Ethnographic Study: Ayahuasca’s Entwined Efficacy: An Ethnographic Study of Ritual Healing from “Addiction” 1
Proposing Empirical Research August 21, 2019 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.4324/9780429463013-71 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Ayahuasca, an Amazonian brew, shows promise for treating substance addiction through intertwined physiological and psychological mechanisms. This ethnographic study examines how interactive ritual contexts aid recovery, drawing on long-term fieldwork and participant observation in ayahuasca communities, plus in-depth interviews with participants who have histories of substance misuse. The analysis focuses on the qualitative experiences of healing within these rituals.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | participants with histories of substance misuse in ayahuasca communities |
| Key finding | Interactive ritual contexts support healing efforts in addiction recovery within ayahuasca ceremonies. |
Abstract
A range of studies has demonstrated the efficacy of the psychoactive Amazonian brew ayahuasca in addressing substance addiction. These have revealed that physiological and psychological mechanisms are deeply enmeshed. This study will focus on how interactive ritual contexts support the healing effort. This will be an ethnographically grounded, qualitative analysis of addiction-recovery experiences within ayahuasca rituals. It will draw on long-term fieldwork and participant observation in ayahuasca communities, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews of participants with histories of substance misuse.