Mexican Indigenous Psychologies, Cosmovisons, and Altered States of Consciousness

Indigenous psychologies of the Nahua and Maya peoples of Mexico are grounded in their cosmogonies, philosophies, and spiritual traditions, offering distinct conceptions of consciousness, psyche, spirit, and health that encompass relations with all Earth beings, ancestors, and nature. Colonization imposed foreign cosmologies that threatened these systems, yet these communities continue to use plants, mushrooms, and animals to induce altered states of consciousness in sacred rituals and healing. The paper recommends learning from these knowledge and praxis systems to foster a decolonial psychology that may provide alternatives for addressing contemporary challenges.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Indigenous psychologies are informed by their cosmogonies and cosmologies, philosophies, spirituality and religions, traditions and customs, and knowledge and praxis systems. This paper reviews some conceptions of consciousness, psyche, spirit, mental and physical health, relations to all Earth Beings (human and nonhuman), ancestors, nature, and altered states of consciousness among the Nahua and Maya of Mexico. Colonization has threatened these rich legacies by imposing the conquerors' cosmologies. However, these Indigenous communities continue to use plants, mushrooms, and some animals to generate altered states of consciousness, enacting sacred rituals and healing. The conclusion recommends learning from these knowledge and praxes systems and their related consciousness and spiritual states to expand the emergence of decolonial psychology that may offer alternatives to address the challenges of our time.