Social science & medicine (1982)
October 1, 2023
Alex K Gearin
6 citations
Metaphors, analogies, and similes are common in narratives of drinking the psychedelic ayahuasca, forming a transcultural pattern. Based on survey and field research at a healing center in Pucallpa, Peru, the article examines conceptual metaphors in stories told by international guests. Bodily metaphors and visionary analogies appear in narrative plots that express the reappraisal, overcoming, and sometimes emboldening of psychiatric symptoms. Moving beyond the literal-figurative divide, the article explores the intrinsic metaphoricity of psychedelic experiences and advocates for literacy of conceptual metaphors in both clinical and non-clinical psychedelic narratives, which can broaden approaches in psychedelic psychiatry and social science research.
The International journal on drug policy
July 1, 2026
Alex K Gearin, I Glenn Cohen, Albert Garcia-Romeu
1 citation
The revival of psychedelic medicalization is often presented as a story of scientific legitimacy and neurotherapeutic promise, but the sensitivity of psychedelics to environmental conditions has encouraged research on music, therapy, setting, and other contextual factors. This article examines how regulation actively shapes atmospheres of consumption for substances that alter affective and sensory perception. Debates over drug-centric versus therapy-centered models are situated within the broader issue of how law shapes contexts and settings of psychedelic consumption.
Medical anthropology
October 2, 2024
Alex K Gearin
1 citation
People who drink ayahuasca, including shamans, neo-shamans, and atheists, often report gaining special knowledge, supporting the cross-cultural idea of ayahuasca as a plant teacher. Secular enthusiasts interpret this metaphorically, while animists and others take it literally. This article examines ontological collisions at a healing retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, focusing on Shipibo shamans and their international clients. It explores how embodied experiences like purging and visions inform both literal and metaphorical views of healing and illness. By addressing incommensurable ontologies, the article highlights how a polyontological framework approaches ontological collision without necessarily privileging specific ways of knowing.