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Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals

Evgenia Fotiou

Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2012 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2012.01054.x (opens in new tab)

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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.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The antipodes Of the mind Indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and... 2002 Qualitative study
Drug Tourism or Spiritual Healing? Ayahuasca Seekers in Amazonia Westerners participating in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia 2005 Qualitative study
Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... 2014 Qualitative study n = 29
Nourishing the Spirit: Exploratory Research on Ayahuasca Experiences along the Continuum of Recovery from Eating Disorders Individuals previously diagnosed with an eating disorder 2017 Qualitative study n = 16
Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats 2019 Qualitative study n = 11

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Ayahuasca Shamanism