The Jungle Journal
When the ego reigns, our emotions cloud our thoughts, and our choices are unproductive and sometimes harmful. When we do not like who we are— which again, is true for all human beings, to varying degrees—we punish ourselves with activities that are disguised as pleasurable: excessive eating, alcohol or drug abuse, jumping between fleeting relationships or sexual partners, and endless, meaningless distractions.
The human body resonates at the same frequency as Mother Earth. So instead of only focusing on trying to save the earth, which operates in congruence to our vibrations, I think it is more important to be one with each other. If you really want to remedy the earth, we have to mend mankind. And to unite mankind, we heal the Earth. That is the only way. Mother Earth will exist with or without us. Yet if she is sick, it is because mankind is sick and separated. And if our vibrations are bad, she reacts to it, as do all living creatures.
Suzy Kassem
About the author:
“Boling's research is part of her Graduate Studies at Harvard University where she examines "extreme environments" and how they can have potential negative impacts on humans operating in the extreme environment. Implementing "psychological field kits" are a way of mitigating negative variables such as abnormal human behavior and abnormal human psychology that can play a role in team degradation.”
Melanie Boling, Extreme (ICE) Environments Neuroscientist, Boling Expeditionary Research Group; and Neuropsychology Graduate Student, Harvard University.
“Ayahuasca brew consists of the ayahuasca vine or Banisteriopsis caapi and an admixture like the chacruna leaves or Psychotria viridis. Ayahuasca effects are caused by the synergistic interaction of β-carbolines (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroarmine) contained in Banisteriopsis caapi stalks combined with the N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) from Psychotria viridis leaves, a potent agonist to serotonin (5-HT) receptors.”
Many veterans are trapped in their trauma and plant medicine has provided the means for releasing trauma during their psychedelic experience (Veterans Are Turning to Ayahuasca for PTSD Relief, n.d.).
A small shamanic ceremony would also allow for facilitators and shamans alike to stay true to their culture. Plant Medicine Healing Centers and Clinics allow shamans; tribal members; and facilitators to continue practicing the traditions of their culture and making a living while doing so; all the while preserving and safeguarding a living history allows for more generations to learn the way of the rainforest through plant medicine.
Healing centers lower the dependent variable of a tribe from going extinct; or moving further away from traditional ways that are not successfully being passed onto the younger generations (Plotkin, 2021).
Melanie Boling and Expeditionary Service Dog River Roux with the healers of a Shibipo Tribe Healing Center in the Andes Mountains of Peru (Imagery Beyond Borders, January 2021).
“Benefits obtained from the brew intake, such as mind healing, increased self-knowledge, improved memory and persistently elevated mood. It has gained recent traction with U.S. Military Veterans for seeking healing from treatment-resistant mental illness such as Anxiety, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Depression.”
Amazonian Entheogens or Psychedelic Plant Medicine hold great potential for the treatment of U.S. Military Veterans, and applying this through small group indigenous shamanic ceremonies, holds space to guide survivors into a journey within themselves for those seeking therapeutic healing for specific treatment-resistant illnesses such as Complex-Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or C-PTSD; Military Sexual Trauma or MST; and Traumatic Brain Injury or TBI.
Trust and safety are the key components to the overall success of Psychedelic Plant Medicine.
“The most important tool used by shamans is the icaro. These traditional songs sung or whistled by shamans before, during, and after an ayahuasca ceremony not only comprise the setting of the experience, they also positively influence the internal landscape of a person’s psyche. While we’re still trying to understand icaros in therapeutic terms, there’s no doubt that these songs play a vital role in the healing aspects of ayahuasca.”
I feel that the answers to all of the world’s problems lie within the world’s rainforests, specifically the Amazon Rainforest. There is much more to learn about Psychedelic Plant Medicine and questions to be answered used for the healing of the United States Military Veteran Community.
Some questions that I have for the scientific community that has yet to be researched are:
If different parts of the same ayahuasca plant are said to cause different experiences with the same user; could these different parts of the same plant be used to treat different illnesses?
Would cultivation and/or harvesting of the ayahuasca vine at different periods of the plant’s growth cause a different experience for the user or could it be used to treat different illnesses? IE. CBD vs CBG?
Does adding the ayahuasca vine with various admixtures beyond the charunca leaf be used to treat other specific illnesses? IE. Cancer, or Stroke.
Can different lineages of the ayahuasca vine be used to treat more specific illnesses? IE. Alzheimer’s, or Parkinson’s Disease.
Will the consumption of ayahuasca brew in an “extreme environment” such as “high-altitude environments” cause a warp-speed healing event in patients/users such as someone with a traumatic brain injury or brain damage caused by stroke? (I already know the answer to this, to be revealed at a later time).
If ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and San Pedro Cactus or “huacuma” were to be administered in a clinical setting, even as a microdose; then combined with a “simulated extreme environment”, such as Hyper-Baric Oxygen Therapy or HBOT which is used to promote neurogenesis in the brain after TBI; could these variables also play a role in the “warp-speed” healing of neurogenesis on the brain and body?
Ayahuasca inhibits various parts of the brain associated with cognitive flexibility. It produces structural changes within the brain that are responsible for activity within 24 hours of ayahuasca consumption which leads to positive increases in cognitive flexibility. Results show that mindfulness is beneficial and lasting to the first-time or experienced ayahuasca user. Ayahuasca’s use allows the loosening of one’s cognitive grip which helps alleviate the feeling of being stuck and the depression associated with similar behavioral patterns (Murphy-Beiner & Soar, 2020).
My wish is that with my own scientific field research I can solve problems; provide the answers to some of these scientific questions; and do my part in guiding others within my own United States Military Veteran Community and the world, to realize the full potential of Entheogen Therapy or Psychedelic Plant Medicine from the Amazon Rainforest.
United States Air Force Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Combat Veteran Melanie Boling in the Peruvian Andes as part of her scientific research for Harvard University, where she is pursuing a Masters Degree in Neuropsychology; and Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy and International Development. Boling is an Extreme (ICE) Environments Behavioural Ecologist for her NGO, Peer Wild (Imagery Beyond Borders, January 2021).
Would you like to know more?
Be sure to read back on all of our articles about Entheogen Therapy or Psychedelic Plant Medicine derived from the scientific paper, “Reported results of Amazonian Entheogens for treatment of Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD); Military Sexual Trauma (MST); and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among U.S. Military Veterans and the benefits of application through small group indigenous shamanic ceremonies.”
References:
Boling, Melanie. (2021). Melanie Noelani Boling. Imagery Beyond Borders. https://imagerybeyondborders.org
Boling, Melanie (2021). Reported results of Amazonian Entheogens for treatment of Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD); Military Sexual Trauma (MST); and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among U.S. Military Veterans and the benefits of application through small group indigenous shamanic ceremonies. The Amazon Rainforest: From Conservation to Climate Change-research. Harvard Summer School, August 9, 2021.
Murphy-Beiner, A, and K Soar. “Ayahuasca’s ‘Afterglow’: Improved Mindfulness and Cognitive Flexibility in Ayahuasca Drinkers.” Psychopharmacology 237, no. 4 (April 2020): 1161–69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-019-05445-3.
Plotkin, M. J. (2021). The Amazon: What everyone needs to know. Chapter 8 seminar. Lecture notes The Amazon Rainforest: From Conservation to Climate Change- seminar. Harvard Summer School. Delivered 3 August 2021.
“Veterans Are Turning to Ayahuasca for PTSD Relief.” Accessed July 15, 2021. https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3kaye/veterans-are-turning-to-ayahuasca-for-ptsd-relief.
About the author:
Melanie began attending Harvard in 2020 to complete a Graduate Certificate in Human Behavior with a specialization in Neuropsychology. Boling’s research has examined extreme environments and how they can have a potential negative impact on humans operating in the extreme environment. During her time at Harvard, she has built a mental wellness tool called a psychological field kit. Implementing these tools will allow an individual to thrive in an extreme environment while mitigating negative variables such as abnormal human behavior which can play a role in team degradation.
Melanie Boling, Extreme (ICE) Environments Behavioural Ecologist, Peer Wild and Graduate Student of Neuropsychology, Harvard University.
Small Shamanic Ceremonies stay true to the culture and provide space for healing.
Melanie Boling, Extreme (ICE) Environments Behavioural Ecologist and Graduate Student of Neuropsychology, Harvard University in the Peruvian Andes (Imagery Beyond Borders, January 2021).
The human condition beyond the understanding of the United States Healthcare System and even academia seems to be the path that some United States Military Veterans are on in order to find relief for themselves (Plotkin, 2021).
If the ‘psychedelic renaissance’ continues to proliferate in the United States at the pace it is currently at, this could mean that more avenues of care will be readily available to civilians and veterans, alike.
However, until the United States Government deems these plant medicines legal, people will continue to seek refuge outside of the bubble of the United States or find other ways to be treated by plant medicine that strays from the more traditional methods used by shamans and other facilitators/practitioners of the Amazon Rainforest healing.
Shamanic Healing is said to “free the soul from the body in order to communicate with the spirit realm” (Plotkin, 2021). These “consultations” with the spirit world through traditional plant medicine healing techniques such as consuming the ayahuasca brew that stimulates the brain and body are often accompanied by a magic song; or in the Shipibo culture “The Icaros”. It is said that consuming ayahuasca makes you dizzy, and the dizziness brings about the magic song.
“The most important tool used by shamans is the icaro. These traditional songs sung or whistled by shamans before, during, and after an ayahuasca ceremony not only comprise the setting of the experience, they also positively influence the internal landscape of a person’s psyche. While we’re still trying to understand icaros in therapeutic terms, there’s no doubt that these songs play a vital role in the healing aspects of ayahuasca” (Imagery Beyond Borders, January 2021).
My scientific theory is that the icaro magic song sung by the shaman directly penetrates the vagus nerve which is the main component of the Human Parasympathetic Nervous System; one of the direct connections that allow your brain and your gut to communicate with one another. The vagus nerve controls mood; immune response; digestion; and even your heart rate. All bodily functions are directly affected by the consumption of ayahuasca and throughout the duration of the ayahuasca ceremony. During the singing of the icaro the vagus nerve is stimulated, creating a more euphoric experience for some, and for others an uptick in purging for the ayahuasca consumer; and in some cases bystanders who only are present for the ceremony itself. This is the power of ayahuasca.
Traditional Ayahuasca Healing Centers around the world are springing up from India to Costa Rica promising the patients a week or more of services that often come with a hefty price tag.
Plant medicine healing centers or clinics allow shamans; tribal members; and facilitators to continue practicing the traditions of their culture and making a living while doing so (Plotkin, 2021). Thus, preserving and safeguarding a living history allows for more generations to learn the way of the rainforest through plant medicine.
In Sacred Valley of the Andes Mountains just outside of Cusco, Peru, Ayahuasca Healing Centers allow tribes to continue practicing the traditions of their culture and making a living while doing so (Imagery Beyond Borders, January 2021).
These healing centers lower the dependent variable of a tribe from going extinct; or moving further away from traditional ways that are not successfully being passed onto the younger generations (Plotkin, 2021).
With certain types of emotional trauma, like Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or C-PTSD and Military Sexual Trauma or MST, small shamanic ceremonies would be the venue or “set and setting” of choice for those suffering from these types of mental illness. Largely, due to the extrinsic factors that play a centralized role in long-term post-traumatic stress or sexual abuse, assault, or trauma.
The idea of holding a small shamanic ceremony would also allow for facilitators and shamans alike to stay true to their culture while holding space to guide these survivors into a journey within themselves.
Nobody’s healing is more important than the other, and keeping a circle small would promote community, while also providing the participants to be on the same level with one another.
With regard to United States Military Veterans, offering the same level of understanding through these profound psychedelic experiences could promote a sense of unity and purpose. Being a part of something bigger than oneself is a core value instilled in those who have served their country in the military forces.
Larger groups at healing retreats can often breed chaos as well as trauma-bonding, which would potentially push certain at-risk veterans to get lost in the shuffle. In turn, this would be repeating the same patterns that of the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, ultimately potentially providing a short-term band-aid that would later fail the veteran with long-term relief.
Would you like to know more?
Be sure to read back on all of our articles about Entheogen Therapy or Psychedelic Plant Medicine derived from the scientific paper, “Reported results of Amazonian Entheogens for treatment of Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD); Military Sexual Trauma (MST); and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among U.S. Military Veterans and the benefits of application through small group indigenous shamanic ceremonies”.
References:
Boling, Melanie (2021). Reported results of Amazonian Entheogens for treatment of Complex-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD); Military Sexual Trauma (MST); and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among U.S. Military Veterans and the benefits of application through small group indigenous shamanic ceremonies. The Amazon Rainforest: From Conservation to Climate Change-research. Harvard Summer School, August 9, 2021.
Plotkin, M. J. (2021). The Amazon: What everyone needs to know. Chapter 8 seminar. Lecture notes The Amazon Rainforest: From Conservation to Climate Change- seminar. Harvard Summer School. Delivered 3 August 2021.
About the author.
Melanie began attending Harvard in 2020 to complete a Graduate Certificate in Human Behavior with a specialization in Neuropsychology. Boling’s research has examined extreme environments and how they can have a potential negative impact on humans operating in the extreme environment. During her time at Harvard, she has built a mental wellness tool called a psychological field kit. Implementing these tools will allow an individual to thrive in an extreme environment while mitigating negative variables such as abnormal human behavior which can play a role in team degradation.
Melanie Boling, Extreme (ICE) Environments Behavioural Ecologist, Peer Wild; and Graduate Student of Neuropsychology, Harvard University.
Is deinstitutionalization better for the seriously mentally ill, or are they better off locked safely in institutions?
In modern-day society, institutionalization could be beneficial for certain mentally ill individuals that meet specific criteria.
For example, if an individual suffers from acute psychosis that can not be treated with any form of psychopharmaceutical interventions that add to the quality of the life or cannot be treated whatsoever.
If certain mental illnesses pose an immediate danger to either the patient themself or others, these would be more specific cases in which institutionalization would be suitably warranted.
The flip side to that is the fact that in some cases, misdiagnosis does occur.
Putting a patient into an environment such as an institution could potentially exasperate the condition and cause the patient to suffer far worse than ever before.
“PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault.
It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after this type of event. At first, it may be hard to do normal daily activities, like go to work, go to school, or spend time with people you care about. But most people start to feel better after a few weeks or months.
If it’s been longer than a few months and you’re still having symptoms, you may have PTSD. For some people, PTSD symptoms may start later on, or they may come and go over time.
If thoughts and feelings from a life-threatening event are upsetting you or causing problems in your life, you may have PTSD.” - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sierra Club Military Veterans Adventure Film School, 2014 (Melanie Boling, Imagery Beyond Borders, 2014).
In my professional experiences, I have observed mentally-ill combat war veterans respond positively in regards to social engagement and relatable commonalities amongst their peers who also suffered from some form of mental illness.
PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is not synonymous with all veterans, despite the contrary being reported in the mainstream media. Some military members respond to conflict in a productive manner with little to no residual side effects after the military deployment.
However, mental illness beyond PTSD is very common in the U.S. Military. This ranges from OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder to Process Addictions like Alcohol and Drug Abuse or Sexually Impulsive and Deviant Behaviors; which would all constitute a valid diagnosis in the DSM V.
Furthermore, a therapeutic environment where certain types of experiences are recreated in order to provide a dynamic that models one of the small-team environments similar to that of war; in most cases, the mentally ill veterans respond positively to the relatability and camaraderie of the overall group cohesion.
An environment fit for healing or at least a place to hold space for one another.
If certain types of alternative therapies were introduced into the regimen that institutions provide their patients, it could potentially provide an avenue for some sort of peace; even the most deranged patients could possibly benefit.
“Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that is considered as a type of psychosis by medical professionals. With self-help and effective treatment, you can manage to overcome this disorder and live a meaningful life.” - Mind.help
Psychosis, such as untreated schizophrenia essentially has the individual suffering around the clock.
There is no easy fix in regards to medication. In some cases, it takes years to find the right kind of cocktail to allow a patient to be somewhat coherent and at least on the low-end of what society deems functional.
Alternatively, non-invasive therapy such as the outdoors in a small group environment could potentially be a way to take the sting out of a long-term stay at a mental institution, as long as it is safe for both the individual; the staff; and the other patients.
adobe.
Institutionalizing someone in this day and age simply because they suffer from anxiety; are a victim of a crime that they had no control over; or, even fall on the cluster b personality disorder spectrum would not benefit anyone.
There are enough resources available in the United States to not allow someone to fall through the cracks.
However, a solid professional support system and psychological interventions are imperative for the overall success of the patient maintaining a fulfilling path to healing.
That being said, despite the mentally ill’s willingness to seek help; and the social service workers being readily available to serve, knowing how the system works here in America, the obvious bump in the road or even potential failure lies solely on the system.
There is not a lot of follow-through in regards to state services or even private services paid for by insurance companies.
The system as a whole needs a major overhaul, and effective functional communication amongst all entities involved needs to be standardized.
“Restrained in the ER.” - Statnews.com
In America, we fail the mentally ill simply due to human error and overall disregard for those suffering due to the stigma that is deeply ingrained in our society regarding mental illness.
As sad as it may be, it’s a fact and failure perpetuated and repeated throughout every generation.
Now is the time to step in and change the paradigm.
About the author:
Melanie began attending Harvard in 2020 to complete a Graduate Certificate in Human Behavior with a specialization in Neuropsychology. Boling’s research has examined extreme environments and how they can have a potential negative impact on humans operating in the extreme environment. During her time at Harvard, she has built a mental wellness tool called a psychological field kit. Implementing these tools will allow an individual to thrive in an extreme environment while mitigating negative variables such as abnormal human behavior which can play a role in team degradation.
Melanie Boling, Extreme Environments Neuroscientist, Founder of Boling Expeditionary Research Group; and Neuropsychology Graduate Student, Harvard University.
“Anything of value is worth the effort””
