🕯️ Occult Philosophy −20%

Headless Chicken: A Personal Narrative about Three Months in the Amazon, Ayahuasca and Old Stories

✍️ Stoerzer, Manuela
Reader Score
4.6
(1 review)
$17.50 $22.00 Save $4.50 (20%)
Temporarily out of stock

Currently unavailable

This book is sold out right now. Leave your email — we'll let you know if it comes back, and you'll get 10% off any book today.

In stock now — readers of this book also loved:

The Convoluted Universe: Book Four Cannon, Dolores
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
4
The Convoluted Universe: Book Four Cannon, Dolores
$27.00
89
Horns of the Goddess -26%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
3
Horns of the Goddess
$48.00 $65.00
89
The Convoluted Universe: Book One Cannon, Dolores
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Cannon, Dolores
The Convoluted Universe: Book One Cannon, Dolores
$20.00
86
Conversații cu Nostradamus, Volumul 2 Cannon, Dolores -33%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Cannon, Dolores
Conversații cu Nostradamus, Volumul 2 Cannon, Dolores
$37.00 $56.00
86
Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth 🔥 Bestseller
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
7
Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth
$18.00
82
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey -29%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.3
5
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey
$19.00 $27.00
82
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Manuela Stoerzer's compelling account of her three-month immersion at an Amazonian Ayahuasca retreat transcends a typical travelogue. Initially volunteering as an interpreter, she unexpectedly participates in nineteen ceremonies, leading to profound spiritual insights. Her narrative deftly weaves personal biography with the raw power of entheogenic experiences, ultimately challenging the very foundations of what we perceive as truth. This raw, introspective journey illuminates how our minds construct reality, urging readers to look beyond their learned narratives for genuine healing and self-discovery.

🕯️
Occult Philosophy
🏛 Ozark Mountain Publishing 📅 2019 📖 208 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781940265742
Fun Fact
Manuela Stoerzer's "Headless Chicken" offers an unvarnished, deeply personal exploration of shamanic plant medicine and the intricate layers of human perception. While it might disappoint those seeking a purely ecstatic Ayahuasca travelogue, it excels in its introspective depth, bravely dismantling the reader's assumptions about reality and self. This book carves a significant niche within contemporary spiritual memoirs, encouraging genuine self-inquiry rather than offering easy answers, making it a compelling read for serious seekers ready to confront their own inner landscapes.

📝 Description: Headless Chicken: A Personal Narrative about Three Months in the Amazon, Ayahuasca and Old Stories

A strong gut feeling led Manuela to volunteer at an Ayahuasca Healing Resort in the Amazon Rainforest. Within a few weeks, she leaves her home in Mallorca to travel to Peru. The plan was, to interpret for foreigners and shamans before and after ceremonies and learn from shamans and visitors. She ended up staying 3 months and participating during 19 ceremonies herself. Spiritual insights and biographic background stories of an as cold and grey perceived environment make clear how we see the world, the way we see the world and why what we think is true, is just a story, designed by our own mind. Her conclusion: What you think is true, is just what you think is true. A story. An interpretation though the filters of the mind. To find your way you cannot just think, study and contemplate. Ayahuasca is not the solution either. It takes daring to feel in every moment and face our inner world to heal and bring out our gifts. Her message: Be yourself, not your story!

💎 Expert review

“
💎
Esoterica Books editorial team
Occult literature desk
Stoerzer delivers a compelling account that transcends standard travel writing by focusing on the psychological mechanics of reality construction. However, this candid exploration may not suit readers seeking purely scientific data or those uncomfortable with the subjective nature of visionary experiences. It lacks the structured academic rigor some might expect from anthropological texts, instead favoring personal narrative over objective analysis. Consequently, skeptics of plant medicine or those preferring detached observation may find the intense introspection overwhelming. The book is best appreciated by open-minded seekers willing to engage with its philosophical challenges rather than factual reporting.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking genuine spiritual insight beyond typical travelogues will find this narrative deeply rewarding. It offers a raw, introspective look at how the mind constructs reality, making it ideal for those interested in the intersection of personal biography and entheogenic experience. If you are curious about plant medicine but wary of superficial accounts, Stoerzer’s immersion provides a grounded perspective on healing and self-discovery. This book is perfect for individuals ready to challenge their foundational perceptions of truth and explore the profound spiritual insights that arise from stepping outside learned narratives.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —
⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5
★★★★★
For seekers questioning the nature of reality, those drawn to personal narratives of spiritual transformation, or individuals curious about entheogenic experiences beyond superficial accounts. This book invites you to dismantle your own preconceived notions and engage in profound self-inquiry.

Reader rating

4.6
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
E
Esoterica Books editorial team

Stoerzer delivers a compelling account that transcends standard travel writing by focusing on the psychological mechanics of reality construction. However, this candid exploration may not suit readers seeking purely scientific data or those uncomfortable with the subjective nature of visionary experiences. It lacks the structured academic rigor some might expect from anthropological texts, instead favoring personal narrative over objective analysis. Consequently, skeptics of plant medicine or those preferring detached observation may find the intense introspection overwhelming. The book is best appreciated by open-minded seekers willing to engage with its philosophical challenges rather than factual reporting.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No, the author explicitly states that Ayahuasca is not 'the solution.' Instead, she frames it as a powerful catalyst for introspection that must be complemented by deep inner work and self-confrontation, emphasizing personal responsibility for healing.
The central message is to 'Be yourself, not your story.' It encourages readers to transcend their self-imposed narratives and mental filters to embrace authentic presence and confront their inner truths for genuine healing and self-realization.

📖 Who should read this

For seekers questioning the nature of reality, those drawn to personal narratives of spiritual transformation, or individuals curious about entheogenic experiences beyond superficial accounts. This book invites you to dismantle your own preconceived notions and engage in profound self-inquiry.

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Ayahuasca & Shamanic Practice

Delves into the direct, personal experience of Amazonian plant medicine, moving beyond exoticism to explore its role in spiritual insight and confronting inner landscapes, as Manuela participates in numerous ceremonies herself, offering a rare, first-hand perspective.

Deconstructing Reality

Challenges the reader's fundamental understanding of truth, asserting that our perceived reality is often a subjective construct shaped by personal filters and mental frameworks, rather than objective fact, encouraging a critical look at one's own beliefs.

Inner Healing & Authenticity

Emphasizes that true healing and self-realization stem not from external solutions or intellectual contemplation, but from the courageous act of facing one's inner world and embracing an authentic, unfiltered self, free from limiting stories.

📜 Historical context

This work contributes to a growing canon of modern spiritual memoirs detailing personal encounters with indigenous plant medicines, particularly Ayahuasca. It stands alongside other introspective narratives from individuals who journeyed to traditional shamanic settings, seeking profound self-exploration and healing outside conventional Western paradigms, adding a candid, unromanticized voice to the discussion.

📚 Glossary

Ayahuasca
Shamanism
Entheogen

📔 Questions to reflect on

  1. Reflect on a deeply held 'truth' you once believed, which later proved to be a subjective interpretation rather than an absolute fact. What shifted your perspective?
  2. Consider a time you bravely faced an uncomfortable inner feeling or emotion. How did this act of 'daring to feel' contribute to your personal growth or healing?
  3. If your identity is more than just your life story, what aspects of your 'self' exist beyond the narrative you tell about yourself, and how might you access them?

🏛 Books from this publisher Ozark Mountain Publishing

All books from this publisher →
Beyond the Source - Book 1: Messages from the Co-Creaters of the Universe
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Needler, Guy Steven
Beyond the Source - Book 1: Messages from the Co-Creaters of the Universe
$17.00
78
Avoiding Karma: A Guide to Assuring Personal Ascension -26%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Needler, Guy Steven
Avoiding Karma: A Guide to Assuring Personal Ascension
$14.00 $19.00
81
Origin Speaks: The Direct Dialogue with the Ultimate Creator
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Needler, Guy Steven
Origin Speaks: The Direct Dialogue with the Ultimate Creator
$22.50
78
Dawn Book: Information from the Master Guides - A Spiritual Guide Book
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Gray, Annie Stillwater
Dawn Book: Information from the Master Guides - A Spiritual Guide Book
$19.00
78
Anne Dialogues: Communications with the Ascended
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Needler, Guy Steven
Anne Dialogues: Communications with the Ascended
$19.00
81
Not Your Average Angel Book: A Practical and Humorous Guide to All Things Angelic -35%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Myers, Andy
Not Your Average Angel Book: A Practical and Humorous Guide to All Things Angelic
$15.50 $24.00
86
Druidic Soul Star Astrology: A New Way to Discover Your Past Lives Without Past-Life Regressions
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Wheatley, Maria
Druidic Soul Star Astrology: A New Way to Discover Your Past Lives Without Past-Life Regressions
$12.00
81
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey -29%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey
$19.00 $27.00
82

You might also like

See more →
The Convoluted Universe: Book Four Cannon, Dolores
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.8
4
The Convoluted Universe: Book Four Cannon, Dolores
$27.00
89
Horns of the Goddess -26%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.7
3
Horns of the Goddess
$48.00 $65.00
89
Soul Speak: The Language of Your Body -23%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Cannon, Julia
Soul Speak: The Language of Your Body
$16.00 $21.00
86
Not Your Average Angel Book: A Practical and Humorous Guide to All Things Angelic -35%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Myers, Andy
Not Your Average Angel Book: A Practical and Humorous Guide to All Things Angelic
$15.50 $24.00
86
The Convoluted Universe: Book One Cannon, Dolores
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Cannon, Dolores
The Convoluted Universe: Book One Cannon, Dolores
$20.00
86
Starseeds What's It All About?: The Fast Track to Mastering Ascension
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Quinn, Alexander
Starseeds What's It All About?: The Fast Track to Mastering Ascension
$22.00
86
The Forgiveness Workshop: From Higher Self/Spirit -38%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Baldwin, Cat
The Forgiveness Workshop: From Higher Self/Spirit
$8.66 $14.00
86
Conversații cu Nostradamus, Volumul 2 Cannon, Dolores -33%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Cannon, Dolores
Conversații cu Nostradamus, Volumul 2 Cannon, Dolores
$37.00 $56.00
86
Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth 🔥 Bestseller
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
7
Three Waves of Volunteers and the New Earth
$18.00
82
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey -29%
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.3
5
Dance of the Eternal Rapture: Understanding Who We Are on the Human Journey
$19.00 $27.00
82

Have a question about this item?

Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.

Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist