I've been having some interesting thoughts on my last few Aya/pharmahuasca journeys, related to the Icaros. Originally (when I first began my relationship with ayahuasca, which was my introduction to DMT), I thought the Icaros was kind of stupid. The fact that people would take ayahuasca in the dark, singing for several hours just didn't really appeal to me. I still to this day prefer to take it outside, in nature.

Anyways, though, something I've noticed with really high dose aya experiences is that I start singing uncontrollably, in some sort of glossolalic language. It's pretty spectacular, and always sounds so beautiful. I've never taken it enough to start singing around other people, however, so it's tough to say if my singing just sounds good in my head or if it really does sound nice.

My main question for you all in this is do you think the Icaros exists independent of us? That is to say, it isn't a man-made invention, but rather something that inhabits the deep, dark crevasses of space-time; something that we are able to tap into and use somehow to our advantage. I can easily liken it to the "Music of the Ainur" from J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Silmarillion."

Quoth the Wikipedia:


Sure, this is all certainly just speculation, and perhaps better belongs in one of the spirituality forums (had a difficult time deciding where to place this topic), but I think it's a pretty interesting side of ayahuasca culture, as well as religion and human nature in general. Music is such a huge part of our lives, and I can't think of a single spiritual group off the top of my head that doesn't use music in one way or another as a form of "worship" or "praise."

Let me know what you guys think. Am I just crazy? Or am I potentially onto something?

This is a really fascinating topic. James Kent has emphasized the role of icaros in Psychedelic Information Theory. The three chapters, starting with this one particularly deal with it. A magician discusses an experience leading him to think of spirits as fields of rhythms here. I definitely think you're on to something!

Why so certain?

Kind of a broad Question maybe:

Are not the Bird's songs Icaros in some sense.

Are Icaros manifestations of ourselves?

BTW, I like broad questions, they're the best conversation starters...

Well, where else would they come from if not from ourselves?

The Spirit World
a page on icaros http://www.biopark.org/peru/icaros.html

That's an interesting way of looking at it. I am under the impression that most shaman's have a sort of repertoire of different Icaros for different situations, so I don't know how much it's a reflection of individuality, rather than a tool that is called upon; leading me to believe it is more something that is accessed rather than broadcast.

I guess I'll just have to travel to South America and ask someone.

The idea of the world being made of 'language', so to speak, is a very interesting topic, which I have found myself getting into as of late, being inspired partly by terrence and dennis mckenna's amazon experiments regarding resonant sound waves, and by the plants surrounding my dwelling....during my rue/vape journies, I sing songs of love which I learn from my big tree, and then pass on into hyperspace...I am taught that physical sound, especially that made by a human being, is the evolution of the species, turning energy into matter...I take huge hits of spice, and then repeat "I love you" and "I will help you" in almost a buzzing tone, turning my whole being into a spiritual transmission of love, across galaxies unknown to us...It's what feels right....also, today actually, I purchased a tibetan singing bowl in venice, which within 2 hours, has already made me feel totally and utterly cleansed, as well as inducing tracers and glowing edges in my visual field...sound is a POWERFUL spiritual and physical tool, keep probing this subject...the more people we have using it, the more Light and Love we can transmit across this beautiful planet, Mother Earth.