The Importance of Ritual Discourse in Framing Ayahuasca Experiences in the Context of Shamanic Tourism
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12117 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Western participants in ayahuasca ceremonies in and around Iquitos, Peru |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Liminality Framing construction Tourism Ethnography Transformative learning Aesthetics Consciousness Narrative Dialogic Anthropology Media studies |
| Citations | 22 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca ceremonies for western tourists are designed as liminal, transformative experiences, achieved through shamans' discourse that frames the ritual space and shapes participants' conceptualization, enhancing meaningfulness. |
Abstract
Abstract In this article, I discuss how ritual is framed in the context of ayahuasca tourism, using ethnographic data collected in and around Iquitos, Peru. Alluding to a lack of socially sanctioned spaces for altered states of consciousness (ASCs) in western cultures, contemporary seekers flock to the Amazon to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies for an array of reasons, including healing and personal transformation. Taking Gregory Bateson's concept of “framing” as a point of departure, and applying Erving Goffman's frame analysis, I will show that contemporary ayahuasca ceremonies attended by westerners are designed to be liminal, transformative, and meaningful experiences that aim to heal the body through emotional modulation. I will demonstrate how this is achieved through specific discourse that takes place before or during rituals in the form of long speeches delivered by the shamans. This framing not only separates the ritual space as liminal but also frames the way that the experience is conceptualized by the participants, ultimately increasing its meaningfulness.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Plantas con madre": plants that teach and guide in the shamanic initiation process in the East-Central Peruvian Amazon. Curanderos, apprentices, and herbalists in East-Central Peru, including Mestizo,... | 2011 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Healers and participants in shamanic tourism contexts of the Peruvian Amazon and... | 2019 | Ethnography with literature review | n = 227 |
| The Globalization of Ayahuasca Shamanism and the Erasure of Indigenous Shamanism Western tourists and indigenous peoples in Iquitos, Peru | 2016 | Ethnography | |
| Shamanism and Rock Art in Far Western North America Historic hunter-gatherer cultures of California and the Great Basin | 1992 | Ethnographic review and analysis | |
| Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Ayahuasqueros and Western participants in shamanic tourism in Iquitos, Peru | 2012 | Ethnography |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Psychedelic Communitas: Intersubjective Experience During Psychedelic Group Sessions Predicts Enduring Changes in Psychological Wellbeing and Social Connectedness. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 25, 2021
- Changes in mental health, wellbeing and personality following ayahuasca consumption: Results of a naturalistic longitudinal study. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022
- New Insights into the Chemical Composition of Ayahuasca ACS Omega April 1, 2022
- The Power of Social Attribution: Perspectives on the Healing Efficacy of Ayahuasca Frontiers in Psychology October 28, 2021
- Ayahuasca Ritual, Personality and Sociality: Observational Research Conducted in a Substance Use Disorder Rehabilitation Center in Uruguay Journal of Psychoactive Drugs May 4, 2022
and 12 more in the library
Cites 8
- Clinical investigations of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. Pharmacology & Therapeutics May 1, 2004
- Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014
- Working with “La Medicina”: Elements of Healing in Contemporary Ayahuasca Rituals Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2012
- Ayahuasca from Peru to Uruguay: Ritual Design and Redesign through a Distributed Cognition Approach Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2015
- Experience, Culture and Reality: The Significance of Fisher Information for Understanding the Relationship between Alternative States of Consciousness and the Structures of Reality International Journal of Transpersonal Studies 2003
and 3 more in the library