Shamanic Practices and Social Capital among Native Youths in the Brazilian Amazon
April 8, 2016 DOI: 10.4324/9781315604879-18 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Manchineri youth aged 14–24 in Acre state, Brazilian Amazonia |
| Intervention | ayahuasca |
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Keywords | Amazon rainforest Social capital |
| Citations | 1 |
| Key findings | Shamanic practices among Manchineri youth contribute to the creation and maintenance of social networks and trusting relationships, linking the sacred, morality, and social differentiation. |
Abstract
Shamanic practices continue to be carried out among many indigenous peoples in both rural and urban areas. This article deals with young Indians aged between 14 and 24 in Brazilian Amazonia and the social networks created by collective shamanic rituals. Specifically, it focuses on the ritualistic use of ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi), a hallucinogenic concoction, among the Manchineri living in Acre state, in the western part of Brazilian Amazonia. The results show that for young Indians shamanic practices are linked to the making of the sacred, morality, as well as social and cultural differentiation, contributing to the creation and maintenance of social networks and trusting relationships. Furthermore, shamanism produces personal relationships and relatedness not only within an individual's native community and its spirit world, but also with representatives from other native groups and non-native participants.
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 |