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196 pages, including photos and artwork
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Journal: Into the heart of the Amazon in search of Truth
From
the Back Cover:
"Artist and musician, Joel Harris, should have been satisfied living
his dreams. But he found himself feeling distracted and unsatisfied by
modern American life. He wanted those elusive answers to life’s
questions - answers he had been looking for his whole life - from his
childhood as a Latter Day Saint, through his service in the Marine Corps,
and through his travels to Europe and Asia. Above all else - he wanted
to find TRUTH.
His book is a personal narrative of his search for truth. It is an account
of a journey that took him into a small Shipibo village in Peru on the
edge of the Amazon Rain Forest. There, he worked with plant medicines
and shamanic healers, encountered his deepest fears, looked into the darkest
corners of his being and discovered TRUTH."
..........................*10%
of profits from the sale of this book go
.........................................to
support local indigenous groups
...................................in the
Peruvian
Amazon (click for more details)
Kirkus Review:
A Journal of travel, adventure, and self-discovery.
In April
2006, former Marine and Mormon Harris held an estate sale, liquidated
most of his worldly possessions and left the Pacific Northwest for Peru.
Dissatisfied with modern American life—with its emphasis on consumerism
and material wealth—the author set off to South America in search
of salve to his spiritual crisis. He finds it in ayahuasca, or yagé,
a hallucinogenic brew administered by shamans in tea ceremonies. Eventually,
Harris settles among an indigenous tribe called the Shipibo. He purchases
land and builds a thatch-roof hut; without electricity or distractions,
he tries his “hardest to work on myself without distractions and
excess attachments.” During this time, Harris continues to participate
in ayahuasca ceremonies and report his consciousness-altering revelations:
“I have been past the edges of sanity—stopped, looked around—and
have gained a whole new perspective of what insanity really is. Insanity
is living disconnected from one’s heart and Spirit…which is
a large chunk of western society.” At the end of March 2007, he
returned to the States, satisfied that he had found the answers to his
questions: “It is now time to Live what I know to be Truth.”
Spanning nearly five years—from 2003 to 2008, with the bulk of the
text devoted to the year he spent in Peru—Journal is an intimate
portrait of self-discovery. Supplemented by artwork and photographs, the
text is deeply personal.
Other
Reviews:
L.
Ransom, Snohomish, WA
"If you can't live this adventure yourself, read Joel Harris' journal
in search of Truth. An amazing journey into the heart of the Amazon and
into his own heart. A Must Read!"
R.
Hams, San Francisco, CA
This book chronicles the author's
journey through his journal entries. Beginning in Portland, OR, the book
begins with the constant and sometimes frenetic questioning and searching
for truth and answers to complex and universal problems, eventually leading
up to the decision to venture out on a quest for knowledge. This is where
the book takes a sharp turn and follows his adventures through the Amazon,
while also following his adventures inward and through to the universal
truths and knowledge we all have caught glimpses of. And that is just
what I have read so far in the first 80 pages! So far a great read.
N.
Mosnar, Santa Monica, CA
"Anyone interested in personal transformation should read this. Reading
Mr. Harris' journey inspires you to look at yourself and see how you would
like to change your own life for the better. It's enjoyable to read someone's
journal and be a part of their personal experience. The information on
Shamans and the use of Ayahuasca in the Amazon is fascinating as well.
A lot of cool art and photos inside."
Links:
Photos From:
Journal: Into the heart of the Amazon in search of Truth
 Selling everything: Portland, Oregon - April 2006 |
 Arrive in Pucallpa Peru, pop. 200,000, located on the outskirts of the Amazon rain forest - April 27, 2006 |
 A moto-taxi in Pucallpa waits for passengers in a sudden downpour |
|
 Main street in San Francisco, Peru - A Shipibo pueblo near Pucallpa |
 Shipibo children gather for a photo after performing traditional dances and music - San Francisco, Peru |
 Church in San Francisco with Shipibo ayahuasca designs |
 “Tela bordado” hand embroidered cloth with shipibo designs |
 Marcin from Poland and Ali from England, with a local guide on our way to the mysterious “non-contacted” Chachibai pueblo |
 After a two hour hike through jungle, we prepare to enter dugout canoes for another one hour journey deeper into the Amazon |
 Ayahuasca vine (Banisteriopsis Caapi) Aprox. 5 years of growth |
 A shaman gives me a blessing the morning after an ayahuasca ceremony in San Francisco, Peru |
 Agua Cananga, Auga Florida, Camalonga, and Palo Santo incense are commonly used in ayahuasca ceremonies for healing |
 Ayahuasca tea preparation: Banisteriopsis Caapi vine with fresh Psychotria Viridis leaves (Chacruna), - boiling slowly, all day |
 At the front of a small peke-peke boat, on the lookout for crocodiles and submerged logs and trees, as we travel downstream |
 “Gran Maloca” A large ceremonial hut in San Francisco, Peru |
|
 Callaria, a small pueblo located six hours by boat from Pucallpa |
 A few locals build a traditional style thatch roof hut |
 Marcin and I felt inspired to create a space for healing. We found land and built a small house where I lived for several months |
 “Home Sweet Home” a small Shipibo style house where I lived for several months while working with ayahuasca |
 After taking a one-year break from painting while “finding myself”, I began a new acrylic painting on canvas before returning to the USA |
 Large Amazon river boats, “Lancha” Carrying cargo and passengers |
 Amazon river travel onboard crowded Lancha |
-imagine
living in peace-
copyright 2008 JRHarris www.joelharrisstudio.com