Book excerpt: San Pedro, a visionary and hallucinogenic brew derived from the mescaline-based Trichocereus pachanoi or 'cactus of vision', is one of Peru’s most important and powerful teacher plants. For thousands of years this brew has been drunk by spiritual seekers and those who need healing, and has cured a wide variety of physical problems, including cancer, diabetes, paralysis and pneumonia, and emotional and psychological issues such as alcoholism, heartbreak and grief. Those who work with it say San Pedro brings us closer to God. There has been no book specifically written about the shamanic use of San Pedro…until now. This important volume is therefore a first of its kind. In it, Ross Heaven looks at the healing and ceremonial usage of San Pedro, with interviews and case studies from shamans and participants who offer their remarkable stories of instant cures and spiritual insights.