Definitions

The Sacred Voyage: a holotropic perspective on mental health

Ayahuasca:
Ayahuasca is a Quechua word. Quechua is the language of the ancient Incas. There are many translations for the word ayahuasca, one of which is ‘little death’. Literally, the word means ‘liana of the soul’, (‘aya’: spirit, ancestor or deceased person; ‘huasca’: liana), referring to the climbing plant Banisteriopsis caapi, which supplies one of the main ingredients for the ayahuasca brew. In Quechua, both plant and brew are known as ayahuasca.

Set:
Intention, expectations and motivation of the user.

Setting:
The context in which the use of ayahuasca takes place.

Sacred Voyage:
The Sacred Voyage is a rite of passage undergone to (re)find one’s own essence. It is a method that consists of therapeutic, oriental meditative, shamanistic and spiritual/religious elements. Through breathing techniques or an entheogenous agent, an alternative state of consciousness is reached. An emphasis on set, setting and preparation is characteristic for the Sacred Voyage.

Preparation:
A thorough preparation for the Sacred Voyage means focusing and meditating on a theme (which is determined during a two hour intake session) which is relevant for the participant. Also, participants should fast for a minimum of three days prior to undertaking the Voyage.

Healing:
Beneficial to mental and physical health.

Transformational:
Allowing people to fulfill the ‘act of becoming’ through their own essence.

Lasting positive effects:
Those aspects that have noticeably and significantly improved for the participant in question, in comparison with their state prior to undertaking the Sacred Voyage.

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