Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 20, 2020
Daniela M. Peluso, Emily Sinclair, Beatriz Caiuby Labate et al.
23 citations
The creation of guidelines to raise awareness of sexual abuse in ayahuasca settings faces the challenge of conveying that abuse is never the victim's fault while also informing about common scenarios that can lead to abuse. The globalization of ayahuasca use has broadened the contexts in which the psychedelic brew is consumed, increasing possibilities for sexual harassment and abuse. The article reflects on the conception and development of the Ayahuasca Community Guide for the Awareness of Sexual Abuse by the Chacruna Institute, focusing on the needs for such guidelines and the challenges in collaboratively creating them as an educational task.
Oxford University Press eBooks
June 18, 2014
Daniela M. Peluso
13 citations
Ayahuasca tourism in Puerto Maldonado, Peru, and its surroundings creates complex local predicaments. Local and global narratives reveal tensions around the proliferation of ayahuasqueros (practitioners), the sanitization of rituals, and the downplaying of malevolence and conflict. Amerindian epistemologies and perspectivism help analyze interactions between shamans and participants, as well as the roles of intermediaries and authorities. Gender relations between shamans and local and nonlocal participants spark debates about sex and sexuality among locals and online audiences. The adoption and reinvention of ayahuasca rituals reflect ongoing challenges and experiences in contemporary ayahuasca usage.
September 1, 2016
Daniela M. Peluso
2 citations
Entrepreneurial efforts to standardize transparency, efficacy, and safety in ayahuasca sessions, both locally and globally, are examined critically. These initiatives aim to identify legitimate authorities and criteria, yet they operate amid stark disjunctures between spoken, visible realms and unspoken, invisible worlds marked by great inequality. While such market-based measures may appear rational from a business standpoint, they prove ill-suited to the broader social, political, and cultural contexts in which ayahuasca practitioners actually live and work.
Indigenous Religious Traditions
October 14, 2025
Daniela M. Peluso
The book explores how ayahuasca, a psychoactive Amazonian brew, has been transformed from an indigenous ritual substance into a global phenomenon. It examines the ways modern practitioners—including spiritual seekers, artists, and scientists—interpret ayahuasca visions as sources of personal insight, healing, and creativity. The work argues that these wondrous visions are shaped by contemporary cultural and technological contexts, reflecting modern anxieties and desires. Through ethnographic research, the author shows how ayahuasca ceremonies in urban settings blend traditional practices with new age and scientific frameworks, creating a complex global culture around the brew.