River Course Final Assignments

This is a sampling of some of the fantastic final assignments that some of our past River Course participants have submitted. To complete the course, students create a project to express how the material learned from this course will be implemented in their professional practice or life as they move forward.

Protection, poem by Paul Antico

Lisa Marie Persaud
The River Course
Joseph Tafur, MD
5. 25. 2022

Where Invisible Energies Touch the Flesh—A Personal Voyage

“Art is very important, and addresses the invisible world, that which we can feel and experience, but not always measure”
(The River Course, 2022).

My experiences reading ‘The Fellowship of the River’ (Tafur, 2017), and within The River Course, have been profound— occurring at the level of the emotional and energy body, these meaningful transformations radiate outwards stretching beyond language(s) and are, for the most part, ineffable. The canvas is one place where these invisible energies upon the flesh have chosen to manifest glimpses of my psyche.

The three paintings herein speak to what all the great wisdom traditions have shared along the way—"it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye”
(Saint-Exupéry, 1943).

Enclosed are an extension of my highest self—the inner work or processes— my memories, dreams, reflections, visions, communions, and felt experiences. I hope that what I’ve created invites curiosity and catalyzes love, as well as a deepened reverence for the gifts offered to us by our sacred plant-spirit allies, and the miracle of life in general, as we traverse the rivers of this mysterious, vast, and wonderful, Cosmos.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections

“Ayahuasca visions are said to access the mystical realm of our dreams” and connect the vision world and the dream worlds”
(Tafur, 2017, p. 178).

A few months ago, I re-read passages of Jung’s ‘Memory, Dreams, Reflections’— specifically his account of his NDE where he drifted above the Earth and saw her bathed in a beautiful blue light. On that night I had a dream of laying gently in a bog dressed in a white gown, where a beautiful green snake slithered over me, unto land, and into a forest. In the dream I realized that this snake had no desire to attack me but wanted me to follow it—it was an elegant, sensitive, and beautiful green snake. The dream, or calling, was followed by a vision the next day. This painting speaks to that vision—the beautiful snake, like the Ouroboros, formed a circle of eternity flooded by beautiful rainbow light. According to both Jung, and Hillman, the psyche (soul) speaks in symbols— therein, lies a part of me.

The Divine Messenger

“Mystical experiences shape our sense of personal meaning and spiritual significance.”

...

“Embodied consciousness exists within a larger mystery, beyond what minds our minds can understand.”

...

“Connection to the larger mystery gives us a sense of place and purpose in this life. This subjective connection to the boundless mystery, experienced through the emotional-energy body, is what we traditionally describe as faith.”
(Tafur, 2017, p. 240).

The painter Edvard Munch once uttered:
“Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye... it also includes the inner pictures of the soul.”

This painting, ‘The Divine Messenger’, explores one of those inner pictures. I wish that I could say that I know through-and-through what my paintings are all about but, they only slowly reveal themselves over spacetime—their messages greet me time-and-time-again anew, always taking on greater depth, purpose, and meaning. My experiences thus far, implores me to trust, or have faith, in my intuition and this process.

‘The Divine Messenger’ depicts an expansive network between the heart and the mind— where the emotional body is engaged, and the energy body is illuminated through communion with the Divine Messenger. Epigenetic “machinery” responds to love with healing.

Dialogue with the Realm of Spirit: Piñon Blanco (Jatropha curcas L.)

“In the Shipibo tradition, the spirit of the master plant pinon blanco is believed to bring a very pure light to the heart and mind.”

...

“Music came down pillars of light during ayahuasca ceremonies ... spirits from the forest whispered songs to them in their tambos.
(Tafur, 2017, p. 126).

This painting explores one of the visions I received from Joe’s icaro gifted by Piñon Blanco— the spirit of the plant carries memories and possibilities. There the worlds of mind, body, heart, and soul collide across portals.

The Neuroscience of Icaros
Christophe Morin, PhD
October 20, 2023

Introduction

The term "Icaro" derives etymologically from the Quichua verb "ikaray," connoting the act of "dispensing curative properties through smoke" (Luna, 1992). In a broad ontological sense, Icaros are songs imbued with the purported property of mitigating physiological, affective, and spiritual afflictions. Icaros are designed to invoke the spirits of plants, engendering healing, safeguarding against evil influences, and, intriguingly, even inciting the attraction of romantic affinities. The intricate and multifaceted therapeutic potential of Icaros has fascinated researchers, scholars, and healing practitioners for hundreds of years. The creation and use of Icaros are inextricably intertwined with Amazonian shamanism, also commonly called ayahuasca shamanism. Furthermore, Icaros play a pivotal role in plant dietas, a therapeutic practice focusing on cultivating a heightened sense of interconnectedness and communicative resonance between humans and plants.

Research inquiries into the tradition of Icaros have predominantly gravitated toward spiritual protocols and their resultant impacts on the outcomes of shamanic rites. However, the positive implications of passive auditory reception and active vocalization of Icaros appear to transcend the exclusive purview of spiritual or ceremonial properties. This paper explores the empirical evidence from the multifaceted cognitive and neurophysiological advantages of engaging with Icaros.

Example of an Icaro

Here is an example of an Icaro sung by Don Miguel, a Shipibo shaman with whom I will be privileged to work this coming November in Peru.

Below are the translated lyrics

invoking ancestors and spirits so that they can protect and heal the people present in an ayahuasca ceremony:

Nocon Shawan – Welcome / calling the ancestors
Nocon shawan caibobo // Welcome family from afar
Nonra mato jowe acai // Now the spirits welcome you
Neska neska shamankin // I call you to this healing place
Mato jowe acai // I call the spirits to heal you
Mato jowe ayunshon // With this prayer I will heal you
Mato ishon banonkin // Listen to this healing prayer
Neska neska ranike // My ancestors heal the sick
Non shawan anibo // I call my sickly family
Nomabo beashkin // Spirits of the plants shall come
Chiti chiti shamani // They all dance among us now
Raro raro shamani // With their joyous dance they heal
Non mato ishonon // To you all I give this prayer

The neuroscience of how music can heal

The power of music to alter our moods and provide health benefits in general is well documented. When I wrote the Serenity Code (2020) to explore self-love habits that can reset our autonomic nervous system and increase our neuroplasticity, I found impressive evidence that music can:

• Increase motivation and goal-directed behavior: Music can act as a rewarding stimulus, motivating us to learn and engage in goal-directed behavior. For example, listening to music while exercising can make the workout more enjoyable and help us to push ourselves harder. Music can also be used to create a more positive and motivating atmosphere in the workplace or at school.

• Activate our reward system: Music can activate the mesocorticolimbic system, a brain circuit involved in reward and pleasure. When we listen to music that we enjoy, it can cause the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, endorphins, and oxytocin. These neurotransmitters can produce feelings of pleasure, euphoria, and well-being.

• Reduce stress and arousal levels: Music can help to reduce stress and arousal levels. Listening to relaxing music can slow heart rate, lower blood pressure, and minimize muscle tension. Music can also be used to distract us from negative thoughts and feelings.

• Improve our immune system function: Music can help to improve immune system function. Studies have shown that listening to music can increase the production of natural killer cells, which are white blood cells that help to fight off infection. Music can also reduce stress hormone level.

In addition to these top health benefits, music has also been shown to be beneficial for a variety of other conditions, such as:

• Pain management

• Anxiety and depression

• Sleep disorders

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Alzheimer's disease

• Parkinson's disease

Therefore, music is a powerful modality to improve physical and mental health in general.

Click here to read the rest of the full paper.