A Journey Beyond the Veil: New Book Initiated by the Spirits Chronicles a Rare, Life-Altering Encounter with the Unseen

A True Account of Spiritual Awakening, Divine Messages, and the Mysteries Beyond This World

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, July 21, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- What happens when you’re chosen by forces you never sought to meet—let alone believe in? In Initiated by the Spirits, anthropologist and scholar Frédérique Apffel-Marglin teams up with artist and healer Randy Chung Gonzales to offer readers a rare, firsthand account of a spontaneous spiritual initiation through the ancient Amazonian plant medicine ayahuasca.

Unlike most initiations into shamanic healing—which are often passed down through mentorship or familial lineage—Randy’s path was completely unorthodox. He neither expected nor desired to participate in the ayahuasca ceremony that would upend his life. In fact, he had no prior interest in the healing tradition at all. Yet what unfolded in that reluctant moment was nothing short of extraordinary.

A third of the book gives voice to Randy’s vivid retelling of this event—an initiation guided by discarnate beings—accompanied by his own striking illustrations of the visions he experienced. The remainder of the book provides context from Frédérique, who draws upon her extensive background in anthropology to explore the broader cultural, historical, and ecological relevance of Randy’s experience. She argues that the modern scientific worldview, born from the erasure of shamanic traditions in Europe, has contributed to the crises we now face: environmental collapse, spiritual disconnection, and widespread mental illness.

Frédérique Apffel-Marglin is Emerita Professor of Anthropology at Smith College and founder of the Sachamama Center for Biocultural Regeneration in the Peruvian Upper Amazon. Randy Chung Gonzales, who has been a central figure at the center since its inception, is a self-taught artist, architect, and now a dedicated healer. Together, their voices weave a powerful dual narrative—personal and academic, mystical and analytical.

Frédérique shares, “I never intended to make ayahuasca a subject of my research. But Randy’s experience—so profound, so unlike anything I had encountered—needed to be shared. It wasn’t just unique to him; it was unique in the region. I felt a responsibility to help bring it to light.”

Randy adds, “I didn’t choose this path. It chose me. And that’s exactly why we wrote this book—because some things defy explanation, yet demand to be understood.”

Their message to readers is both inspiring and cautionary: Ayahuasca, and psychedelics more broadly, can be potent instruments for healing and spiritual growth. But with the growing popularity of these practices, there’s also a rise in unqualified or exploitative practitioners. “You must choose your healer and your retreat center with the utmost care,” they advise.

With deeply spiritual reflections, richly contextual insights, and stunning visual art, Initiated by the Spirits is more than a book—it is a portal into the mysteries of the unseen, a bridge between tradition and transformation, and a timely reminder that healing can emerge when we least expect it.

The book is available now and is especially resonant for readers in the UK, Australia, and anywhere people are awakening to the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and ancestral knowledge.

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Global Book Network - Frédérique Apffel -Marglin, author of Initiated by the Spirits