Ayahuasca and Arabidopsis: The Philosopher Plant and the Scientist’s Specimen
Ethnos June 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/00141844.2019.1631872 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Arabidopsis Environmental ethics |
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Argues that ayahuasca and Arabidopsis represent distinct models of human-plant communication that can be cross-pollinated to support collaborative survival. |
Abstract
Moving among the laboratory, the Brazilian Amazon, and herbaria, this article cultivates a theoretical grafting of phytocommunicable strategies that stem from human interactions with ayahuasca and Arabidopsis, two plants that appear – at least geographically – worlds apart. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic Amazonian vine, represents the 'Philosopher Plant', guiding imbibers to greater self-knowledge and facilitating embodiment across species divides. It also links Amazonian indigenous claims to land and political sovereignty through cultural patrimony. Arabidopsis, also known as the 'Botanical Drosophila' and 'rat-plant' for its role as an experimental organism, is a 'scientist's specimen' in laboratory research. These two plants demonstrate different ways that humans think, interact and communicate with or about plants, shaping and shaped by different conceptions of 'the human' in relation to other organisms. I take a 'rhizomatic' approach to provide multiple modes of analytical entry to phytocommunicable models, arguing for a cross-pollination of ideas in fertilising futures of human-plant collaborative survival.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization? | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Towards psychedelic apprenticeship: Developing a gentle touch for the mediation and validation of psychedelic-induced insights and revelations. | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Ayahuasca healing beyond the Amazon: the globalization of a traditional indigenous entheogenic practice | 2008 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 10
- Ayahuasca: Pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential Brain Research Bulletin March 11, 2016
- Inhibition of alpha oscillations through serotonin-2A receptor activation underlies the visual effects of ayahuasca in humans European Neuropsychopharmacology March 26, 2016
- Ayahuasca, dimethyltryptamine, and psychosis: a systematic review of human studies Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology February 23, 2017
- Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014
- Ayahuasca’s entwined efficacy: An ethnographic study of ritual healing from ‘addiction’ International Journal of Drug Policy April 19, 2017
and 5 more in the library