Healing with Ayahuasca the Plant Teacher: Psychedelic Metaphoricity and Polyontologies.
Medical Anthropology October 2, 2024 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2024.2410969 (opens in new tab)
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Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Psychedelics entheogens Plant medicine Metaphor Narrative Ontology Shamanism shamanic practice Indigenous healing Cultural exchange Shipibo culture |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key points | Argues that a polyontological framework can accommodate the incommensurable literal and metaphorical views of ayahuasca as a plant teacher held by Shipibo shamans and their international clients. |
Abstract
Shamans, neo-shamans, atheists, and others describe gaining special knowledge from drinking ayahuasca, supporting the cross-cultural idea of ayahuasca as a plant teacher. While secular enthusiasts interpret this metaphorically, animists and others take it literally. This article examines ontological collisions at a healing retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, considering Shipibo shamans and their international clients. It explores how embodied experiences, such as purging and visions, inform both literal and metaphorical views of healing and illness. By addressing incommensurable ontologies, the article highlights how a polyontological framework approaches ontological collision without necessarily privileging specific ways of knowing.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization? | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca healing beyond the Amazon: the globalization of a traditional indigenous entheogenic practice | 2008 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- Setting, context and the regulatory atmospheres of psychedelic medicine. International Journal of Drug Policy July 1, 2026
- Psychosis associated with ayahuasca: A narrative review of traditional use, vulnerability, and case evidence Industrial Psychiatry Journal September 25, 2026
- Hypnosis-based intervention for mystical experiences: a qualitative analysis. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis September 4, 2026
Cites 18
- The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002
- Psychedelic integration: An analysis of the concept and its practice Frontiers in Psychology August 4, 2022
- Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022
- The socialization of hallucinations: Cultural priors, social interactions, and contextual factors in the use of psychedelics. Transcultural Psychiatry October 1, 2022
- Entheogens and Existential Intelligence: The Use of Plant Teachers as Cognitive Tools Canadian Journal of Education / Revue canadienne de l éducation 2002
and 13 more in the library