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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. One day, visitors to P.E.I. could be taking a different kind of trip.
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Charlottetown has the opportunity to be a leader in the world of alternative medicine and wellness, and it all starts with championing ayahuasca. That’s the idea behind a Sept. 19 presentation to the committee on economic development.
Jamie Larkin, a representative of Ayahuasca Canada, called on the committee and council to declare its support for shaman-led ceremonies using the Amazonian brew.
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Ayahuasca, which contains the psychedelic (DMT), has been used in South and Central American religious and medical traditions for centuries. Larkin has gone to the jungle to experience the ceremony firsthand, but he pitched Charlottetown as a new hub for ayahuasca and wellness in North America.
Peer-reviewed research has shown it to be safe and effective in treating mental illness and addiction, Larkin said.
Ayahuasca has been used for healing the mind, body and spirit. Studies show that it has been successful in treating PTSD, anxiety, addictions, enhancing personal growth, reducing suicidal ideation and treating treatment-resistant depression.
What is ayahuasca?
- Pronounced eye-uh-wah-skuh, the plant-based drink contains DMT and an alkaloid that appears to extend the effects of DMT
- Effects vary from person to person and at different doses but can be similar to other psychedelics like LSD or mescaline
- Research shows benefits for addiction, trauma, PTSD and treatment-resistant depression, similar to benefits found in research of other psychedelics
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Source: The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization – PubMed Central
If the city takes the lead, Larkin envisions an industry growing out of shaman-led ceremonies that would draw wellness influencers, celebrities and regular people interested in alternative medicine.
P.E.I. is lucky to be home to a shaman from Peru, along with four other qualified facilitators, he said.
With Charlottetown issuing a declaration of support for shaman-led ceremonies a year-round increase in tourism is almost guaranteed, leading to more revenue for local businesses, hotels, restaurants and service providers.
Effects
Larkin didnt go into detail about what the hallucinogenic plant does, but a 2016 PubMed Central article on medical and spiritual uses for ayahuasca says it causes an intense, modified state of consciousness for about four hours.
Perception, spatiotemporal orientation, beliefs about reality and the self, cognitive and emotional processes can all alter significantly during the experience.
“Visions of beautiful visual scenery are commonly reported together with some typical elements of the ayahuasca world: ayahuasca beings, power animals, spirit guides, tropical motifs, vibrant and varying geometric patterns known from the literature of the cultural anthropology of shamanism.
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This allows some people to work through past trauma and understand their thoughts and feelings in a new, lasting way that goes beyond the actual ceremony, the article said.
DMT and ayahuasca fall under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, with exemptions for religious use.
Larkin, a member of Companionship of the Sacred Vine, says his organization has that exemption.
Shaman-led ceremonies are already happening here in the city, with attendees coming from across Canada and as far away as Europe. These attendees include veterans, therapists and regular people like you and I looking to improve our mind, body and spiritual health.
Committee
After Larkin spoke, Mayor Philip Brown and Coun. Mitchell Tweel thanked him for the presentation, with Brown asking about the process.
He noted health is a provincial responsibility, and asked whether Larkin had spoken to the Department of Health and Wellness.
Larkin said that would be the next stop, but was just beginning with the city.
Tweel said the pitch was fantastic, with potential for tourism spinoff, but admitted he had a lot to learn on the topic.
Well look forward to seeing how we can participate from an initial perspective, and then as you know, the skys the limit, he said.
Larkin ended by thanking the committee and inviting them to attend a ceremony to learn more about what they do.
Logan MacLean is a municipal reporter with The Guardian in Prince Edward Island. He can be reached by email at [email protected] and followed on X @loganmaclean94.
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