My Work at a Glance
Healing, teaching, and building bridges between worlds.
The Matsés – First Contact
Oral Testimony and the Historical Record of First Contact and Cultural Transition
by Lewis Powell
This is the first historical account of Matsés first contact written with direct input from the elders who lived through it.
On 30 August 1969, the Matsés made peaceful contact with the outside world. The people who walked out of the forest that day are still alive. Their testimony forms the foundation of this book.
I was asked by the elders to document their history properly. Not through interpretation, but through their own words and lived experience.
Much of what has been written about Amazonian tribes is inaccurate or oversimplified. Different groups have been merged together. Key details have been lost or distorted. This book corrects that.
It brings together oral testimony and historical records to present a clear account of first contact and the years that followed. The movement between settlements. The uncertainty after contact. The decisions that led to the formation of communities like Puerto Alegre.
This was not a single moment. It was a long process of cultural transition.
Where common narratives do not match the memories of those who were there, they are examined and clarified. The aim is accuracy, not repetition.
This is a historical record based on lived experience.
If you want to understand the Matsés, their history needs to be heard from them.
About Lewis
12 Years of Healing, Teaching, and Guiding Transformation - Lewis Powell (BSc Psychology Undergrduate, Teacher, Author, Healer, Public Speaker)
Lewis Powell is a teacher, author, spiritual mentor and public speaker with more than eleven years of experience in Kambo and shamanic healing. Since 2014 he has guided thousands of people through deep inner work, helping them shift long standing patterns and develop a clearer relationship with themselves. He is known for working with practitioners, therapists and space holders who seek guidance at a deeper level of practice. He is the founder of the Kambo Practitioner Alliance, a global training organisation focused on safe and ethical practice, and the creator of NEOSH, a training school dedicated to the science of healing, energy work and advanced space holding. Within this work, he developed the SoreX Pathway, a structured approach to soul reintegration that combines psychological understanding with direct energetic work. It provides a clear framework for working with fragmentation, protective patterns and deeper layers of the psyche. Lewis is also the founder of Inner Guru CIC, a community based wellbeing centre in Liverpool that provides accessible support for mental, emotional and physical health. He is the author of The Matsés – First Contact: Oral Testimony and the Historical Record of First Contact and Cultural Transition, the first historical account of Matsés first contact written with direct input from the elders who lived through it. The book documents the events of 30 August 1969 and the years that followed, preserving their history through oral testimony and historical record. Lewis has long standing connections with several Amazonian tribes, including the Kaxinawa, also known as Huni Kuin, the Ashaninka of Brazil, and the Shipibo and Matsés of Peru. His work with the Matsés is the most extensive. As the original guardians of Kambo, he works closely with their community through cultural exchange, ongoing projects and annual visits that support the preservation of their knowledge and traditions. Alongside his practitioner work, Lewis is completing a BSc in Psychology at the University of Liverpool. His focus is on bridging psychology, spirituality and healing, contributing to a more integrated understanding of human development. His work centres on one core aim. To provide clear, grounded methods that help people understand themselves properly and work through what is actually there, rather than what they have been taught to believe.
Why This Work Matters
Since 2014 I have devoted my life to the path of growth. Over the last eleven years I have guided thousands of people through transformational work, helping them release old patterns, reconnect with their truth and step into a more authentic expression of themselves.
As founder of the Kambo Practitioner Alliance I have trained hundreds of practitioners across the world, supporting them to carry this medicine with safety, clarity and integrity. I also created NEOSH, the Neoshamanic Science of Healing, a training school dedicated to the deeper principles of growth, energy work and advanced space holding. Alongside this, my work as a public speaker continues to share these teachings with wider audiences in a clear and accessible way.
A core part of my work is rooted in long term relationships with several Amazonian tribes, particularly the Matsés of Peru who are the original guardians of Kambo. Through ongoing community projects and cultural collaboration, I support the preservation of their knowledge while creating pathways for others to learn from them in a respectful and grounded way.
What matters most to me is the ripple effect this work creates. When a person grows, it impacts their family, their relationships and the communities they go on to build. Over the years I have watched new networks of practitioners, support groups and healing communities emerge from this work. These wider ripples are as important as the individual breakthroughs themselves.
My focus remains simple. To support people in moving beyond limiting patterns, stepping into their potential and reconnecting with the deeper intelligence of their own psyche and self actualisation.
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Testimonials & Impact
The work speaks through the people
Over the last eleven years, I have seen transformation unfold in many forms from individuals finding relief after years of struggle, to practitioners stepping into their own path of service.
Anonymous
The personal healing processes I experienced during the course were powerful, both challenging and beautiful and exactly what I needed. The level of safety, integrity, and presence that Lewis brings is truly exceptional. His knowledge and wisdom are vast, and his energy holds such a strong, grounded container that allows real transformation to happen. I have so much love and respect for Lewis, both as a practitioner and as a friend. This course has left me inspired, grateful, and deeply aligned with my next steps on the healing path.
Anonymous
Thank you for making me feel emotionally safe. For a woman especially, when we are vulnerable and going into unknown territory not just physically but on an energetic level, we must feel safe and protected. Thank you so much x
Featured Programmes
#84 Knowing and Beliefs: Lewis Powell
Community Impact
My work with the Matsés has centred on long term projects that strengthen their community, preserve cultural knowledge and provide practical support where it is needed most. These projects are an important part of the wider ripple effect that this work creates.
Alongside this, Inner Guru CIC continues to support local communities in Liverpool through accessible wellbeing programmes, free and low cost classes, movement based rehabilitation and initiatives designed to improve mental, emotional and physical health. The community work in Liverpool and the ongoing projects with the Matsés both reflect the same intention. To empower people, strengthen communities and create meaningful, lasting change.
