The ayahuasca brew, made from Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, was adopted very recently by the Matsigenka and Yora (Nahua) indigenous peoples of southern Peru. The Matsigenka had long used Banisteriopsis liana but did not add the Psychotria admixture until the 1950s. The Yora adopted ayahuasca even more recently, after their contact and decimation by contagious diseases beginning in 1985, abandoning previous shamanic substances and rituals. These two case studies show how quickly ayahuasca shamanism can be adopted, suggesting that widespread ayahuasca use even among indigenous populations may be fairly recent. The studies also highlight diversity and dynamism in indigenous practices comparable to differences seen among urban ayahuasca practices.
In Indigenous Amazonian societies such as the Makushi of Guyana and the Matsigenka of Peru, certain plants are regarded as 'plant persons' with subjectivity, especially those used for healing, harming, seducing, or protecting. The authors examine how chemosensory properties like bitterness, causticity, taste, odor, and texture shape interactions with plants, particularly toxic and medicinal species. Makushi shamanic plants called bina 'charms' have animacy entangled with phytochemical components and preparation methods. Matsigenka knowledge of bamboo species reveals interpenetration of tactile and chemical perceptions with ecological cycles. These examples show plant animacy expressed through sensorial and ecosemiotic processes that defy Western dualisms of mind/body, nature/culture, and subject/object.
Funeral customs and beliefs about the dead among the Matsigenka of Peru are driven by deep anxiety about death's contagion and the dead's power over the living. The article interprets these practices through a native theory of emotion: excessive displays of grief, anger, and aggressive sexuality create a vicious cycle of unhappiness, social disruption, illness, and death. Moving beyond a purely symbolic-interpretive perspective, the author also reflects on personal fieldwork and home experiences to explore the phenomenology of grief across cultures.