Anthropologia integra
January 1, 2014
Veronika Kavenská, Hana Simonová
9 citations
People travel to the Amazon rainforest to take the natural hallucinogen ayahuasca in a shamanic ritual, a phenomenon called 'shamanic tourism' described by anthropologists since the 1970s and increasingly popular among Europeans and Americans. Interviews with 77 individuals who experienced ayahuasca in South American forests, mainly in Peru, revealed that primary motivations were curiosity and desire for adventure, treatment of psychological problems, need for self-knowledge, interest in psychedelic medicine and therapy, spiritual development, and finding life direction.
Anthropologia integra
December 15, 2015
Miroslav Horák, Romana Lukášová, Šárka Vosáhlová
6 citations
Ayahuasca, a key element of traditional indigenous medicine in the Peruvian Amazon, has become a global phenomenon. In the Czech Republic, where ayahuasca is illegal due to its N,N-dimethyltryptamine content, it is used within a subculture. A pilot online anonymous questionnaire survey of 70 respondents mapped this phenomenon for the first time, finding that ayahuasca is used in all regions of the country, most often in Prague, primarily for therapeutic reasons. The traditional use of ayahuasca has adapted to local conditions, and with increasing awareness, further spread of this sociocultural phenomenon is expected. When traditional safety guidelines are followed, ayahuasca has therapeutic potential for treating drug addiction and other diseases of civilization.
Anthropologia integra
November 8, 2016
Miroslav Horák, Šárka Vosáhlová
2 citations
In the Czech Republic, the most commonly used preparation from traditional Amazonian medicine is the psychoactive brew ayahuasca. Field research conducted from November 2015 involved semi-structured interviews with 46 individuals (23 women and 23 men) who had participated in at least one ritual using traditional Amazonian medicine. Content analysis of the first 15 interviews, using grounded theory, confirms ayahuasca's prevalence. The article also classifies the types of ceremonies, their organizers, and participants, and concludes by outlining risks associated with psychoactive substance use.