Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca
Social Science & Medicine August 31, 2019 Evgenia Fotiou, Alex K. Gearin 86 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychoactive plant mixture used ceremonially in Western Amazonia, has become popular among westerners traveling to the Peruvian Amazon for its healing effects. Drawing on a literature review and ethnographic data from shamanic tourism in Peru and neo-shamanic networks in Australia (227 people interviewed or surveyed between 2003 and 2015, including healers and participants), the authors demonstrate that purging is integral to ayahuasca's therapeutic use across and beyond Amazonia. Therapeutic approaches combine modulations of the gut and mind, and the bodily and social, expressed through healing discourse. Relating ethnographic evidence to scientific studies connecting gut and emotional health, the authors argue that ayahuasca purging should not be dismissed as a drug side effect or irrational belief but reconsidered for its potential therapeutic effects.