These days, with so much available to us through the internet, anyone can buy medicine and hold a ceremony, long before they are qualified and safe to do so. Just as a medical doctor or therapist undergoes years of training and close observation before they are permitted to diagnose, treat, and prescribe, practitioners of visionary medicines need to do the same due diligence, otherwise, untoward and adverse events will (and do) occur.
Set and setting is always of the essence, and who serves you the medicine is part of the setting. When you receive medicine from someone, you are also receiving their energy.
Don’t be afraid to ask your potential practitioner the following questions:
1. Do they have a Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct, Standards of Practice, or a Best Practice Model? Do they have protocols for Participant Screening, Harm Reduction, and Safe Practice? Do they have a Participant Bill of Rights or educational material that advises participants of pitfalls and dangers when entering into the world of visionary medicines?
2. Do they give you a thorough consultation and screening before deciding if this medicine is best for you? Just as a doctor would not serve medicine to someone without a thorough assessment, nor should a medicine practitioner serve someone without a thorough assessment.
3. What are their years of personal experience with the medicine before they began serving? How many years of training and direct observation did they have with a teacher? Were they initiated or given the blessing to do medicine work from a lineage holder, shaman, or expert practitioner?
4. Who are their teachers? Are they masters of their craft? Can they explain to you what a true master is? How long have their teachers been in service?
5. What is their personal relationship with the medicine like?
6. What is their understanding of the biological and physiological processes of the human body, disease, health, and wellness? Do they have any experience or training in trauma, mental health, emotional health, or shadow work? Any experience in Energy Medicine? Do they do any kind of work or have any education or experience with healing and therapeutic modalities outside of visionary medicine?
7. What does it mean to them to be trauma-informed?
8. What is their understanding of the quantum field? Of alternate realms of consciousness?
9. What is their level of knowledge, education, and experience with contraindications such as mental illness or conditions of the neurological, endocrine, and cardiovascular system, as well as with other plants, herbs, and pharmaceuticals (prescription and non-prescription) that may be contraindicated with visionary medicine use?
10. Where did they get their medicine? What are the people like who make it? Are they grounded, centered, loving people who make it with the intention for healing and expansion? Did they get the medicine through the mail?
11. What is their view on mixing visionary medicines? Do they promote working with one medicine at a time or do they promote multiple medicines in a short amount of time? Are they aware of the contraindications, psychic and medical emergencies, and potential fatal combinations of certain visionary medicines?
12. How do they create and ensure a safe container for all participants? Are they able to sense dark energies and parasitic entities and how do they deal with them? How do they handle a participant who “loses it” during ceremony? How do they screen participants so that all will be safe?
13. What plan is in place for medical or psychic emergencies? Are they aware of the potential for depersonalization/derealization and HPPD? How do they minimize the potential for these things and how would they treat them?
14. Are they adequately trained in CPR and other life-saving and first-responder techniques? Can they demonstrate CPR to you or talk it through with you with ease?
15. Are they a member of any global group or council that meets to address ongoing safety concerns in the visionary medicine community? What kind of continuing education work do they do?
16. What steps do they take to ensure a proper integration for participants? Do they value integration and can they speak to that? What is their understanding of integration? Are they able to articulate and educate others on the importance of integration and do they have protocols/educational materials/resources for the integration process?
17. What is their personal journey of healing? How do they address their own personal needs and shadows?
Red flags:
There are many levels of practitioners: Amateurs, Barely Safe, Marginally Good, Good, Better, Even Better, and Best/Expert. If you are new to all of this and have nothing to compare it to, you may put yourself in danger. Ask a lot of questions. Research. Use intuition and discernment.
Observe your practitioner. Do they exemplify someone who walks in integrity with the medicine path? Can they explain to you what this means?
Do they have healthy coping mechanisms and are they able to articulate and share deep wisdom and experience, or are they seemingly scattered and unable to complete thoughts?
Do they appear to be grounded and centered? Do they appear to be at peace? At ease with themselves?
Are they present? Do they spend time telling their stories of the past – how hard it was for them, what a struggle it was? Does it seem like they are constantly processing their own stuff?
Do they have a good balance of masculine and feminine qualities? Do they have a wide berth of deep understanding, wisdom, and compassion? Are they both nurturing and assertive, able to take action in a variety of circumstances?
Do they appear to have narcissistic or messianic tendencies? Do they seem phony or too good to be true? Have they told you all you ever need is more ceremony?
Do you see patterns indicative of abuse or addiction? Many practitioners came to the medicine for their own healing, but they didn’t really evolve, do their own work, or complete their healing process before they started trying to hold space for others. Many practitioners are still addicted to alcohol and other substances, such as prescription drugs. They might even abuse visionary medicines or be addicted to ceremony. Many justifications and rationalizations may be made for this. This is NOT ok. Beware! A sick person cannot help others heal.
Would you trust this person with your life?
As a global community, it’s so important to be aware of the dangers and pitfalls of visionary medicine work and to have proper assessment tools to know if a practitioner or ceremony is right for you.
Check in with yourself. Check in with your gut.
Are you feeling a sense of urgency and just want to go with the first person who crosses your path?
Are you a good judge of character?
Take time to check in with friends who have been doing this work for a long time, or with an expert.
Take your time and don’t dive into anything without doing your due diligence!
Keep yourself safe from potential harm. Who serves you the medicine is everything. They transfer their energy to you. You might feel better in the short term, but over time, you might find yourself feeling worse.
Use discernment and extreme caution!
Choose practitioners who have had a wealth of training, preferably both western and indigenous training. Choose practitioners who clearly value your safety as the priority.
Choose practitioners who are medically, psychologically, and trauma-informed.
Be safe,
Bonnie Divina Maa, RN, BSN
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