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Military Veterans’ Testimonials on the Retreat/Diet
In this video, three U.S. military veterans share their honest and moving testimonials about their participation in the retreat for veterans and first responders at the Takiwasi Center.
Gary (68), Gabriel (23), and James (35) speak openly about how they have had to cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, guilt, grief, and depression in their lives, and how, through the therapeutic processes, they found clarity, forgiveness, and a renewed sense of purpose. In their testimonies, they reflect especially on the time spent alone in the jungle during the retreat/diet and the psychotherapeutic workshops that helped them carry out deep introspective work.
Our next retreat for veterans and first responders will take place from August 3 to 17. We invite you to share this information with anyone who may benefit from this therapeutic experience.
For more information, please write an email to: healingheroes@takiwasi.com
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Purgahuasca: From the Initiation Ritual
to the Therapeutic Applications
Dear friends, we invite you to join us for this free webinar that will be broadcast live on our Facebook page on Thursday, July 24 at 11:00 am (Peru time), with the participation of our Executive Director, psychologist Jaime Torres.
Rites of passage are a common practice in many Indigenous cultures, especially during the transition to adolescence. Among the Awajún people, this passage from childhood to adulthood is marked by a ceremony led by the traditional healer, or tsuwájatin, who administers to the adolescent a diluted decoction of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi, known as Purgahuasca. The purpose of the ritual is to facilitate an encounter with Ajútap, the divinity that grants vision and reveals the young person's life vocation.
Inspired by this tradition passed on to Takiwasi by the Awajún master Walter Cuñachi, the Purgahuasca ritual has been incorporated since 1998 into the therapeutic protocol of the Takiwasi Center for the treatment of addiction. Over the years, testimonials from both therapists and patients have confirmed its effectiveness and therapeutic value as an alternative modality for ingesting Ayahuasca.
Unlike the classic Ayahuasca ceremony, Purgahuasca usually induces fewer visions and acts more intensely on a physical level. In some cases, people who experience blockages during Ayahuasca ceremonies and fail to access meaningful insights, find in Purgahuasca a deeper and more revealing experience. Some patients describe it as the most transformative moment of their therapeutic process, due to the clarity, understanding, and insights they receive; essential elements on their path toward healing.
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Seminar for the Recovery and Learning of Amazonian Traditional Medicine
On the initiative of our healer Edgardo Tuanama, we are launching a new project aimed at revitalizing and transmitting traditional knowledge about Amazonian medicinal plants and the preparation of natural remedies.
This initiative is aimed at young people from the area of San José de Sisa, in the San Martín region. At the beginning of July, during an intensive week, four young people immersed themselves in experiential learning, guided by Edgardo and with the participation and accompaniment of the Takiwasi therapeutic team. The training also included a personal experience with plants through purges, baths, and rituals.
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Reconstruction of the Maloca
Dear friends, we are excited to share some wonderful news with you: the reconstruction work on the Takiwasi maloca is progressing steadily, thanks to your generous support. We have now completed the main structure and the installation of the new palm leaf roof, honoring the tradition and original spirit of this sacred space.
We are currently in the final stage of the work: building the side walls and renovating the floor. With each step, we move closer to restoring the maloca’s full strength and beauty so it can continue to serve in therapeutic processes. We deeply thank you for walking this path with us.
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Botanical Identification of Medicinal Plants:
Scientific Method vs. Traditional Perspective
For those who were unable to attend the live event, we're sharing the Spanish-language video of last month's research talk here.
The Peruvian Amazon is characterized by a high diversity of flora and a wealth of medicinal plant species. Traditional knowledge is also the source for academic research on the active ingredients and phytochemistry of medicinal plants; however, many of these species have not yet been identified according to scientific standards and are better known by their popular or common names.
This webinar, featuring Edilberto Chuquilin, Head of the Botanical Garden at the National Agrarian University of La Selva (Tingo Maria, Peru), offers a practical introduction to the botanical identification of medicinal plants, addressing both the scientific approach (taxonomy, nomenclature, ecology) and traditional knowledge based on vernacular names and cultural use.
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Retreats/Diets with Master Plants
Here are the dates of our next retreats/diets for 2025. We propose an additional date for the month of August.
• 4 - 16 August -- ADDITIONAL DATE!
• 18 - 30 August (full)
• 8 - 20 September
• 6 - 18 October
• 3 - 15 November
• 1 - 13 December
For more information and to start the registration process please write to: jaime_torres@takiwasi.com
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Reiki or spiritual deceit
Reiki has been fashionable since the 1990’s and from the beginning of the century, developing with great speed in all situations. Our therapeutic experience shows us that it is one of the largest and constant sources of spiritual infestation. This spiritual danger is greatly ignored and underestimated, which is why it seems useful to transmit our experience regarding this theme and our thoughts about this social phenomenon, as a warning to those using it.
This article, written several years ago by Dr. Jacques Mabit, remains remarkably relevant. For this reason, we have sought to share it in multiple languages. In addition to the present English translation that we are making available here, the original version in FRENCH, is accessible, along with translations in SPANISH and, more recently, in ITALIAN.
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Digital Books Catalog
Our collection of books in Spanish on traditional Amazonian medicine, anthropology, psychotherapy, spirituality, and ethnomedicine is a unique resource for researchers, therapists, educators, and all those interested in the intersection of ancestral knowledge and modern science.
Featured titles include: "Ritual del Ayahuasca" by Dr. Rosa Giove, exploring the ceremonial use of Ayahuasca and its recognition as Cultural Heritage of the Peruvian Nation; and “Medicinas Tradicionales, Interculturalidad y Salud Mental”, which compiles the proceedings of an international conference on the integration of ancestral and scientific knowledge in the field of mental health.
There is also a book in English entitled "New Applications of Amazonian Indigenous Practices for Drug Addiction Treatment and Mental Health" which is a compilation of material produced by the Takiwasi Center and its founder, Dr. Jacques Mabit, during his years of research.
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