My Awakening to the Divine: The Inaugural Encounter with Mother Ayahuasca

This happened when I was 16 years old. At that time, I was studying to become an Official Tourism Guide. That's how I got a job as a guide at a tourism company.

Shortly after starting work, I was assigned a group of very young tourists, between 18 and 24 years old, who came to the lodge from the United States. On the day of their arrival, I had to pick them up at the airport and take them to their hotel.

That night, I had to show them the city of Iquitos, the main tourist spots, and the next morning, very early, go to the port where the boats that would take us to the lodge would be waiting for us.

Entering Unknown Territory

The next day, upon arriving at the lodge, we headed to the main maloca, where our boss would welcome them. With everyone present, my boss welcomed them.

Up to that point, everything was proceeding normally. But after this brief welcome, my boss mentioned something I was hearing for the first time:

Mentally, I wondered: "Shaman, what is ayahuasca?" What is my boss talking about? I was so curious that I asked my coworker, who was next to me: "Juan, what is a shaman and what is this Ayahuasca thing?"

He replied: "Denis, a shaman is like a doctor, but he uses plants to heal people, and Ayahuasca is a plant that they say can make you see things that aren't there, like visions."

After hearing this, I was even more curious about what a ceremony with this plant would be like. So I asked Juan: "Juan, have you ever participated in a ceremony?" He said no, but that he had heard many stories from people who had done it.

The Night of the Ceremony

The next night, we all gathered in the maloca. Everyone was sitting in a circle, and in front of us was an elderly man with long hair. That was the shaman. He had a table in front of him with some bottles and other things.

The shaman began to speak in Spanish mixed with words in a language I had never heard before, which I later learned was Shipibo. He explained what the ceremony was about and asked if anyone had any questions.

One of the tourists asked: "Is it dangerous?" The shaman replied that it was not dangerous, but that we had to trust the process and not fight against what came.

Then he called us one by one to drink the ayahuasca. When my turn came, I approached the shaman. He looked me in the eyes and said something in Shipibo, then gave me a small cup with a dark liquid.

The taste was incredibly bitter and earthy, like drinking mud from the river. I almost vomited right there, but I managed to swallow it all. I returned to my place and sat waiting.

The Beginning of the Visions

About 30 minutes later, I began to feel strange. First, I heard all the sounds of the jungle with incredible clarity. I could distinguish each bird, each insect, each sound of the wind in the leaves.

Then I heard a very loud sound to my right, it sounded like a gunshot, I saw a flash pass in front of me, even though I still had my eyes closed. After that, I felt my body starting to spin, at first it was slow, but after a few seconds, it started spinning very fast.

I thought about opening my eyes, this time I managed to do it. However, I couldn't see anything because everything was spinning. The entire maloca was spinning at full speed in front of me. I closed my eyes again and remember simply hugging my legs, bringing my knees to my chest.

My body was spinning so much that I felt like my spirit was leaving my body. How do I know? I was floating like a spirit. I saw myself sitting in the maloca and could see everyone, the moonlight illuminated the entire maloca.

And that's what I did. I flew over the river and could see beautiful river dolphins of all colors. I saw mermaids swimming as if greeting me, when I looked at the trees, I saw jaguars of all colors. It was a very beautiful vision, and indeed, I flew back to my house in Iquitos.

Upon arriving, I could see my family members doing things in the house, but they couldn't see me; I could go through walls like a ghost. Then that same voice told me: "Denis, it's time to return," and in less than a second, I was sitting in the maloca again.

Receiving the Visit of Mother Ayahuasca

I opened my eyes and found myself completely alone. I could hear the shaman singing, but I couldn't see him. I looked at the ceiling and saw a serpent descending. Its phosphorescent colors shone in the darkness. As it descended, it positioned itself in front of me. I noticed something strange about this serpent: it had a human head and emitted small phosphorescent green bubbles.

After that, I heard a very loud noise coming from the side of the main door of the maloca, to my left. When I turned and looked, I realized that the door was no longer there. Outside the maloca, thanks to the moonlight, everything could be seen clearly, even the river near the lodge.

But a strong wind was blowing. To my great surprise, minutes later, I saw an enormous serpent emerging from the river. It was gigantic. I was stunned to see that huge anaconda. I saw it enter the maloca and thought: "Damn, this animal is going to eat me!"

I wanted to run, but I couldn't move. I could only close my eyes and pray that it wouldn't hurt me. With my eyes closed, I felt its forked tongue brush against my face. Then, I felt it coiling around me, squeezing me, but without hurting me.

Finally, I felt it swallowing me. I felt its saliva and how I was gradually entering. I thought: "How curious that in my first work I'm going to die like this." I felt myself falling asleep, at one point, I think I did, because that voice in my mind told me to wake up: "You're alive," it said. "You have been cleansed and healed."

First Encounter with the Jaguar Master

When I opened my eyes, I saw a beautiful jaguar in front of me. It was huge, with golden fur and black spots that seemed to move. The jaguar looked at me with eyes that seemed to contain all the wisdom of the jungle.

The jaguar began to speak to me, not with words, but I could understand everything it was saying. It told me: "Denis, I am the spirit of the jungle, the guardian of all the animals and plants that live here. You have been chosen to learn our secrets."

The jaguar showed me visions of the jungle from above, as if I were flying like a bird. I could see all the animals in their natural habitat, the plants growing, the rivers flowing. Everything was connected by threads of light.

"This is what you must learn," the jaguar told me. "Everything is connected. Every plant, every animal, every human being is part of the same web of life. If you learn to see these connections, you can help heal people."

Returning to Reality

Gradually, the visions began to fade and I started to return to normal consciousness. I could hear the shaman singing his icaros, his healing songs. I opened my eyes and saw that dawn was beginning to break.

The shaman approached me and asked: "How do you feel, young man?" I didn't know what to say. I felt like I had been born again, like I was seeing the world with completely different eyes.

"I feel... different," I told him. "I saw incredible things, I spoke with a jaguar, I flew over the jungle." The shaman smiled and nodded. "The spirits have accepted you," he said. "You have received a great gift."

That experience changed my life forever. From that day on, I knew that my path was not just to be a tourist guide, but to learn about plant medicine and help others connect with the healing wisdom of the Amazon.

The Beginning of My Journey

In the following days, I couldn't stop thinking about what I had experienced. The tourists returned to their countries, but I stayed at the lodge asking the shaman questions about what had happened to me.

The shaman, whose name was Don Carlos, told me that I had received a calling from the plant spirits. "Not everyone has visions like yours on their first ceremony," he explained. "The jaguar chose you to be a bridge between the world of spirits and the world of humans."

From that moment on, I began learning from Don Carlos. He taught me about different medicinal plants, how to prepare them, and how to conduct healing ceremonies. It was the beginning of a journey that has continued for more than 30 years.

Today, as I guide others in their own ayahuasca experiences at Casa del Jaguar, I always remember that first night when everything changed. Each person who comes to us is on their own journey of discovery, and I feel honored to be part of that process.

That first encounter with Mother Ayahuasca taught me that we are all connected, that healing is possible, and that sometimes the most profound changes come when we least expect them. It was the beginning of my life's work and my commitment to serving others on their path to healing and self-discovery.