Tobacco and Shamanism in South America
The Latin American Anthropology Review December 1, 1991 DOI: 10.1525/jlca.1991.3.2.67.2
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThis book examines the central role of tobacco in South American shamanic practices, arguing that tobacco, not hallucinogenic plants, is the primary psychoactive substance used by shamans across the region. Wilbert draws on ethnographic and historical sources to describe how tobacco is employed in rituals for healing, divination, and communication with spirits, often consumed in highly concentrated forms. The work challenges assumptions about Amazonian shamanism and emphasizes tobacco's cultural and spiritual significance.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 26 |
| Key finding | Tobacco is the principal psychoactive agent in South American shamanism, more central than hallucinogenic plants. |
Abstract
Tobacco and Shamanism in South America. Johannes Wilbert. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1987. xix. 294 pp., figures, maps, tables, bibliography, index. $30.00 (cloth). ISBN 0‐300‐ 03879‐8.