Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond
Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014 DOI: 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341191.001.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Indigenous Amazon rainforest Politics Ethnology Anthropology Ethnic group Maya Ceremony Archaeology |
| Citations | 164 |
| Key points | Argues that Amazonian shamanic rituals, especially those involving ayahuasca, have been creatively reinvented by displaced indigenous people and rubber tappers to build ethnic alliances and political strategies. |
Abstract
This book discusses how Amerindian epistemology and ontology, related to certain indigenous shamanic rituals of the Amazon, spread to Western societies, and how indigenous, mestizo, and cosmopolitan cultures have dialogued with and transformed these forest traditions. Special attention is given to the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca. Chapters reflect on how displaced indigenous people and rubber tappers are engaged in creative reinvention of rituals, and how these rituals help build ethnic alliances and cultural and political strategies for their marginalized position. The expansion of ayahuasca ... More