Interpellations and challenges in the neoshamanic and ayahuasca fields in Uruguay

Since the 1990s, three major neoshamanic lineages—Brazilian ayahuasca religions, Peruvian vegetalismo, and Mexico's Red Path—have arrived in Uruguay, a country often imagined as white, without indigenous people, and secular. These practices adapt to and challenge national hegemonic narratives, both reaffirming and breaking down stereotypes. The author describes their arrival, specificities, and therapeutic use of indigenous spiritualties and sacred plants. The chapter also analyzes ayahuasca's legal and social status in Uruguay, where medicinal, industrial, and recreational cannabis was recently legalized, exploring similarities, differences, dialogues, and tensions between these two psychoactive substances in the Uruguayan context.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Since the 1990s, three major (neo)shamanic linages associated with sacred plants use have arrived in Uruguay. Each one comes from a particular Latin American national context: Brazil and its ayahuasca religions, Peru and vegetalismo, Mexico and the Red Path. In what way do these practices and discourses develop in a Latin American country imagined as "white," "without indigenous people," and "secular," such as Uruguay? To what extent do the incorporation of these neoshamanic practices question the hegemonic narratives of the state-nation? National stereotypes come into play, with neoshamanisms being both product and producers of these processes of reaffirmation and the breaking down of stereotypes. In this chapter, the author briefly describes the arrival of these practices to Uruguay, their specificities and adaptation, and the different relations they established, particularly regarding the use of indigenous spiritualties and sacred plants as therapeutically alternatives. The author also analyzes the legal and social status of ayahuasca (associated with ritual and spiritual uses) in Uruguay, where the medicinal, industrial, and recreational use of cannabis has recently been legalized. Which similarities and differences, dialogues and tensions, exist between use of these two psychoactive substances in the Uruguayan context?