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Psychonauta is a word play, based on proximity of our home base to town called Nauta. It is older than Iquitos, first port in the region marked on naval maps. Word “nauta” itself is rooted in Latin and means navigator. So “psychonauta” is voyager into infinite depths of own soul, that mystics of humankind recognize as reflection of universe. They have known a great many of techniques and tools for undertaking this journey. In our case we are drawing from indigenous traditions of use of master plants. Teachers and healers from wider circle of life than our limited human world. We are based in Amazon, so our work is based on use of local plants, including most famous of them, ayahuasca. But we also do projects in the Andes and beyond South America, always guided by principle of intentions and right tools to achieve it.
Second part of our name, Foundation, does not only refer to legal or organizational structure, but suggests that to succesfully embark on the journey mentioned above, and most of all, return from it with rich bounty, we should be properly prepared, to avoid getting lost or drowned. To use metaphor from plant kingdom surrounding us, to grow in a stable way, to reach ever higher, stable foundation – deep roots, strong trunk, a network of connections – is simply a must. Plants show us there is no rush, that things should be done step by step, with patience. In current explosion of interest in psychedelics, including therapeutical use of psychoactive plants, this issue will be increasingly important, and we are doing our part by focusing of serious training of future psychonauts, as well as potential captains of their ships – psychedelic guides and healers.
Special maestro, a rare gem, 35 years of experience with medicine, having started dieting at the age of 13 he accumulated energy of many dietas like chullachaqui, huairacaspi, ayauma, camaloga estorasque, chumtaquiro, palo de sangre, bobinsana, chiric sanango, eucalipto, palo de rosa but his main ally and specialty is noya rao, which was given to him by his grandfather and now he offers this in form of special dieta by transmission of icaros, without drinking the tree, which, despite marketing tales of many centers is gone from the Amazon of Peru.
We have worked with many maestros, but energy and quality of Francisco icaros is something of a different realm.
20 years on a long and twisted path of exploration of magic, primordial beliefs, traditional cultures, shamanism and spirituality of the world. From Rastafarian camps in Jamaica, voodoo in Haiti and Africa, desert traditions of healing with trance, in Maghreb, Ethiopia, Pakistan, shamanism of Mongolia, Africa, Pakistan, mysticism of Indian subcontinent, transformative Sufi rites on three continents, Bwiti initiation in Cameroon, finally culminating in Amazon and Andes, years of learning its traditional medicine, sampling various sources of knowledge of the world and inspiration, understanding of self and bringing others safely through paths scouted before. Worked with shamans in Peru, Ecuador and Colombia, gringos, mestizos and tribes : Shipibo, Siona, Cofan, Tsachilas, Kamsa, Achuar, Kichwa, Witoto.
Traveler, photographer, writer, guide, practitioner. Founder of headquarters of Psychonauta Foundation, medicinal camp in the jungle of northern Peru and a growing collective focused on therapeutic use of psychoactive plants.
Working on fringe area where medicine and art meet, thus reconnecting to primal, ancient shamanism reinterpreted through body, breath and own, unique experience for the moment of NOW, improvisation, techniques of trance, syncretism, song woven continually, rooted in ancient past and in various cultures with fruits here and for each case individually.
More on his blog : http://blog.swiatoslaw.com/
Psychologist, traveler, guardian and one of the creators of the base in the Amazon forest. Fascinated by the potential of plants with psychedelic properties in the transformation process. In his work he mainly helps to safely pass ayahuasca experience, supports the process with modern psychotherapy tools mainly from the narrative psychology branch, is a translator and guide in contact with local healers, conducts integration sessions.
Filmmaker and creative with London Real, director of "Reconnect" ayahuasca documentary, manager and facilitator with Psychonauta Foundation.
"My mission at Psychonauta Foundation is to create a safe space where our participants can experience Amazonian medicine in a way that is authentic and respectful. I´ve worked for years as a creative and film director in a well known media channel, where we collaborate with some of the brightest thinkers of the planet creating conscious and empowering content. But something was missing in my life, modern society was not giving me the answers I was looking for so I've decided to leave the industry and start a personal exploration of Amazonian shamanism. During my life I've collected a range of practices and tools from different angles like martial arts, dream-work, psychedelic explorations, philosophy, magick, yoga, the creative process, storytelling and the world of personal development, this tools were crucial on my path with plant medicine and I'm delighted to be in a position of share them with our participants. It will be an honor to be at your side while YOU do your own healing."
Working together as a long term couple, apart from being excellent and experienced specialist of their medicinal craft, each with its own set of wonderful icaros and specialized treatments, they are simply sweet, warm and humble people and great companions in our work and your process. Perfect balance of masculine and feminine, old age experience and youthful enthusiasm.
Being born in a country with plant medicine tradition gave me the opportunity to be in contact with the magic and power of plants since I was a little girl, when my grandmother and my mom use botanical wisdom to heal my physical and emotional diseases... Plants were always there.
I received the call of grandma Ayahuasca more than 10 years ago and since that I have been deepening in the ocean of myself with the intention of understanding my complex humanity, living a more joyful life and releasing the veil that creates separation inside and outside me; during this time I have also explore and incorporate into my life practices of meditation, yoga, pranayama, ayurvedic medicine, dance and conscious movement using the physical body as a tool for healing and transcendence; finally in my call of serving the feminine energy I have created and developed sacred women's circles and I keep creating spaces for young women to bring conscious to our blissful cycles and their inherited relation with mother earth.
My job in Psychonauta is to create and hold a safe space where people can overcome the challenges of this experience in order to focus in what really matters: their own healing journey! I also like to bring harmony, kindness and joy, just like a big smile to serve as a reminder that this process - and life itself - it should also be joyful and enjoyable... "at the end the diet and the ceremonies are just an intensive training for doing better in life".
Our headquarters is based in the jungle, 100 km and around 2 hours away from Iquitos in northern Peru. It is a quiet, off-grid settlement with permanent residents, including children, and private huts for guests coming to our retreats. The place is rustic, designed with intention of maximum immersion in nature, compromised with need for providing safety for humans.
We are based at around 25 ha of our private forest that we commited to keep as such forever. We realize our dream, living and working in the Amazon forest, near plants, close to nature, close to the local healers’ community.
We came to this piece of land in 2015, slowly and prudently built houses and infrastructure, so as to least interfere with the forest we found at the beginning. We designed the whole resort with the idea of deep work with plants during diets in the shipibo tradition.
All buildings are fully screened from mosquitoes and other insects. Mosquitoes are not a big nuisance here and malaria risk very low ( no cases ever reported among our guests ), so we do not recommend malaria medication.
We always pick our guests from Iquitos airport, and from that moment you do not have to worry about any logistics. There is no road access to the camp, final 20 minutes are done by walking.
We are about 30 minutes away from local clinic, in case of emergency, but it has never been needed in our history.
Some of our guests join our conservation efforts and decide to invest in buying more forest land to keep it in its natural state, and we can help in that process. Some have already settled with us for good.
There are small streams running through our property, and around 20 minutes walk away, a sacred goddess waterfall, as well as one of largest tributaries of Amazon called Maranon, where pink dolphins can be seen.
A few hours away on this river, Pacaya Samiria begins, second biggest protected natural area in Peru and one of the best spots for nature tourism lovers, so you may leave some days after your retreat for extra adventure.
