Meet the pastor of Maine’s new hallucinogenic church
Derek Januszewski, founder and pastor on the new Pachamama Sanctuary in Casco, is raring to get a recent begin in Maine after run-ins with officers in New Hampshire and he desires locals to know they don’t have anything to concern from his 40-acre retreat middle the place devotees will imbibe hallucinogenic tea whereas in search of to heal their religious illnesses.
“I invite anyone who finds what we’re doing triggering to open their minds and think about that this medication may help lots of people and there’s no proof of habit or adverse social penalties,” Januszewski mentioned.
Januszewski closed the church’s Canterbury, New Hampshire, location final 12 months after a protracted run-in with native officers over zoning and constructing code issues. City officers finally filed an injunction. Januszekski and the city reached a settlement that required him to stop holding occasions on the property there. Had he not, Januszewski would have needed to pay almost $50,000 in fines and court docket prices.
He additionally left city with pay as you go deposit cash for retreats that had been canceled in the course of the church’s transfer.
“There have been 140 those who had paid, and there’s six, actually six, those who haven’t acquired their refunds at this level — and so they’ll all be refunded as quickly as the primary retreat occurs,” Januszewski mentioned.
Now Pachamama Sanctuary has relocated to Casco and can host the primary of its weekend-long religious classes on Aug. 11, with two extra to quickly comply with. The Massachusetts native Januszewski mentioned superior bookings have been sturdy.
The fee per session is a urged $888.
“The quantity 888 signifies optimistic modifications and abundance in household life, indicating a time of development and harmonious connections with family members,” Januszewski mentioned.
Throughout the religious classes, contributors use ayahuasca, a plant-based psychedelic which may quickly alter an individual’s pondering, sense of time and feelings. Ayahuasca may result in hallucinations, main folks to see or hear issues that aren’t actually current.
Januszewski mentioned his church makes use of the highly effective substance as a therapeutic balm for non-physical illnesses. He believes it helped him conquer his personal addictions. Januszewski mentioned it will also be helpful for these coping with melancholy and put up traumatic stress by releasing imbibers from their very own self-limiting egos and inhibitions.
“It removes our capability to mislead ourselves, and it removes our capability to place shields up,” he mentioned. “We are able to see issues extra as they’re, not as we see them, via the lenses of our trauma.”
Nonetheless, the pastor is cautious to restrict official and particular claims of ayahuasca’s efficacy.
“You heal your self,” Januszewski mentioned. “What ayahuasca does is it opens up understanding.”
Taken as a tea, or decoction, ayahuasca is normally made by combining South American Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves from the Psychotria viridis shrub. The ensuing drink has been utilized by indigenous peoples from Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador for ritual non secular, in addition to therapeutic functions, for hundreds of years.
At Januszewski’s church, the mind-altering tea is run by a shaman, in a gaggle setting.
“We carry [shamans] in from Colombia, from Peru, from Brazil,” Januszewski mentioned. “That’s their life path. That’s the data and the knowledge handed down from the elders [for them] to have the ability to do that work. I’m not certified for that.”
In america, ayahuasca is illegitimate apart from non secular functions. Regular, wholesome adults could take ayahuasca with out concern of long-lasting adversarial results, based on the Nationwide Institutes of Well being. Nonetheless, little scientific knowledge exists about its therapeutic properties.
Januszewski mentioned his job, as pastor, is way more administrative in nature, reserving shamans and making certain company are snug and secure.
“We’ve had folks come from everywhere in the world,” he mentioned. “Usually, it’s within the Northeast. We do have folks flying in from California, sort of usually. Lots of people are available from New York.”
The pastor mentioned he’s wanting to get a recent begin in Maine and is trying ahead to changing into an everyday a part of the local people.
“I’m actually trying ahead to studying in regards to the native space and discovering out what the wants of the native space are, in order that we may help help the issues that our neighbors love,” Januszewski mentioned.
