine. But if you are, then welcome
The panellists were united in a single message: Ayahuasca is a sacred intelligence. It's not to be used lightly or commodified. It requires humility, courage, and support. However, for those who are ready to listen, it offers profound insight and transformation.
This sacred resurgence isn't about tourism, trend, or escape. It's about sacred reciprocity. About learning to listen again.
Ayahuasca calls us to see beyond the illusions, beyond the material distractions and ego narratives that keep us separate. It calls us to remember our wholeness, our connection to the Earth, and the ancient wisdom stored in our very DNA. It is not a shortcut, but a catalyst; a fierce and loving mirror that reveals what we need to see.
And as the medicine re-enters the West, there is a responsibility to uphold its integrity. This means honouring the cultures from which it comes, supporting indigenous sovereignty, and cultivating ethical, grounded practices in our own lands. Ceremony doesn't end when the brew wears off; it begins there. Integration, community support, and conscious action are the real work.
This is more than a movement; it's a remembering. Of who we are. Of what we're here to do. Of the sacredness of life itself.
Together, we bloom.