User Reviews

This is a documentary about the ayahuasca experience at Blue Morpho, a center for ayahuasca near the city of Iquitos in Peru. It contains actual footage of people under ayahuasca (which they undergo in nearly complete darkness so the camera uses night vision) to give you a good of idea of what it is like. For those thinking of taking ayahuasca, the content of this documentary is a good "know before you go". It is not something one should take without supervision or at some place providing inadequate support. This point is clear from the footage in this documentary. For some people it can be an absolutely horrid experience, while others report it as the best thing that has ever happened to them. It has transformed (hence the title Metamorphosis) in a very positive way some people with emotional issues for whom traditional approaches have not helped. The documentary shows actual preparation of ayahuasca at the center. It has footage of the founder, Hamilton Souther, and of a professor at the UCLA School of Medicine, who among things speak of the nature of the imagery as being grounded in reality where the term hallucinogenic may be inappropriate. The idea is that, while the visions may be totally unlike anything ever seen in real life, they may have a connection with a reality beyond what we commonly perceive. There also is footage of people talking about their experience with ayahuasca, some of whom you also see undergoing it. Note that in just an hour and a half a documentary on ayahuasca cannot be expected to be very comprehensive. This documentary focuses on the more dramatic effects as I think it should. What is not covered is how the experience varies considerably. For some the effects may be profound but with relatively little imagery, and some may experience extreme imagery but virtually nothing else. Some may feel transformed to a greater or lesser degree, while others not at all. Little is mentioned about the influence of diet, which can be of considerable importance. Also I do not recall mention of aftereffects or a connection with energy levels in the body during and after the experience. There was no mention of how ayahuasca is counterindicated for some people. I learned of and saw this documentary today less than a month after a 9-day retreat at a center some distance from Blue Morpho under conditions similar to those at Blue Morpho. Though for me there was no "metamorphosis" and it was without dramatic effect, it was indeed a powerful experience where I got it with "both barrels". Considering my experience, this documentary is a good introduction regarding what to expect from the ayahuasca experience.