A Note on the Use of Ayahuasca among Urban Mestizo Populations in the Peruvian Amazon1
American Anthropologist December 1, 1970 DOI: 10.1525/aa.1970.72.6.02a00150 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Mestizo folk healers in the Peruvian Amazon |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Vine Advertising |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | Cultural expectations and belief systems concerning illness strongly shape the hallucinatory experience of ayahuasca. |
Abstract
The use of the psychedelic vine, ayahuasca (various Banisteriopsis species), in the Peruvian Amazon by mestizo folk healers is related to such variables as cultural expectations of drug experience and belief systems concerning illness. A subjective personal experience inherent in psychedelic use takes on cultural coloration, as determinants of hallucinatory experience show strong relationships to cultural data.
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 5
- The healing practices of a Peruvian shaman. Journal of Ethnopharmacology July 1, 1984
- What we can learn from shamanic healing: brief psychotherapy with Latino immigrant clients. American Journal of Public Health October 1, 2002
- Teacher plants - Indigenous Peruvian-Amazonian dietary practices as a method for using psychoactives. Journal of Ethnopharmacology March 25, 2022
- Anthropology of Psychedelics Anthropology of Consciousness April 20, 2025
- An application of Ricoeur's hermeneutic theory: Configuations of the shamanic in contemporary ayahuasca narratives PRISM (University of Calgary) 2013