Accidental Environmentalism: Nature and Cultivated Affect in European Neoshamanic Ayahuasca Consumption
Arne Harms
Anthropology of Consciousness February 12, 2021 DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12130 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Specialists and attendants at neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Environmentalism Curiosity Affect linguistics Environmental ethics Gossip Aesthetics Epistemology Anthropology Law Politics Communication |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | Ritual framings during neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies provide fertile ground for affective ties to nature to emerge, and environmentalism appears anchored by the proceedings even when participants prioritize individual healing or curiosity. |
Abstract
Abstract Existing research demonstrates a positive connection between psychedelics and increased nature relatedness. Enhanced affective ties toward nature are widely framed as being built into the pharmakon itself, and the relevance of experiences remains little understood. This paper turns to neoshamanic ayahuasca ceremonies in Europe, exploring the way specialists and attendants refer to nature in speech and performance. I argue that ritual framings performed during these ceremonies provide fertile ground for affective ties to emerge through substance‐induced experiences. I trace such framings by exploring how medicine and healers are being coded; how specific materialities are rendered meaningful; and how individual experiences are discussed at such retreats. I argue that even while participants prioritize individual healing, personal development, or the satisfaction of psychonautical curiosity, environmentalism appears to be anchored by the proceedings themselves. Thus, this paper opens up for analysis ceremonial substance use as a contact zone where coherence is produced intersubjectively.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Among psychedelic-experienced users, only past use of psilocybin reliably predicts nature relatedness Journal of Psychopharmacology 2023
- Psychedelics and connectedness to natural and social worlds: An examination of the evidence and a proposed conceptual framework. Current Opinion in Psychology April 1, 2025
- Participation in an indigenous Amazonian-led ayahuasca retreat associated with increases in nature relatedness – a pilot study Drug Science, Policy and Law 2024
- The Association of Classic Serotonergic Psychedelic Use and Intention of Future Use with Nature Relatedness Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 19, 2022
- Ayahuasca ceremonies, relationality, and inner-outer transformations to sustainability. Evidence from Takiwasi Center in Peru Ecosystems and People April 18, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 23
- Constructing drug effects: A history of set and setting Drug Science, Policy and Law 2017
- Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996
- Psychedelics and connectedness Psychopharmacology August 9, 2017
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002
and 18 more in the library