Peyote
The hallucinogenic herb, peyote, has been used by the Native Americans of North
America for a long time. Native people do not use peyote to “get high” but rather to
see teaching visions. Peyote makes people highly sensitive to sight and sound and
more aware of what is around and inside of them. It is used to heal all kinds of sick-
ness, for clairvoyance, and in the worship of the Great Being. It is believed that the
Creator put peyote on earth as a medicine to help people. It is viewed somewhat like
an aspirin, a cure for all kinds of physical as well as mental and emotional prob-
lems.How Can I Get Started with Native American Healing?
Although the modern Native American population might not initially seem to be an
exemplar of good health practices, it’s important to separate the tradition and
potential of Native American culture with its current situation. Adopting the tradi-
tions of gratitude and reverence for nature is a great way to begin adopting a Native
American attitude toward one’s health. Several mental exercises to cultivate these
attitudes are presented below, and the resources section lists avenues for further
exploration.Fostering Positive Thoughts
Just as Native American tribes have rituals for cleansing the mind of negative
thoughts and feelings, which predispose to disease, we can develop our own rituals
to modify unhealthy thinking patterns. Negative thinking not only occurs in our
brains, but it also occurs in our bodies; negative thoughts cause instantaneous
chemical changes in every cell. Continuous cellular disruption may contribute to the
onset of illness and disease. To counteract negative thinking, you may find it helpful
to look at yourself in the mirror and say aloud, three good things about yourself.
People might say, “I’m a good friend,” “I’m an honest person,” “I’m a caring per-
son,” “My hair looks beautiful today,” “I am becoming healthier every day,” and so
on. The goal is to say different positive qualities about themselves each day. Keeping
a journal about feelings immediately after the exercise and feelings throughout the
day is helpful in evaluating the impact of positive statements on negative thinking.78 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE