When people ask me what I do or what my job is, I often find it difficult to answer. I certainly engage in many activities, such as writing, photography, and traveling. But the main work I’ve been doing for the past 14 years is something else. This is what I usually want to explain to people. Yet, when I say, «I organize and lead open expeditions» or «I work as a guide into the world of Latin American shamanism,» it sounds interesting, but it doesn’t clarify much.
Let me try to explain. I know authentic (real) shamans in Peru, the Amazon, and Mexico who are willing to conduct ceremonies for foreigners. I can organize trips to them for groups or individuals, arrange travel within the country, accommodations, meals, visits to beautiful places, and, of course, the shamanic ceremonies themselves. I can choose the right place, time, and the shaman who is suitable for a specific purpose and is in the right form and mood at the moment. There are also many organizational details, which are generally understood and not particularly difficult.
But if the essence of my work were only this, it would not be much different from the work of many travel agencies. It’s not hard to guess that when it comes to traveling to shamans, and not just to talk with them, but to attend ceremonies with deep trance immersion, the guide must also engage in some psychological or even shamanic work. Surprisingly, not everyone realizes this, considering how many travel companies, with no understanding of this subject, have included visits to some «shamans» in their programs. And it’s not just travel companies. Many amateur solo organizers also venture into organizing such trips, putting people at risk. But let’s not dwell on the sad part.
Those who have read my previous articles, interviews, or book know that real shamans are very few. And it’s not just that they are few in number. What’s even more important is that they are catastrophically few among those who call themselves shamans. Plus, every year, there are fewer real ones, while the number of fakes keeps growing. At this stage, it’s safe to say that authentic shamans make up less than one percent of the total.
Why are there fewer real shamans? First, they are dying out. Most shamans are of advanced age. Secondly, they stop being shamans under the influence of civilization. For a while, they may continue to work actively with foreigners, but the loss of shamanic power will eventually show itself. Not all authentic shamans can resist this.
Why are there more pseudo-shamans? Because if you’ve attended ceremonies with such «shamans» or poorly trained shamans, you might get the impression that this work is quite simple and that anyone can do it. Thus, pseudo-shamans multiply like rabbits. Entire large communities of «shamans» emerge, who have never even seen a real shaman. And it’s important to understand that people may sincerely travel to someone in the Amazon, stay in certain shamanic centers for six months, and think they are learning shamanism. Meanwhile, they may indeed experience complex psychological processes. After all, they are consuming plant-based concoctions, almost in the jungle. This all provides an experience. But it’s far from real shamanism. Nowadays, many shamanic centers have appeared. Some are more well-known (promoted). Since I’ve been living and working here for a long time, I know much about the history of their formation, the organizers, and the value of the «shamans» working there. But I don’t plan to go deeper into this topic right now.
Let’s focus on the fact that the guide must know the real shamans and clearly understand whom to visit during a particular period. Shamans, like all people, have life cycles, ups and downs. They may be sick or going through some life drama, they may lose power or gain it. The guide must stay in contact with them. For some, this may sound strange. But the guide must be able to feel the shamans even from a distance. In the world of shamanism, this is one of the skills developed during ceremonies. If you’re a guide into the world of shamanism, you should develop some (or preferably more) of the shamanic abilities within yourself. This is also because sometimes you need to help shamans during ceremonies. Various situations can arise.
This happened gradually with me. As I became more involved in the world of shamans, I increasingly participated in the work during ceremonies. And since I’ve undergone many ceremonies, I had plenty of time for this. Of course, to be more than just a patient or someone exploring oneself during a ceremony and to progress toward understanding and mastering the work of a shaman, you need a special gift. I was lucky in this regard. The gift was passed down from my ancestors. The lack of diligence was compensated by years of practice. When you go through over a thousand shamanic ceremonies with real shamans, there will be progress. And if these ceremonies are conducted with groups of people for whom you are responsible before the shamans and higher forces, a unique learning situation arises.
To briefly describe what I do, I would call it working with people. It’s a special psychological work before and after ceremonies.
During ceremonies, I continue working, too. But this part is already close to shamanic work, and it would be difficult to explain it to people who haven’t gone through ceremonies. In shamanic ceremonies, the work is done silently or through shamanic songs (icaro). Perhaps we’ll leave the description here for now. Before and after ceremonies, there is communication and shared activities. Both create an intense environment for work. But it’s easier to write about communication. Each person needs to hear the right words specifically for them before the ceremony. Sometimes this is done casually, in passing, or over a meal. It may seem like a random conversation. But if you’ve taken on such work, there’s no idle chatter in dealing with people. Every conversation, even on unrelated topics, should clarify aspects of the shamanic journey or identify issues the person needs to work on during the ceremonies. Once the ceremonies begin, the intensity of work and awareness of processes increases dramatically. For some, the first ceremony will be great, for others, it may be tough, or they might be confused. The right words need to be chosen for each person individually. Others may hear them too, but it’s crucial that the intended recipient understands them. And not just the words.
The inner state of the guide speaks louder than any words. The further you go, the more ceremonies you pass through, the more you see and understand without words. Situations, nature, different places, and observing people start teaching you. When you’re in a heightened state of awareness (which happens not only during but also after ceremonies), you begin to learn intensely and solve problems that previously seemed unresolved for years. And in this process, the guide takes on a lot. This happens during ceremonies as part of learning shamanism, but then it transfers into life. Sometimes an enormous amount of emotional burden from different people falls on you. And there’s no escaping it. It’s part of the job. You must effectively help people overcome their problems. Otherwise, you’ll carry them inside yourself. And if you missed something, got distracted, or overlooked it, specific illnesses can enter you. In the shamanic world, this is common. Until you figure it out and understand, you’ll remain unwell.
From this experience, you learn another important lesson: some people are better left out of expeditions. It’s not worth overburdening yourself and the shamans with unnecessary heaviness. This isn’t about illnesses; it’s primarily about emotional contamination. I have a long list of people I never take on expeditions, and it keeps growing. It’s also important for participants to be in the right company. How do you determine that someone shouldn’t join an expedition? It’s easier when you know them well. But sometimes, someone writes from another country whom you’ve never met or heard of. In this case, experience guides you. You can tell a lot from the tone and content of their message. Also, intuition kicks in. Or perhaps it’s not just intuition. Intuition is the cornerstone of all my work. A vast number of decisions are made intuitively.
And then the most important thing. The person doing such work must be oriented toward something higher, feeling connected to something greater (I won’t define it with specific terms). There must be a constant intention to maintain this connection and measure all actions, especially key decisions, against this connection. In other words, you need to avoid actions that weaken or sever this connection and strive to do what strengthens and nurtures it. This principle guides my life. My experience with meditation, various practices I’ve been engaged in since I was 13, and, of course, shamanic ceremonies have led me to this understanding.
Being a mystic in the right sense is essential for this work. But it’s equally important not to confuse the real with the imagined, which is common among many «esotericists» and «psychologists». A person’s real experience can be fantastic. But it always has clear criteria distinguishing it from imagination. Yet people, for the most part, are prone to self-deception. Therefore, extreme sobriety and clarity are vital for those introducing others to the world of shamanism. Otherwise, it will just be a path to delusion. It all seems simple, but very few can adhere to these principles during deep trance immersions. And unfortunately, not everyone can be taught this. To be a true guide, just like being a true shaman, requires a special gift.
What are the results of my work as a guide? The majority of participants return for shamanic expeditions. More than half return multiple times. People sense their inner progress. Often it’s visible and noticeable to those around them. People may not fully understand what contributed to this transformation, but they feel drawn to continue working on themselves, cleansing, healing, and practicing. The work then moves to new levels, depending on what the person has achieved and what stage they are in their life. Of course, this path isn’t for everyone. But for those it suits, this path is straightforward and bright.
