Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals
Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2012.01054.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Ceremony Context archaeology Element criminal law Multitude Narrative Ethnography Psychotherapist Aesthetics Anthropology Epistemology Literature |
| Citations | 44 |
| Key findings | Healing in this context is a process involving physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, with personal crisis serving as a catalyst for positive transformation, and the patient responsible for their own healing. |
Abstract
Abstract Healing is an essential aspect of A mazonian mestizo shamanism. Not only is it one of the most commonly quoted motives for W esterners for participating in ayahuasca ceremonies, but most elements of an ayahuasca ceremony are aimed to heal and protect. This article is purely ethnographic, and its purpose is to provide insight into the ways healing is conceived by both ayahuasqueros and W estern participants in the context of shamanic tourism in I quitos, P eru. I show that illness is perceived to have physical, psychological, and spiritual dimensions, and healing is a complex process that takes place in and outside of ceremony. I show that a multitude of elements in a ceremony converge to address all three dimensions of illness, one of the most important ones being the element of personal crisis. Often present in healing narratives, the element of crisis becomes the catalyst for positive transformation, including physical, psychological, and spiritual healing. Rather than being seen as a singular event, healing in this context is seen as a process, in which the patient carries the responsibility for their own healing.