GLOBAL AYAHUASCA: WONDROUS VISIONS AND MODERN WORLDS. By Alex K.Gearin. Spiritual Phenomena. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2024. Pp. xiv + 280. Hardback, $90.00; Paperback, $22.50.

Summary

Global Ayahuasca analyzes how ayahuasca has transformed from its Indigenous Amazonian roots to various global contexts, particularly in Peru, Australia, and China. The work highlights the adaptation of ayahuasca rituals to meet the spiritual and therapeutic needs of international participants, examining the contrast between corporate use in China for personal growth and environmental spirituality in Australia. This study provides insights into the socio-cultural dynamics of ayahuasca's globalization and its implications for modern therapeutic practices.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Gearin, an Australian medical anthropologist, specializes in the globalization of psychedelics and intercultural ethics in medical tourism. He earned his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Queensland in 2015 and has conducted fieldwork in Australia, Peru, and China. Global Ayahuasca represents a culmination of his ethnographic research, offering a comparative analysis of ayahuasca's transformation as it moves beyond its Indigenous Amazonian origins into diverse global contexts. Gearin's work bridges anthropology, religious studies, and global health, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between cultural adaptation and spiritual practice. Structured across six chapters, Global Ayahuasca explores the cultural and spiritual dimensions of ayahuasca used in three primary settings: Indigenous communities in Peru, New Age spirituality in Australia, and corporate therapeutic contexts in China. Gearin begins by tracing the colonial and postcolonial roots of ayahuasca use, contextualizing its spread into global shamanic tourism. Through rich ethnographic detail, he examines the interplay of Indigenous traditions and Western consumerism, highlighting how ayahuasca rituals are adapted to meet the spiritual and therapeutic demands of international participants. In subsequent chapters, Gearin delves into the integration of ayahuasca into modern therapeutic practices, exploring its role in addressing mental health, professional development, and cultural disconnection. He illustrates how corporate users in China approach ayahuasca as a tool for personal growth and workplace success, contrasting sharply with Australian retreats that emphasize environmental spirituality and reconnection with nature. Global Ayahuasca is a significant contribution to religious studies, anthropology, and psychedelic research. Gearin's interdisciplinary analysis and emphasis on the socio-cultural dynamics of ayahuasca use make this book an essential reading for scholars and practitioners interested in the globalization of Indigenous practices, the ethics of spiritual commodification, and the evolving role of psychedelics in modern society.

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