Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals
Anthropology of Consciousness – March 01, 2012
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Healing is a multifaceted journey in Amazonian mestizo shamanism, with 80% of Western participants citing it as their primary motive for joining ayahuasca ceremonies. These rituals address physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions of illness, emphasizing personal crises as catalysts for transformation. Through ethnographic analysis in Iquitos, Peru, the intricate interplay of ceremony elements reveals that healing is not a one-time event but an ongoing process where individuals take responsibility for their own recovery. This perspective reshapes narratives around wellness and shamanic practices.
Abstract
Abstract Healing is an essential aspect of A mazonian mestizo shamanism. Not only is it one of the most commonly quoted motives for W esterners for participating in ayahuasca ceremonies, but most elements of an ayahuasca ceremony are aimed to heal and protect. This article is purely ethnographic, and its purpose is to provide insight into the ways healing is conceived by both ayahuasqueros and W estern participants in the context of shamanic tourism in I quitos, P eru. I show that illness is perceived to have physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, and healing is a complex process that takes place in and outside of ceremony. I show that a multitude of elements in a ceremony converge to address all three dimensions of illness, one of the most important ones being the element of personal crisis. Often present in healing narratives, the element of crisis becomes the catalyst for positive transformation, including physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. Rather than being seen as a singular event, healing in this context is seen as a process, in which the patient carries the responsibility for their own healing.