The Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook provides a practical guide to ayahuasca use, aiding seekers in making right-and safe-decisions about where to go, who to drink with, and what to expect.
Called "The Indiana Jones of natural medicine" by CNN, CHRIS KILHAM is an author and educator who has conducted medicinal research in over 30 countries. Kilham has appeared as a guest expert on hundreds of radio and television programs, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, BBC, Oprah & Friends, FOX TV, and NPR. As a TV correspondent and guest he has spoken about medicine hunting, traditional botanical medicines, nutraceuticals, environmental and cultural preservation, and other related topics for a wide variety of audiences. Kilham lectures extensively on holistic health and botanical medicines, throughout the United States and many other countries, and teaches ethnobotany at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
“Ayahuasca is the vision vine, the plant of the gods, the most
powerful tool in the repertoire of the shaman of the Northwest
Amazon. More and more people from all corners of the world are
discovering its wonder. It's not a simple thing, and certainly not
for the fainthearted; taking ayahuasca is a chance to tear open the
placenta of ordinary reality and emerge transformed. This is a book
that can help you on the journey."
—Wade Davis, author of One River
"In the engaging style that those familiar with Chris Kilham's work
have come to know and love, the Medicine Hunter provides a dense
but entertaining overview of the magic Amazonian brew ayahuasca. He
discusses the history, botany, chemistry, pharmacology and
ethnographic context of ayahuasca, and and, true to the spirit of
the title, gives readers an informative 'flight manual' describing
the physical and psychological effects of the brew. Kilham also
describes the dimensions and entities ayahuasca voyagers can expect
to encounter in their shamanic explorations and provides a few
pointers on how to keep their spirit ship sailing smoothly. The
Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook is an excellent introduction for
those new to the ayahuasca experience and a solid reference for
grizzled veterans. Highly recommended!"
—Dennis McKenna, author of Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss
“Chris Kilham writes convincingly and eloquently about some of
his—and my—favorite medicinal plants from the Amazonian rainforest,
my ‘second home’ for nearly twenty-five years. Like Chris, I have a
great respect for the ayuahuasca, the entheogen.”
—Dr. Jim Duke, author of Herbistatins and The Green Pharmacy
"Chris Kilham continues to shine the light on nature’s medicines.
In this book, he has provided the ayahuasca traveler with an
essential and practical guide that is well-informed, personal, and
fun. I highly recommend this book to those who want to learn from
the wisdom of the plants.”
—Joe Tafur, MD
“People testing ayahuasca will gain much from reading this book
before take-off. Chris Kilham knows his plants, his writing is fun,
and the book itself is packed with knowledge.”
—Jeremy Narby, author of The Cosmic Serpent
“A worthy primer for anyone interested in learning about ayahuasca.
Well researched, well written, on target. Chris Kilham has added
another important book to the ayahuasca bookshelf.”
—Peter Gorman, author of Ayahuasca in My Blood—25 Years of Medicine
Dreaming
"Chris Kilham is one of the world’s leading advocates of the
medicinal use of traditional Amazonian ayahuasca. This book unveils
the mysteries surrounding Ayahuasca and provides a strong
foundation for anyone interested in journeying to the Amazon to
participate in these extraordinary ceremonies or understanding the
emerging Western fascination with visionary plant medicine.”
—Hamilton Souther, master Ayahuasca shaman and founder of Blue
Morpho Tours
"When I first moved to New York City I bought a copy of that famous
black subway guidebook, and I carried it everywhere for my first
six months in the city. Chris Kilham has created the equivalent for
the equally vast cosmic landscape of ayahuasca shamanism. From
lodge and shaman reports to the history of South American
shamanism, and including veteran tips for navigating both
terrestrial and celestial Amazonian terrains, this one-of-a-kind
guidebook is a must-read for all spiritual seekers who are being
called to work with or learn more about the ayahuasca
tradition."
—Adam Elenbaas, author of Fishers of Men: The Gospel of an
Ayahuasca Vision Quest
“I can’t imagine that anyone besides Chris Kilham could write the
definitive guide to using ayahuasca. In this book, Chris shares his
vast knowledge base and experience with la medicina in a way that’s
informative, entertaining, and enlightening. When it comes to
explaining this ancient, powerful medicine to Westerners, Chris is
the man!”—Robyn Griggs Lawrence, natural-living advocate and former
editor of Natural Home magazine
“In his latest book, Chris Kilham provides fascinating and engaging
context on the traditional utilization of one of the New World’s
most powerful plants, Ayahuasca, bringing the reader on an
ethnobotanical journey of learning about the past and present use
of this sacred Amazonian vine.”
—Michael J. Balick, author of Rodale’s 21st Century Herbal
“Chris Kilham is a brilliant adventure storyteller with the gift of
gab, and he shares fringe explorations, intense inspirations,
wild-ride revelations, and intimate healings that will make you
feel like laughing, crying, nodding, twisting your head, and
marveling at the vast mystery that is spirit.”
—Zoe Helene, founder of Cosmic Sister
"Kilham writes clearly and compellingly on a complicated topic.
Some will appreciate the history, context, and chemistry of la
medicina, while all of us who love healing plants will delight in
this literary immersion into a sacred journey. Reading this
handbook triggered belly laughs of recognition and body memories of
spirit flights with trusted shamans such as those this primer
describes."
—Amanda McQuade Crawford, MA, Dip. Phyto., RH (AHG), MNZAMH,
MCPP
“Chris Kilham takes us on an easy-to-read journey into the
Amazonian world of ayahuasca, eloquently covering the history,
science, and experience of the visionary and healing jungle brew
that the Western world is only now discovering.”
—Chris Bennett, author of Cannabis and the Soma Solution
“Kilham is the best person today to authentically tell the
ayahuasca story because he embodies all things necessary to take us
on that journey: he is a botanist, a widely recognized
plant-medicine explorer, a close friend of tribal peoples, a
historian, a storyteller, and one who has had a great many journeys
with the medicine. With a brilliant, open mind and endless
spiritual energy, Chris has pulled together the knowledge and
stories of ayahuasca in a way that will help guide anyone into and
through the wonder of it.”
—Linda Sparrow, author, filmmaker, and natural-products
marketer
“All You’ve Ever Wanted to Know about Ayahuasca but Didn’t Know
What or Whom to Ask: Chris Kilham, aptly named the Medicine Hunter,
is the ultimate storyteller: wise, funny, articulate, and
wonderfully charming, in the best possible sense. He takes us on a
magical journey spanning all aspects of the ayahuasca
experience—the plant, the people involved (shamans and
participants), the outer journey, the inner journey, and how to
navigate the intricacies of it all. His kindness, warmth and spirit
shine throughout. You can’t help loving this book—and its most
captivating author.”
—Hyla Cass, MD, psychiatrist, author of 8 Weeks to Vibrant
Health
“Written from personal experience and in his typical delightful
storytelling style, Chris Kilham’s The Ayahuasca Test Pilot’s
Handbook: The Essential Guide to Ayahuasca Journeying is just
that. The use of hallucinogenic substances for this type of
journeying or healing requires cultural guides. Chris provides a
bridge from the ancient to the modern, interweaving the culturally
shamanic understanding of the experience with that of the modern
seeker. It is a delightful read for those interested in the
psycho-spiritual use of plants and truly is a guide for those
seeking the experience.”
—Roy Upton, RH, DipAyu, Executive Director, American Herbal
Pharmacopoeia
“I have known Chris Kilham for nearly forty years, and it was my
good fortune to be part of a small group that went with Chris to
drink La Medicina and be in ceremonies with several wonderful
shamans. In this book, Chris Kilham has proven himself to be the
foremost messenger of the plants. The images are accurate and the
experiences he shares are heartfelt, humorous, and savvy. Any
attempt to educate and inform about natural products and their
value, and about the importance of the indigenous cultures from
which they come, pales when compared to one simple lecture from
Chris Kilham.”
—Andy Levine, author and founder of Yellow Emperor Herbs
"There is a pandemic of suffering from psycho-spiritual illnesses
that modern healthcare is not able to address. An ever-increasing
number of people yearn for ‘something more’ in life. In
answer, ayahuasca is reaching out across the globe to offer its
significant benefits. But with the substantial growth in interest
in the medicine, there is more and more need to foster an educated,
reverent, and cautious approach to drinking ayahuasca. The
Ayahuasca Test Pilots Handbook is a candid and at times humorous
book packed with important information to help
people consciously navigate their way into and through
their first experiences with ayahuasca. I highly recommend this
book as a valuable resource for people interested in beginning a
path of healing and self-discovery with ayahuasca.”
—Matthew Watherston, founder of Temple of the Way of Light
“Most experts would agree that for psychedelic plant adventures, a
good guide is essential, and a great guide can make this journey
truly life-altering. In The Ayahuasca Test Pilot’s Handbook, Chris
Kilham becomes our great guide in understanding the phenomena of
ayahuasca, informing and enlightening us on this most personal of
plant journeys. Kilham covers the requisite basics of any thorough
plant investigation, but also skillfully and reverently handles the
concept of communication with ‘plant spirit’ and describes in
detail—and with open-minded humor—the wide range of experiences a
human can have on the ayahuasca journey. If this is your next plant
adventure, don't 'leave home' without this helpful and
all-inclusive guide.”
—Lynda LeMole, consultant to herbal businesses; former president of
Traditional Medicinals
"Chris Kilham has written a true handbook for anyone interested in
Ayahuasca. If you are brand new to ayahuasca and searching for real
information into this interesting plant medicine, then this book is
the ideal place to go. If you have partaken in ayahuasca ceremonies
in the past, you’ll find clear details that may help you better
explain and understand what you experienced but had never found the
right words to share with others."
—Malcolm Rossiter, shaman at Blue Morpho
"Finally, a well-researched and well-written book on that most
powerful of all Amazonian plants! The best book on ayahuasca
since Jeremy Narby's The Cosmic Serpent "
—Mark Plotkin, ethnobotanist, author of Tales of a
Shaman’s Apprentice.
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