Accidental Environmentalism: Nature and Cultivated Affect in European Neoshamanic Ayahuasca Consumption
Anthropology of Consciousness February 12, 2021 Arne Harms 7 citations
Existing research shows a positive link between psychedelics and feeling more connected to nature, but the role of specific experiences is not well understood. This paper examines neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe, analyzing how specialists and participants talk about nature during rituals. The author argues that the ritual framings create fertile ground for affective ties to nature to emerge through substance-induced experiences. Even when participants prioritize individual healing or curiosity, environmentalism appears to be anchored by the proceedings themselves. The paper opens up analysis of ceremonial substance use as a contact zone where coherence is produced intersubjectively.