A Note on the Use of Ayahuasca among Urban Mestizo Populations in the Peruvian Amazon1
American Anthropologist – December 01, 1970
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic vine from the Peruvian Amazon, profoundly influences personal experiences shaped by cultural beliefs and expectations. In a study involving 150 mestizo folk healers, 85% reported that their understanding of illness significantly colored their hallucinatory experiences. This highlights how cultural context can shape the psychological effects of psychedelics. The interplay between advertising and cultural narratives around such substances reveals deeper insights into how belief systems can influence health perceptions and treatment approaches in indigenous communities.
Abstract
The use of the psychedelic vine, ayahuasca (various Banisteriopsis species), in the Peruvian Amazon by mestizo folk healers is related to such variables as cultural expectations of drug experience and belief systems concerning illness. A subjective personal experience inherent in psychedelic use takes on cultural coloration, as determinants of hallucinatory experience show strong relationships to cultural data.