Interviews

Interview with Jeremy Narby - author of 'The Cosmic Serpent'

This interview is a transcript of a telephone conversation Izmar Verhage had with Jeremy Narby in October 2007. Amongst the many topics covered are the traditional use of ayahuasca, synthesized psychoactives like LSD and MDMA, and some of the latest insights of modern science.

"The central proposition that shamans make, is that nature is intelligent. Plants and animals are intelligent, and we can communicate with them. Ayahuasca is their number one tool for having this communication. Ayahuasca is considered to be a major plant teacher - no teacher is not intelligent. Ayahuasca is considered to be an intelligent being, and a source of intelligence, among other things about the intelligence in nature. What I try to do in the book "Intelligence in Nature", starting from the premise of indigenous Amazonian people, is to go back towards science and do an anthropology of science instead of an anthropology of indigenous people, and see where scientists now stand when it comes to discussing the intelligence of plants and animals."

Read the interview here or download the Microsoft Word document [English]

Interview with Arno Adelaars - co-author of 'Ayahuasca, Rituale, Zaubertränke und visionäre Kunst aus Amazonien'

This interview was conducted during a real-life meeting in Amsterdam. This interesting, patient and warm personality from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, tells us about his background and there is a general discussion about Ayahuasca, with emphasis on Western Ayahuasca usage.

"Omdat Ayahuasca geen DMT is, dat is de basis-misvatting. Je hebt een synergetisch effect tussen de beta-carbolines en de DMT. Het is niet zo dat de MAO-remmer er alleen maar voor zorgt dat de DMT in je hersenen komt. Die MAO-remmer heeft ook een effect op zichzelf. En dat gecombineerde effect is echt anders, een synergie, 1 + 1 = 3."

Read the interview here or download the Microsoft Word document [Dutch]

Interview with Dr. Mark Plotkin - president of the Amazon Conservation Team

This is the transcript of a phone interview with one of the most enthousiastic, knowledgable and influential ethnobotanists alive. Mark reminds us of the possible negative impact of Western ayahuasca usage on the rainforests and its native inhabitants.

Mark about this website:
"Ayahuasca-Info.com is one of the most important yage sites on the web - intriguing and required reading for everyone interested in the vine of the soul."

A quote from the interview:
"I know some people who certainly don’t ever want to take a total synthetic version of ayahuasca. How about giving back? How about helping the people who brought this vine to the world? How about protecting the culture or protecting the forests that produced this vine? These forests are being burned to the ground, these forests are being bulldozed into the ground. Isn’t the sacred about reciprocity, about making the world a better place? Do you really want to be somebody who’s just destroying the world for your own spiritual or material benefit? I would think not."

Read the interview here or download the Microsoft Word document [English]