The Vine of the Souls

~~~~
I watched this fascinating episode of The Nature of Things on CBC last night.  Here's the introduction from the website:
~~~~

The Jungle Prescription is the tale of two doctors treating their addicted patients with a mysterious Amazonian medicine rumored to reveal one’s deepest self. 

Dr. Gabor Maté has a revolutionary idea: to treat addicts with compassion.  His work as the resident doctor in Vancouver’s Portland Hotel - a last-chance destination for lifelong drug abusers - has been courageous, but incredibly frustrating. Maté hears of an ancient medicine beyond his imaginings: one that could provide his patients with a solution. Its name is ayahuasca: the vine of the souls. Deep in the Amazon jungle, French doctor Jacques Mabit is using this medicine to treat hardcore addicts.  Mabit runs a detox centre in the Amazon (Takiwasi or "The House That Sings"), using the plants and methods of traditional medicine. 

Ayahuasca is a visionary formula that unlocks emotional memory; causing life-changing catharsis in those who drink it. The reported success rates for curing addicts at Dr. Mabit's detox centre are quadruple the average.

Dr. Maté returns to Canada with a plan to work with a group of healers to treat patients struggling with various types of addiction. At these sessions they will serve ayahuasca: the acrid tea that occupies a grey area of Canadian law. But without a detox centre or support structure for his patients, will it work?

To follow this incredible inner and outer journey, a simple click HERE lets you watch the entire episode, offers more information about ayahuasca and provides links to a wealth of resources should you want to explore further...

~~~~
The Jungle Prescription took me far physically, but even further in the spiritual realm where our deepest humanity resides... Seeing people open to themselves, even temporarily, has been a teaching and an inspiration.
- Gabor Maté
~~~~