Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond

Indigenous shamanic rituals from the Amazon, particularly those involving the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, have spread to Western societies, where indigenous, mestizo, and cosmopolitan cultures have dialogued with and transformed these forest traditions. Displaced indigenous people and rubber tappers creatively reinvent these rituals, using them to build ethnic alliances and develop cultural and political strategies to improve their marginalized position. The book examines how Amerindian epistemology and ontology related to these practices have been adopted and adapted globally.

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Abstract

This book discusses how Amerindian epistemology and ontology, related to certain indigenous shamanic rituals of the Amazon, spread to Western societies, and how indigenous, mestizo, and cosmopolitan cultures have dialogued with and transformed these forest traditions. Special attention is given to the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca. Chapters reflect on how displaced indigenous people and rubber tappers are engaged in creative reinvention of rituals, and how these rituals help build ethnic alliances and cultural and political strategies for their marginalized position. The expansion of ayahuasca ... More