Introduction: the shifting journey of ayahuasca in diaspora
September 1, 2016 Clancy Cavnar Beatriz Caiuby Labate 2 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew traditionally used by indigenous and mestizo Amazonians for shamanic purposes, is typically made by boiling the vine Banisteriopsis caapi with the shrub Psychotria viridis. However, defining ayahuasca is challenging due to limited ethnobotanical research on the plants involved, the probable use of multiple species of Psychotria and Banisteriopsis, and the addition of various other plants from different continents. In contemporary times, ayahuasca encompasses diverse cultural and religious practices worldwide, including indigenous shamanic complexes, Brazilian ayahuasca religions, neoshamanic New Age groups, and therapeutic and tourist centers, resisting standardization.