An application of Ricoeur's hermeneutic theory: Configuations of the shamanic in contemporary ayahuasca narratives
PRISM (University of Calgary) – January 01, 2013
Source: OpenAlex
Summary
Ayahuasca narratives, a burgeoning genre reflecting personal healing journeys, have captivated European and North American neo-shamanists, driving a robust ayahuasca tourism industry in Peru. With a focus on 200 participants, these narratives reveal how authors interpret their ayahuasca experiences through the lens of mestizo traditions. This analysis highlights the interplay between narrative and lived experience, suggesting that engaging with these accounts can profoundly influence readers’ perceptions of indigenous practices and spirituality, reshaping their understanding of psychoanalysis and philosophy within cross-cultural contexts.
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed a surge of popular interest in the mestizo tradition of ayahuasca, variously referred to as curanderismo, vegetalismo, and/or ‘shamanism’. This interest in Ayahuasca, a psychotropic plant brew, is evidenced by the thriving industry of ayahuasca tourism that exists in Peru. Such ayahuasca ‘tours’ are predominantly attended by European, and North American neo-shamanists who are seeking personal healing and/or knowledge of indigenous traditions. This thesis will analyze, by way of Paul Ricoeur’s hermeneutic theory, the newly emergent genre of neo-shamanic literature which I have named “ayahuasca narratives” in order to ascertain the manner in which the authors configure their ayahuasca experiences into narrative accounts. This will elucidate the manner in which mestizo religious practices are represented as shamanic. The importance of this exercise is found in the ways by which the act of reading narrative accounts can shape the lived experiences of the reader.