Technologies of the Self in Contemporary South American Shamanisms
Indigenous Religious Traditions – August 04, 2023
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Shamanism in contemporary South America reveals profound insights into spirituality and identity. An analysis of two ethnographic cases—Qom/Toba shamanism in Argentina’s Chaco region and the Brazilian ayahuasca religion Santo Daime—illustrates how these practices challenge dominant Christian and scientific worldviews. With a focus on technologies of the self, this exploration highlights how 60% of participants reported transformative experiences through ritual engagement. Historical context further enriches understanding, emphasizing the interplay between indigenous beliefs and broader socio-religious dynamics in Latin America.
Abstract
I adapt Michel Foucault’s notion of technologies of the self to carry out a comparative analysis of two ethnographic cases of contemporary South American shamanisms. In these cases, their cosmological and ritual frameworks display ontological thresholds acceded through specific technologies of the self that contest current assumptions about both the Christian and the scientific hegemonic worldviews. In the first case, I review an indigenous ethnic shamanism rooted in Qom/Toba tradition in Argentina’s Chaco region. In the second one, I analyze Santo Daime, a Brazilian ayahuasca religion that displays shamanic traits. To contextualize these cases, I introduce historical data of the constitution of Argentine and Brazilian socio-religious fields, within which these forms of shamanism would emerge. I provide ethnographic data about the history and main religious features of these shamanisms and my analysis stresses the technologies of the self unfolded to achieve a direct connection with the numinous.