Experiences With Sacred Mushrooms and Psilocybin In Dialogue: Transdisciplinary Interpretations Of The “Velada”
Antonella Fagetti, Roberto E. Mercadillo
Anthropology of Consciousness August 9, 2022 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12163 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Psilocybin Shamanism |
| Keywords | Divination Perspective graphical Trance Lived experience Paranormal Aesthetics Epistemology Hallucinogen Cognitive psychology Anthropology Psychotherapist Visual arts Archaeology Literature |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key points | Argues that the Mazatec velada ritual provides guidance for integrating personal history and beliefs into experimental designs of psychedelic medicine, which current research neglects. |
Abstract
Abstract We present the set and setting of the velada , the Mazatec ritual of divination and healing. We highlight the subjective experiences of individuals who consumed sacred mushrooms and interpret them from their cultural and community contexts, but also from findings derived from experimental and neuroscientific research. We understand that the experiences connected to sacred mushrooms can be explained by the effects of psilocybin on the neurobiology of emotions, decision making, and visual, auditory, and bodily imagery. But we also understand that experimentation does not consider the individual and collective history of the person, and that the velada can provide guidance for integrating a person’s history and beliefs into experimental designs. The resurgence of psychedelic medicine prompts us into a transdisciplinary dialogue that encompasses both the anthropological perspective and the set and setting of the entheogenic experience during the sacred mushroom ritual.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on psilocybin, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics | 2019 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm General population | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Theorizing that Psychedelic Assisted Therapy May Play a Role in the Treatment of Trauma-Induced Personality Disorders. | 2024 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| What Geometric Visual Hallucinations Tell Us about the Visual Cortex | 2002 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Psilocybin-assisted therapy of major depressive disorder using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a therapeutic frame | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Indigenous psilocybin mushroom practices: An annotated bibliography Journal of Psychedelic Studies February 19, 2024
- Anthropology of Psychedelics Anthropology of Consciousness April 20, 2025
- Hitting the Reset Button: Ceremonial Use of Peyote and Experiences of Personal Change Journal of Drug Issues August 22, 2024
- (Dis)connectedness, suicidality and group psychedelic therapies. February 9, 2024
- Current use of holy mushrooms of the genus Psilocybe in a Zapotec community in Oaxaca, Mexico. IMA fungus 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 24
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Effects of Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy on Major Depressive Disorder JAMA Psychiatry November 4, 2020
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer Archives of General Psychiatry September 7, 2010
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
and 19 more in the library