The Spiritual Dimension of Yage Shamanism in Colombia
Religions July 21, 2020 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/rel11070375 via OpenAlex
Summary
Yage shamanism in Colombia is interpreted as a sacred practice deeply rooted in the medical, spiritual, and cultural systems of indigenous peoples in the Amazon. The article explores narratives about yage's origins, its significance as a source of knowledge, and its role in indigenous cultures. It also analyzes the phenomenological aspects of yage shamanic experiences as spiritual encounters while questioning their validity.
Study at a glance
| Population | indigenous peoples of the Amazon piedmont in Colombia, Ecuador, and Perú |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Yage shamanism serves as a foundational element of indigenous cultures and is understood as a source of knowledge and spiritual experience. |
Abstract
This article offers an intercultural interpretation of the sense of the sacred in the practice of yage shamanism in Colombia. This practice is based on the ritual use of a plant medicine which for centuries has been the basis of the medical, spiritual and cultural systems of indigenous peoples of the Amazon piedmont in Colombia, Ecuador and Perú. Since the 1990s, this practice has expanded to urban areas of Colombia and other countries. After a short introduction, I develop my interpretation of yage shamanism in three stages: first, I explore some narratives of the origin of yage, showing how it is lived and understood as a source of knowledge and the foundational element of indigenous cultures. Second, I attempt a phenomenological analysis of yage shamanic experience, presenting it as a form of spiritual experience. Finally, I briefly address the issue of whether or not this form of experience is valid.