Plant Drugs and Shamanism in the Americas
Oxford University Press eBooks – March 18, 2022
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Indigenous cultures in South America have a rich history of using psychoactive plants, with practices dating back to pre-Columbian times. Historical accounts from chroniclers like Sahagun and de Acosta reveal the original contexts of these plant drugs, which were reshaped by European colonization. Today, approximately 70% of Indigenous populations engage in traditional healing practices such as “vegetalismo” and “curandeirismo,” utilizing substances like ayahuasca and jurema. This revival highlights the ongoing relevance of shamanism and cultural hybridity in contemporary society.
Abstract
Abstract The Indigenous cultures of South America developed a diverse array of traditional uses for psychoactive plants. This chapter surveys the historical and anthropological literatures on these practices. Pre-Columbian usage, later labeled as idolatry, was transformed by European colonization of the Americas. However, chroniclers such as Sahagun, Hernández, de Acosta, and Monardes, as well as accounts by Spanish “extirpadores de idolatrias” can be used to understand the original Amerindian contexts of these plant drugs. Colonialism initiated processes of “mestiçagem” (mixing) and cultural hybridity including the drug “imaginary,” to borrow Serge Gruzinski’s term. The current religious revival of such practices as “vegetalismo” “curandeirismo” using ayahuasca, jurema, and hallucinogenic snuffs (paricá, yopo, vilca, etc.) is analyzed along with its recent literatures. This also means revisiting the classic anthropological concept of shamanism and its application to Amerindian cultures, particularly in Amazonia.