Ayahuasca from Peru to Uruguay: Ritual Design and Redesign through a Distributed Cognition Approach
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2015 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12023 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Socially distributed cognition Cognitive science Anthropology |
| Citations | 36 |
| Key points | Proposes that ayahuasca rituals can be understood as a system of activity through a "distributed cognition" model. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive substance from the Amazon rainforest regions of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil. Although its use originated among indigenous tribes in the Amazon basin, it has become increasingly popularized in Western society through the transnational markets of spirituality and religiosity driven by globalization, Postmodernity, and new forms of religious practice. In this paper, we will overview the arrival of ayahuasca in Uruguay by way of four different groups. We will then focus on one of these groups, a holistic alternative therapies center, influenced by Peruvian shamanic traditions in the design of its ceremonies. Last we will introduce a "distributed cognition" model to explain ayahuasca rituals as a system of activity.