Reports by explorers and travelers and the first scientific studies on ayahuasca (dating from 1850 to 1950) within the current debate on the "psychedelic renaissance".
Historia, ciencias, saude--Manguinhos – January 01, 2023
Source: PubMed
Summary
Early explorer accounts of ayahuasca from the Amazon, dating back to 1850, reveal striking parallels to today's renewed scientific interest in psychedelic medicine. Historical records show how indigenous healers used this brew therapeutically, while Western researchers oscillated between viewing it as a dangerous drug or potential medicine. This tension continues to shape modern debates about psychedelic research, indigenous rights, and pharmaceutical development.
Abstract
This article describes the associations and controversies between indigenous and western uses of ayahuasca between 1850 and 1950 in relation to the "psychedelic renaissance." This movement has gained scientific attention since 2000, but hearkens back to the 1960s and 1970s, when anti-drug policy halted research on the "therapeutic potential" of psychoactive substances. Pioneering studies on ayahuasca date back to the early twentieth century and mention reports of expeditions to Amazonia from 1850 onward. Here, these articles and reports are analyzed according to the historical aspect of actor-network theory and recent studies. We infer that history casts light on the current political debate about indigenous uses, classifications, and meanings, pharmaceutical interest in ayahuasca, and the debate on "drugs."