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Some conceptual obstacles in the dialogue between traditional medicines and Western medicine
Dr. Jacques Mabit gave the opening lecture at the International Conference on Traditional Medicines on “Traditional knowledge and practices facing current challenges in health sciences, research and development and sustainability”, which took place in October 2023 at the Cheikh Anta-Diop University in Dakar, Senegal.
As a doctor on the one hand and a practitioner of traditional Amazonian medicines for 36 years on the other hand, he aims to address the "breakpoints" between Western practices and visions of healing and those of traditional Amazonian medicines, which are quite general to traditional medicines around the world. Starting from clinical practice, he explores where these practices encounter conceptual obstacles that fundamentally differentiate them. This intervention focuses in particular on extracts versus the totality of plants, the concept of a single body versus multiple bodies, spirits or beings of nature and, finally, the reality or ontological existence of spirits.
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Hermanos de Melodías - Ikaros in music
Dear friends, we are happy to announce the release of a new production of ikaros set to music by the artists Alejo & Simon, who have kindly authorized us to sell these recordings and thus generate a new small income for Takiwasi. By purchasing the ikaros and the other products for sale, you are directly contributing to sustaining the activities of the Takiwasi Center, allowing us to continue providing hope and healing.
Hermanos de Melodías is the meeting of Alejo Rodríguez and Simon Lagarrosse in Takiwasi. The two musicians, guitarists and singers join in a very strong friendship in life and especially in music, hence the name: “Brothers of Melodies”. All the songs presented here are ikaros (healing songs) that are sung during Ayahuasca ceremonies. They freely interpret for us, with their own musical arrangements, the ikaros that accompanied their therapeutic process for many months and have greatly contributed to their healing and spiritual journey. The purpose of these recordings is to pay tribute to traditional Amazonian medicine, the master plants, the healers and all the staff of the Takiwasi Center.
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Tribute to Benny Shanon
At the age of 77, our friend Benny Shanon has just passed away. We knew him because of his interest in the study of the psychic effects of ayahuasca. His research interests included cognitive psychology, psycholinguistics, neuropsychology, natural language semantics, and philosophy of psychology.
In 2009, he visited Takiwasi on the occasion of the International Congress on “Traditional Medicines, Interculturality and Mental Health” that we organized and where he gave a lecture and wrote an article published in the Proceedings of this Congress. Benny Shanon was one of the first scholars to study the content of Ayahuasca visions and perceptions in a systematic way. The orientation of his work was phenomenological and involved a systematic investigation of all the different facets of the Ayahuasca experience.
We share a text written by our president Dr. Jacques Mabit to pay tribute to this friend, a sensitive, tender, fundamentally human being, capable of seriousness and audacity, openness and simplicity.
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Veteran Testimonial on the Master Plants Dieta
We share the testimonial of J. Grant, U.S. Army Ranger, about his experience with traditional Amazonian medicine:
"I’ve experienced a profound transformation since embracing traditional Amazonian medicine. It has led me to the transformative practices of plant purges and master plant dietas which, in addition to Ayahuasca, are vital for detoxification and spiritual clarity. It has allowed me to foster balance and resilience in my daily life. Through this journey, I have found renewed vitality. I’m truly grateful for this journey and the help I received in Peru."
Starting in 2025, Takiwasi will be hosting a new therapeutic program exclusively designed for Veterans and First Responders with 03 retreats that will take place in June, July and August. The application process is now open and available through our website to participants speaking English, French and Spanish.
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Rescuing traditional knowledge about medicinal plants
The Training Program for Bilingual Teachers in the Peruvian Amazon - Formabiap and the Takiwasi Center join forces to work on rescuing the traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples about medicinal plants, promoting their preservation through Intercultural Bilingual Education (IBE).
On January 10 and 11, a workshop was held in the Educational Community of Zungarococha in the city of Iquitos, with a group of teachers from the Matsés and Urarina peoples, and students from the IX cycle of the Intercultural Bilingual Primary Education Studies program of Formabiap. During the workshop, Takiwasi researchers Matteo Politi and Giorgia Tresca addressed the topic of medicinal plants from an ethnobotanical research perspective, promoting an enriching exchange between the knowledge that Takiwasi has gathered during its years of work and the knowledge of the participants transmitted by their ancestors.
This collaboration between Takiwasi and Formabiap encourages the generation of proposals that contribute to the cultural rescue and sustainable development of indigenous peoples of the Amazon.
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Training in therapeutic integration of experiences with Master Plants
Since 2018, psychologist Paulina Pozo has been offering this online course in Spanish that seeks to build a bridge between the use of master plants according to the tradition of Amazonian vegetalismo and Western Psychotherapy, to contribute to professional training in therapeutic integration of experiences with master plants.
In this 7th edition, transcultural, relational, ethical and clinical themes are addressed, with topics so necessary such as the treatment of addictions, spiritual emergencies and symbolic work, among other exciting content, with guest teachers with extensive experience in this field, such as psychologist Jaime Torres, Director of the Takiwasi Center, and Dr. Susana Bustos, co-founder of the School of Psychovegetalism, among others.
For each person who registers for the course from our networks, Takiwasi will receive a small donation.
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Exploring the use of master plant diets in Europe
Our research team's new talk, titled: “Exploring the use of master plant diets in Europe” will be broadcast in Spanish through our Facebook Live on Tuesday, February 25 at 11:00 am (Peru time).
In the Peruvian Amazon, both mestizo and indigenous healers often ingest medicinal plants in the therapeutic practice of the “dieta”, as part of their healing and learning process. In the context of the internationalization of Peruvian vegetalismo, today a growing number of Europeans who undergo a learning process as healers in Peru are making use of the “dieta” in their country of origin with plants from the European flora. This presentation focuses on exploring the way in which dietas are carried out in a European context, how plants participate in the healing narratives of individuals and what relationships are built with them. Taking as a reference the multispecies approach, it is argued that the plants used in the dieta can participate in the redefinition of the relationship of individuals with the environment.
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Psychosis and Ayahuasca
We share the video of the last talk by our research team, entitled: “Psychosis and Ayahuasca”.
In this conversation we explore the first results of the doctoral thesis work in medical anthropology by Annalisa Valeri, psychotherapist, on the so-called psychotic experiences as narrated by Takiwasi patients who have experienced them and how they were addressed and treated by the healers and psychologists of the center. Our attention focuses mainly on the encounters between the human and the non-human, understanding by "non-human" not only plants and animals, but also beings of nature and spiritual entities. We also address the concept of the body, which differs from the biological and individual idea of Western culture, to delve deeper into the notion of different bodies present in Takiwasi and also in the cosmovision of indigenous communities. Finally, we discuss the possible clinical implications derived from the integration of alternative conceptions of the body into therapeutic practice.
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Ikaros in Calligraphic Arts
Franz Ablitzer is an artist author who practices calligraphy and illumination. In homage to the late Dr. Rosa Amelia Giove Nakazawa, he offers us here an original creation based on the sacred chant (ikaro) received by her and entitled “Madre Ayahuasca”. He then offers Takiwasi a calligraphy of the ikaro “Tabaquero” made in October 2024 with walnut shell.
His remarkable work done with love and precision can be admired at the following link.
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2025 Retreats/Diets
Here is the calendar of our next retreats/diets for 2025:
• 10 - 22 March
• 31 March - 12 April
• 12 - 24 May
• 16 - 28 June
• 14 - 26 July
• 18 - 30 August
• 8 - 20 September
• 6 - 18 October
• 3 - 15 November
• 1 - 13 December
For more information and to start the registration process please write to: terapia@takiwasi.com
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Help us with your donation!
Takiwasi is a pioneering institution in the rehabilitation of people suffering from drug addiction, combining the wisdom of traditional Amazonian medicine with modern therapeutic approaches. For over 30 years, we have witnessed profound transformations in the lives of those seeking to heal their body, mind and soul.
We invite you to be part of this change. With your donation, you are providing people with limited resources with access to a cutting-edge treatment protocol, recognized worldwide and proven effective by scientific studies. Help us continue our research and preserve the ancestral knowledge and medicinal plants of the Amazon.
Every contribution counts: your donation allows us to continue offering hope and healing. Find out how to donate by clicking on the green button below.
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