Exploring the Altered States of Mind: A Lesson from the Amazonians
During the winter break of 2021, I decided to pack my stuff and head for the deep Colombian Amazon Forest. I had been thinking about spending time with the indigenous people of Amazonia for a while and after two years of social isolation, stress, and turmoil, I felt the right time had come. My plane landed in Leticia, the capital of the Amazonas and the southernmost town in Colombia. As I retrieved my luggage, I spotted my tour leader, who also happened to be a shaman, standing outside the airport holding a sign with my name. We got into a taxi and off we rode to the shore for a boat ride, and a hike, and several hours later, we were in Puerto Nariño. Upon arrival, I saw nothing but a green, humid jungle and heard countless birds. I was going to spend the next five days in Puerto Nariño, to experience the culture of the indigenous inhabitants of Amazonas, where many of the norms of human civilization were challenged. The indigenous people of Leticia evolved for generations with lit