Contents of Sacred Voyage

The Sacred Voyage: a holotropic perspective on mental health

Definitions
Summary
Foreword
1. Introduction
2. The Sacred Voyage, a holotropic perspective on mental health
2.1 Background
2.2 Defining mental health
2.3 Therapeutic aspects
2.4 Shamanistic aspects
2.5 Religious aspects
2.6 Ritual aspects
2.7 Non-Western aspects
2.8 The importance of childhood
2.9 Mythological aspects
2.10 Somatic aspects
2.11 Role of the activation cycle
2.12 Focusing
2.13 Intake
2.14 Goal
2.15 The use of ayahuasca
2.16 Hypothesis

3. Research design 23
3.1 Research sample 23
3.2 Set, setting and brew 23
3.2.1 Set (intention, expectation, motivation) 24
3.2.2.Setting 25
3.2.3 Brew 26
3.3 Parameters 28
3.3.1 The actual experience 28
3.3.2 Healing 29
3.3.3 Transformation 29
3.3.4 Positive effects of the transformation process 29
3.3.5 Importance of guidance and preparation 30
3.3.6 After-effects and physical effects 30
3.4 Qualitative questions 30

4. Results 31
4.1 Response to the questionnaire 31
4.1.2 Background of the respondents 31
4.2. Previous experience 32
4.2.1 Effects on physical and mental health 32
4.2.2 Healing 33
4.2.3 Transformational effect 33
4.2.4 Positive effects of transformation 34
4.2.5 Role of guidance and preparation 34
4.2.6 After-effects and physical effects 34
4.2.7 Participants’ view on the use of ayahuasca 35
4.3 Qualitative responses 35

5. Discussion 36
5.1 General discussion 36
5.2 Background of the respondents 38
5.3 Occasion 39
5.4 Nature of the experience 40
5.5 Effects on mental and physical health 42
5.6 The transformational effect 43
5.7 Transformatiional experience 47
5.8 Role of guidance and preparation 50
5.9 After-effects and physical effects 51
5.10 Participants’ view on the use of ayahuasca 52
5.11 Respondents personal experience of the Voyage 53
5.12 Therapeutic effects 56
5.13 Future 57

6. Conclusions and recommendations 60
References 61

Appendix 1: Questionnaire 65
Appendix 2: Quantitative responses 72
Appendix 3: Risk assessment of magic mushrooms 90

About the authors

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