Video channel
Experiential Seminar for Indigenous Students - June 2025
Between late April and early May, a group of young Indigenous people from the Waorani, Kofan, and Siekopai nations of the Ecuadorian Amazon participated in an experiential seminar at Takiwasi to reconnect with their identity, ancestral medicine, and cultural roots. Through plants intake, therapeutic workshops, and moments of deep introspection, these young people began a process of personal healing that strengthened them and gave them new tools to face the challenges their communities face, such as alcoholism, suicide, and the loss of cultural identity.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Community-led Education and Reconnection with Spiritual Roots - June 2025
Interview in Spanish with Patricia Peñaherrera, coordinator of the Education Program of Amazon Frontlines, during the experiential seminar for young Indigenous students from the Waorani, Kofan, and Siekopai nations of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This seminar was designed at the Takiwasi Center to help them reconnect with their roots, strengthen their cultural identity, and build strong bridges with the Western world. Patricia shares her experience of more than 25 years working with Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. From her teaching work to the revitalization of community-led education and ancestral spirituality, Patricia speaks to us about the impact of colonization, the loss of identity, and the urgent need for collective and individual healing.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
The Devil’s Best Kept Secret – Exorcist Fr. Faustino - May 2025
Interview with Father Faustino conducted by the hosts of the Fearless podcast. In this powerful testimony, Father Faustino shares his personal journey from the darkness of drug addiction and gang life to becoming an exorcist priest.
Author : Fearless
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Research Department – Takiwasi Center - May 2025
The mission of the Takiwasi Center's research department is to generate rigorous and interdisciplinary scientific knowledge on the therapeutic use of Amazonian medicinal plants and their integration with Western psychotherapy, with an emphasis on the treatment of addictions and mental health. Over more than three decades, Takiwasi has developed a unique therapeutic model that combines ancestral indigenous knowledge with modern clinical tools. Research plays a fundamental role in validating this approach, contributing to intercultural dialogue, the documentation of traditional practices, and the evaluation of their therapeutic efficacy.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
Effectiveness of the Takiwasi Therapeutic Model in the Treatment of Addictions - May 2025
Over time, the need for scientific validation of the data collected at our center has led us to participate in a growing number of research projects in collaboration with world-class academic institutions. Several studies conducted at Takiwasi in recent years by external researchers have demonstrated significant improvements during and after treatment for a wide range of factors examined, including addiction severity, physical health, emotional health, depression, anxiety, cravings, and spiritual well-being, thus confirming the effectiveness of our treatment model.
Author : Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Dangers of the Loss of Traditional Knowledge about Medicinal Plants - May 2025
Ancestral knowledge about the use of medicinal plants constitutes an invaluable heritage of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. This knowledge, passed down orally from generation to generation, is the fruit of a close relationship between humans and the other beings that inhabit natural environments and represents an increasingly valued health alternative, even in contemporary contexts. However, this knowledge is in danger of disappearing, threatened by various factors: acculturation, the loss of indigenous languages, deforestation, the commercialization of traditional knowledge, and the lack of policies for the protection and transmission of culture. Faced with this situation, urgent questions arise: What consequences does this loss have for Indigenous communities and for humanity as a whole? What can we do to preserve and revitalize this legacy?
Author : Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Testimonial of Deep Healing with Master Plants – Matías - April 2025
In this testimonial, Matías shares his transformative experience after completing his third retreat/diet at the Takiwasi Center. From his first master plant diet -undertaken to heal depression and certain toxic behaviors- to the clarity and balance he has achieved today, he tells us how master plants, isolation in the jungle, and therapeutic accompaniment have helped him regenerate psychologically and emotionally while also developing his spiritual side.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
Sacred Science: A Conversation on Research and Spirituality - April 2025
In this insightful and revealing conversation, Jacques Mabit, founding president of the Takiwasi Center, and Matteo Politi, research and development manager, explore the intersections between science, spirituality, and traditional Amazonian medicine. Throughout this dialogue, they address the challenges and opportunities that academia faces when approaching traditional medicines, in which spirituality and contact with the "world other" are fundamental elements. This exchange suggests that tradition, science, and spirituality do not have to be in opposition; on the contrary, they can be integrated to offer a deeper and more holistic understanding of the human being and their environment.
Author : Fabio Friso, Martín Huamán
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : Français
Long-Term Effects of Master Plant Diets - April 2025
Tereza Rumlerová PhD thesis in Psychology, was focused on studying the master plant diet developed in Takiwasi, analysing the long-term effects experienced by a group of participants. The data collected has allowed to analyse the motivations of the people to undertake this therapeutic process, as well as the lived experience and the personal changes perceived at different levels (physical, psychological, social, spiritual). The main reasons for participating in a diet are usually self-discovery, personal development, interest in plant medicine and professional fulfilment. The experience of the diet is perceived as intense and allows participants to experience self-acceptance, self-discovery, mental balance, rest, physical detoxification and connection with nature.
Author : Fabio Friso
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : -
Testimonial of addiction recovery - March 2025
Takiwasi’s innovative treatment protocol allows not only to heal drug addiction, but also to discover or reaffirm one’s vocation, as in the case of Opi Nenquimo, leader of the Waorani indigenous people of Ecuador. This testimony shows the healing power of medicinal plants, which must be accompanied by great willpower, to achieve a profound change in life.
Author : Fabio Friso
Audio : Spanish
Subtitle : English, Français
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