“O vinho do homem morto”
Revista Brasileira de História da Ciência July 29, 2023 Vinícius Maurício de Lima, Maria Gabriela Silva Martins da Cunha Marinho
During the first half of the 20th century, newspaper coverage in O Globo reveals that scientists were interested in the botanical, pharmacological, and psychiatric aspects of ayahuasca, yet their reports also encouraged the criminalization of Indigenous uses. This early journalistic framing challenges the common association of the “psychedelic renaissance” with the 1960s–1970s, showing that scientific and media attention to ayahuasca began much earlier and carried contradictory impulses—curiosity about the substance alongside support for repressive policies. The findings invite a more plural debate about the history and politics of psychedelic research.