About the traditional medicine, Ayahuasca plant diet and songs (Icaros)
Previously the Peruvian Amazon consisted of pure indigenous tribes such as the Shipibo Indians, the Huitoto indians, the Yagua Indians, the Boras and Cocama indians, to give a few examples. In these times there were no doctors, nurses, nor psychologists, and there were no hospitals as we know it today.
However the native people were healthy and in general even much healthier than the modern man of today. There were not nearly as many disseases as we encounter it today in the Western world and the reason for that is simply that the modern man of today in general has forgotten how to take care of himself. The natives had their wisdom integrated into their lifes. They lived in a rich natural environment, full of life, and took care of it and theirselves.
Their curanderos (medicinemen) were specialists in curing with plants, trees and stones and in case of illness or whatever kind of problem, the curanderos from the tribe were consulted and in generally they were able to cure the illness or solute the problem through the knowledge they had acquired mainly during the strict diets with the medicinal plants and trees.
In some cases, the Apu (chief, most important elder within the tribe) went to the forest where he stayed with among the trees up to 6 months, dieting, asking for their advice addressing the problem that could occur within the tribe. While modern life has had much impact for the natives of the rainforest and still has, shamanism (in the forest called “curanderismo”) still is practiced in many parts of the forest. Even today there are still special diets for purification and healing and diets to learn the secrets of the nature.