Ayahuasca: Between Cognition and Culture

Over a decade of ethnographic fieldwork in Latin America and Catalonia reveals the diversity of ayahuasca spiritual practices and beliefs. The author integrates medical anthropology, cognitive science of religion, history of science, and religious studies to analyze these varied traditions. The work draws on Apud's background as a psychologist and anthropologist, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on how ayahuasca is understood and used across different cultural contexts.

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Abstract

This book summarizes Ismael Apud's ethnographic research in the field of ayahuasca, conducted in Latin America and Catalonia over a period of 10 years. To analyze the variety of ayahuasca spiritual practices and beliefs, the author combines different approaches, including medical anthropology, cognitive science of religion, history of science, and religious studies. Ismael Apud is a psychologist and anthropologist from Uruguay, with a PhD in Anthropology at Universitat Rovira i Virgili.