A Guide for Seekers of the Church of the Living Monad
The work of ceremony begins long before you arrive. Preparation is not a checklist to be completed but a turning of the whole person toward the sacrament — body, mind, and heart made ready to receive. What follows is offered as guidance for that turning.
Beneath the many traditions that have carried this medicine runs a single thread: the recognition that the divine is one, and that the soul, having descended into separation, longs to remember its source. We hold this perennial understanding — that the light spoken of by the mystics of every age is one light, Lumen Unitatis — and that the Earth herself speaks it back to us, Vox Terrae, through the living teacher of the forest. The medicine is the bridge. Your preparation is how you meet it halfway.
The Dieta: Purification as Offering
The dieta is a process of purification rooted in Shipibo wisdom, carried forward with reverence in our own practice. It cleanses the body and quiets the noise that separates us from the frequency of the sacrament. To keep the dieta is to make of yourself a clearer vessel — and to offer, through discipline, proof of the sincerity of your seeking.
Begin at least two weeks before the ceremony. The longer and more faithful the preparation, the more open the channel.
A Note on Safety Before Anything Else
This is more than tradition — it is a matter of physical safety. Ayahuasca contains MAO inhibitors, and certain foods and substances become genuinely dangerous in their presence. The dietary restrictions below are not only spiritual observances; some of them protect your body from real harm. Please read the medical guidance section carefully, and disclose your full health history and medication list during screening. Honesty here is itself a form of reverence.
Foods and Substances to Release
- Tyramine-rich foods — strict and non-negotiable. Aged cheeses, cured and fermented meats, fermented soy (soy sauce, miso, tempeh), sauerkraut, overripe or fermented fruits, and yeast extracts. In combination with the medicine’s MAO inhibition, tyramine can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure. This restriction is for your safety, not only your purity.
- Alcohol and recreational substances. Cleared well in advance; they disturb mental clarity and interfere with the body’s natural rhythms.
- Caffeine. Eased back in the days before, to settle the nervous system.
- Red meat and pork. Heavy and dense; they slow the body and obstruct the flow of the work.
- Dairy. Increases mucus and congestion, clouding the energetic channels.
- Processed and artificial foods. Disruptive to the body’s harmony and to your sensitivity.
- Excess salt, sugar, and heavily spiced or fried foods. They dull receptivity and unsettle the inner balance.
Foods to Nourish You
Choosing clean, living foods sets the stage for a harmonious journey:
- Fresh fruits and vegetables — organic and unprocessed, their life force intact.
- Whole grains — brown rice, quinoa, oats, for grounding.
- Legumes and nuts — lentils, chickpeas, almonds, for clean protein.
- Lean proteins in moderation — fresh fish, eggs, tofu.
- Plenty of water and herbal teas — hydration is the ground of clarity.
How are you treating your temple? The dieta is the first answer you give the sacrament.
Medical Preparation and Contraindications
We are a physician-supervised tradition, and we take the safety of seekers with the seriousness it deserves. The medicine’s reverence and its risks are not in tension — honoring both is what makes the space genuinely sacred and genuinely safe.
Disclose everything during screening. Your complete medication list, supplements, and medical and psychiatric history are essential. The following require careful review and, in several cases, are firm contraindications:
- Serotonergic medications and supplements — the most serious concern. SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics, certain migraine medications (triptans), tramadol, dextromethorphan, St. John’s Wort, 5-HTP, and others can combine with the medicine to produce serotonin syndrome, which is potentially life-threatening. Many of these require a supervised taper and a substantial washout period — often weeks — under the guidance of a physician. Never stop a prescribed medication on your own; this must be planned with your prescriber and disclosed to us.
- Cardiovascular conditions. Uncontrolled hypertension, significant heart disease, or arrhythmia warrant medical clearance before participation.
- Psychiatric history. A personal or family history of schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar disorder, or other conditions involving psychosis generally contraindicates participation. Please discuss any psychiatric history openly.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Other significant conditions — liver disease, seizure disorders, and others — should be raised during screening.
If anything here gives you pause, that is exactly the reason to speak with us. The screening conversation exists to protect you, not to exclude you.
Preparing the Heart and Mind
The medicine does not cleanse the body alone. It reaches into the hidden places of the soul — and so it asks us to meet what we have kept out of sight, to feel what has long been suppressed, and to surrender to a wisdom greater than our own. We call the disposition this requires Cor Apertum: the open heart, unguarded and receptive.
Working With Fear
It is natural to feel fear before ceremony. You are stepping toward parts of yourself that have been waiting to be seen. Fear is often the threshold of transformation rather than a reason to turn back.
To soften anxiety in the days before:
- Breathwork and meditation — return, again and again, to the present moment.
- Limit overstimulation — step back from news, social media, and noise.
- Trust the process — the sacrament shows you what you are ready to see. Nothing more, nothing less.
Releasing Expectation
Every ceremony is its own. Some receive vivid vision; others move through quiet, deep emotional work; others meet stillness. Release your grip on a particular outcome. Expectation breeds resistance; the medicine knows what you need.
Setting Intention
Where expectation closes, intention opens. Intention is the compass of the journey — a way of aligning yourself with the teaching rather than demanding a result.
To set one:
- Reflect honestly on what you seek.
- Keep it simple and heartfelt.
- Write it down. Feel it settle in your chest.
Some find their way with words like these:
- I seek healing from what I have carried.
- I wish to remember my connection to the source.
- I surrender to the teaching of the medicine.
The elders say the sacrament responds to sincerity of heart. What is yours?
Lifestyle in the Days Before
Beyond diet and inner work, simple adjustments deepen your readiness:
- Prioritize rest. A well-rested body supports a clear mind.
- Move gently. Light yoga, walking, and stretching keep energy flowing.
- Observe celibacy. Traditional teaching recommends abstinence beforehand, to gather and preserve your energy.
- Reduce screen time. Make room for silence and introspection.
Integration: The Work After the Work
Ceremony does not end when the fire dims and the songs fall quiet. Integration is the bridge between what you receive and how you live it. The descent of insight means little until it becomes the slow, patient return — the way the soul makes its way home, soteria understood not as a single moment but as a path walked daily.
Ways to integrate:
- Journaling — record insights, emotions, and lessons while they are fresh.
- Meditation and reflection — sit in silence and let the messages settle.
- Community — connect with others who understand the journey. The Church holds space for post-ceremony reflection; you are not meant to carry it alone.
- Continued dieta awareness — for a time, avoid the substances and environments that cloud your newfound clarity.