Zibaros Or A Dream Culture

The Zibaros, Jivaros, Achuar, Huambisa or Aguarunas belong to the ethnic/linguistic group, located in the Basin of the Amazon River, in South America.
The members of these groups have been practicing dream work since the remote past. These people believe in the power of dream content and they still rule their life, based on the messages of dreams. They have a very interesting theory about dreams, similar to theories of some psychology approaches.
In order to have dreams and balance in their lives they drink Ayahuasca, a plant infusion, containing/ B, carbolines, nn.
Dimethiltriptanine DMT or other triptamines.
In VIII. AC. some Jesuits missionaries reported for the fist time the use of Brugmansia, sp Ayahuasca by these communities in order to enter into a state of awareness for dreaming.
Almost all the inhabitants of the Amazon River practice dream incubation drinking this infusion know under different names according on the region. The term Ayahuasca, it is used in the Bolivian, Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon.
The Brugmansia, sp, is a hallucinogen, climbing plant that cannot be used without the knowledge and wisdom of a shaman, since can because vomiting, diarrhea and serious mental disorders.
The Zibaros use dream interpretation as an oracle, as a tool, for reaching self-knowledge and getting information about specific problems of their everyday life.
An important habit is that families go to bed early and waking before dawn. They gather in front of a bonfire and this a sacred time for them, because at that hour they can remember their last night dreams.
The elders of the community are those in charge of teaching their knowledge to the youngest.
Thus those teachings will allow them survive in the jungle and understand the meaning of dreams, through their myths and legends.
Sometimes when a tribe member does not remember his or her dreams, he or she is considered a miserable person, someone unable to make decisions and take care of his or her own life. Therefore, if the person cannot recall what he or she dreamt, this individual lacks wisdom and has to depend on others to solve his or her problems.
When an adolescent develops some sort of inappropriate behavior, the elders would prescribe him or her fresh Ayahuasca juice. The effects of this beverage will lead the young person to an unconscious state, or altered state of mind during which he or she would describe dreams and visions with strong emotional content. Once the message is interpreted, there would be a solution to the problem.
Another important fact among the Zibaros is that they have important dream categories, symbolic dreaming, brief dreams which are easily forgotten, because they are not relevant ,premonitory dreams, announce what is expected to happen, and Big dreams, those are a person dream just once in a lifetime and change the life of the dreamer or the community, as well. However, the best dreams takes place when they dream about themselves and in the dream can hear voices.
The understanding of their dream messages would depend on each individual's experiences and personal symbols and is based upon mythological meaning.
Long ago these people were known around the world, because they used to shrink the head of the enemy. The reasoning was the following. A dream comes from the head, so if the individual without head was not able to dream, hence was a person with no power at all.
For the Zibaro communities, dreams represent a path in search for peace, harmony, wholeness and the possibility of aging with strength and wisdom.
Finally, people from that part of the world, rely on the power of dreams to rule their lives.

*Rosa Anwandter

Author of the books" Los Suenos Espejo del Alma". Platero Stgo/ Chile 1998
"El Poder Mágico de los Sueños".Ril Editores. Santiago/chile 2006
"El Lenguaje de la Noche".Co-author with Stanley Krippner PHD. Ril Editores, Santiago/Chile 2006

Jungian Dream Analyst
Director
Centro de Estudios Oniricos de Chile
www.ceoniric.cl
infoceoniric@cl