Healing with Ayahuasca the Plant Teacher: Psychedelic Metaphoricity and Polyontologies.

Summary

In the Amazon rainforest, Shipibo healers and Western visitors share profound experiences through ayahuasca ceremonies, where the psychedelic brew is viewed as both metaphor and living teacher. Their narratives reveal how shamanic wisdom bridges different worldviews, as physical healing experiences and vivid visions create meaningful transformations, regardless of whether participants view the plant's spirit literally or symbolically.

Abstract

Shamans, neo-shamans, atheists, and others describe gaining special knowledge from drinking ayahuasca, supporting the cross-cultural idea of ayahuasca as a plant teacher. While secular enthusiasts interpret this metaphorically, animists and others take it literally. This article examines ontological collisions at a healing retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, considering Shipibo shamans and their international clients. It explores how embodied experiences, such as purging and visions, inform both literal and metaphorical views of healing and illness. By addressing incommensurable ontologies, the article highlights how a polyontological framework approaches ontological collision without necessarily privileging specific ways of knowing.

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