January 1, 2023
André Van der Braak
10 citations
Ayahuasca often produces transformative experiences that blur distinctions between sacred and secular, transcendence and immanence, subject and object, and human and nonhuman realms, but Western and indigenous frameworks interpret these experiences differently. Drawing on Bruno Latour's philosophy, André van der Braak reimagines ayahuasca as liquid divinity, shifting focus from personal experiences to ritual practices that cultivate relationships with more-than-human powers. He describes Santo Daime practices as a modern form of theurgy (god-work), as defined by Iamblichus, where rituals aim to draw down divine action through imagination. Van der Braak argues that ayahuasca religiosity centers not on individual healing or visions but on communal, transformative ecodelic practices that foster solidarity with all sentient beings.
Philosophical Psychology
May 24, 2025
André Van der Braak
3 citations
A participatory approach to mystical experiences, drawing on Bruno Latour's concepts of actor-networks and modes of existence, interprets them as events involving multiple agents rather than as private inner states of an isolated subject. This approach avoids assuming either the presence or absence of a real referent for such experiences while still engaging the ontological question. The article reviews perennialist and constructivist approaches to mystical experiences, outlines their philosophical problems, and explains Latour's modes of existence—particularly beings of transformation and beings of religion—to show how a participatory framework can shift academic study.
Implicit Religion
October 30, 2025
André Van der Braak
1 citation
Bruno Latour proposes a plurality of ontologies by distinguishing distinct modes of existence, each with its own type of existent. One mode is religion, which involves invisible “beings of religion” that transform the self, unlike psychogenic beings that constitute the self and can be addressed through therapeutic or ritual cures. Beings of religion are engaged through contemplative practices such as prayer, meditation, or ceremony, which enable transformation. This article argues that Latour’s concept of beings of religion offers potential for religious studies and illustrates this with a Latourian description of ayahuasca ceremonies.
Politics Religion & Ideology
June 1, 2023
André Van der Braak
1 citation
An accomplished scholar of colonial and post-colonial Morocco and North Africa applies his analytical framework to a new context, examining the intersections of spirituality, psychedelics, and drug studies, particularly focusing on ayahuasca. The work explores how these substances and practices are understood within historical and cultural frameworks, drawing on the scholar's expertise to offer insights into the evolving discourse on psychedelics in humanities scholarship.
Religions
November 8, 2025
André Van der Braak
The dominant 'mystical experience model' of psychedelic spirituality—which holds that ego dissolution and unitive experiences drive well-being—is critiqued for being too religious, neglecting learning processes, and privileging individual extraordinary states over shared ritual. An alternative model based on theurgy (from Iamblichus's Neoplatonism) and Bruno Latour's participatory ontological pluralism is proposed. Theurgy emphasizes ritual mediation, competence, and transformation, accommodating encounters with autonomous entities or 'beings of religion' reported in psychedelic ceremonies. This framework complements the mystical model by focusing on collective transformation within a differentiated cosmos rather than escape into undifferentiated unity.