Summary · 摘要
Prompted by a death during an ayahuasca ceremony at a Peruvian shamanic centre, Maté reflects on both the healing potential and the real dangers of this Amazonian plant medicine, whose popularity among Westerners seeking healing or meaning is rising. As a Western-trained physician, he argues that modern medicine misunderstands healing by treating illness as isolated misfortune rather than as the body’s expression of a life lived in psychological and social context — a holistic view shared by many indigenous wisdom traditions from which ayahuasca arises. Used in its proper ceremonial setting under compassionate guidance, the plant can put people in touch with repressed pain and trauma that drive dysfunctional behaviour, sometimes achieving in a few sittings what years of psychotherapy aspire to, and (given the unity of mind and body) affecting hormones, nerves, immunity and organs. But it is no panacea: it can be exploited for money or sexual gratification by unscrupulous healers, and its power to penetrate the psyche can awaken repressed rage — reasons to approach it with caution, deep respect, and only in the right context.
在一名加拿大人于秘鲁萨满中心的死藤水仪式中身亡之后，马泰反思了这种亚马逊植物药的疗愈潜力与真实危险——越来越多西方人为求疗愈或意义而趋之若鹜。作为受西方训练的医生，他指出现代医学误解了疗愈：它把疾病当作孤立的不幸，而非身体对一个在心理与社会脉络中度过之生命的表达——这种整体观正是许多原住民智慧传统所共有的，死藤水也由此而来。在恰当的仪式环境中、在富有慈悲的引导下，这种植物能让人接触到驱动失能行为的被压抑的痛苦与创伤，有时几次就能达到多年心理治疗所追求的效果，并（因身心一体）影响荷尔蒙、神经、免疫与脏器。但它并非万灵药：不法的”疗愈者”可能借此牟利或满足性欲，而它穿透心灵的力量也可能唤醒被压抑的暴怒——因此须以审慎、深切的敬畏，并仅在恰当的脉络中对待它。
Key points · 要点
- A recent death during a Peruvian ayahuasca ceremony, an apparent act of self-defence, drew attention to the growing Western “ayahuasca tourism” for healing and meaning.最近一名西方人在秘鲁死藤水仪式中身亡（疑似自卫所致），让日益盛行的西方”死藤水旅游”——求疗愈与意义——受到关注。
- Modern medicine, for all its achievements, misunderstands healing by treating illnesses as isolated accidents rather than as expressions of a life’s psychological and social context.现代医学纵有种种成就，却误解了疗愈：它把疾病视为孤立的意外，而非生命之心理与社会脉络的表达。
- Ayahuasca arises from indigenous traditions in which mind and body are seen as inseparable in both sickness and health.死藤水源自将身心在病与健中皆视为不可分割的原住民传统。
- Maté cites cases he has witnessed: a woman freed from an immobilizing autoimmune condition, another moved from repeated suicide attempts to hope, and others overcoming addictions, compulsion, shame, depression and anxiety.马泰举出亲见的案例：一名女子从令其瘫痪的自身免疫病中解脱，另一人从屡次自杀走向希望，还有人克服成瘾、强迫、羞耻、抑郁与焦虑。
- The plant is neither a Western pathogen-attacking drug, nor a chronic chemical like antidepressants, nor a recreational psychedelic; in ceremony it surfaces repressed pain and trauma that drive dysfunctional behaviour.这种植物既非西方那种攻击病原的药物，也非抗抑郁药那样长期服用的化学品，更非娱乐性致幻剂；在仪式中它使驱动失能行为的被压抑痛苦与创伤浮现。
- Consciously experiencing primal pain can loosen its hold, sometimes achieving in a few sittings what years of psychotherapy aspire to, and restoring qualities like wholeness, trust and love.自觉地体验原初的痛苦能松动其控制，有时几次就达到多年心理治疗所追求的效果，并恢复完整、信任、爱等品质。
- Because mind and body are united, genuine experiential transformation can affect hormones, the nervous and immune systems, and organs — the basis of the plant’s healing potential in Western terms.因身心一体，真正的体验性转化能影响荷尔蒙、神经与免疫系统及脏器——这正是该植物以西方眼光看待的疗愈潜力之根基。
- It is no panacea: it can be exploited for money or for the sexual gratification of healers preying on vulnerable clients, and can awaken repressed rage — so it demands caution, profound respect and the right context.它并非万灵药：可能被用于牟利或满足”疗愈者”对脆弱受害者的性欲，也可能唤醒被压抑的暴怒——故须以审慎、深切的敬畏与恰当的脉络对待。
Selected quotes · 摘引
“In our narrow pursuit of cure, we fail to comprehend the essence of healing.” — https://drgabormate.com/profound-power-amazonian-plant-respect-demands
“在我们对治愈的狭隘追求中，我们未能理解疗愈的本质。”
“In its proper ceremonial setting, under compassionate and experienced guidance, the plant—or, as tradition has it, the spirit of the plant—puts people in touch with their repressed pain and trauma, the very factors that drive all dysfunctional behaviours.” — https://drgabormate.com/profound-power-amazonian-plant-respect-demands
“在恰当的仪式环境中、在富有慈悲且经验丰富的引导下，这种植物——或如传统所言，这种植物的灵——使人接触到自己被压抑的痛苦与创伤，而这些正是驱动一切失能行为的因素。”
“All the more reason, then, to approach ayahuasca with caution, profound respect, and only in the right context.” — https://drgabormate.com/profound-power-amazonian-plant-respect-demands
“正因如此，更应以审慎、深切的敬畏，并仅在恰当的脉络中对待死藤水。“
People & works · 人物与著作
- Gabor Maté — author; the Western-trained physician writing in the first person about his experience with ayahuasca and its healing potential.加博尔·马泰 —— 作者；以第一人称书写自身死藤水经验及其疗愈潜力的、受西方训练的医生。
- The Globe and Mail — Canadian newspaper where an edited version of this article originally appeared (December 2015).《环球邮报》 —— 加拿大报纸，本文的编辑版最初发表于此（2015 年 12 月）。
Source · 来源
- Original · 原始链接: https://drgabormate.com/profound-power-amazonian-plant-respect-demands
- Channel/Show · 频道/节目: drgabormate.com · published 2015-12-21