Ayahuasca Tourism: Curating Authenticity in Transformative Times (Field Note)
Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions – August 01, 2024
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca is rapidly gaining popularity, with a growing number of churches and retreat centers emerging globally. Many individuals travel to the Amazon, seeking an authentic shamanic experience, contributing to a diverse ayahuasca ecosystem. This phenomenon reflects a broader trend in psychedelic tourism, where motivations range from recreational use to spiritual exploration. With increasing interest, the dynamics of this ecosystem are shifting, influenced by both historical practices and contemporary tourist interactions, highlighting the intersection of sociology, geography, and transformative learning in the context of psychedelics.
Abstract
ABSTRACT: Motivated by multiple factors collectively related to what is often termed the Psychedelic Renaissance, people increasingly consume psychedelics for recreational, medicinal, psychotherapeutic, and even spiritual or religious reasons. In the broader psychedelic ecosystem, ayahuasca (a psychoactive "tea" made from plants indigenous to the Amazon jungle) is becoming one of the more popular psychoactive substances. Ayahuasca churches, retreat centers, and informal "circles" are forming in multiple countries around the world; however, many people who want to drink ayahuasca travel to or near the Amazon, where they seek what they deem an authentic shamanic ayahuasca experience. The lure of authenticity draws people to the Amazon, where they encounter a rather diverse ayahuasca ecosystem. The limited historical and archaeological data suggest that this diversity predates colonialism; however, various factors including the tourists themselves are now agents of change.