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Význam šamanismu v postmoderní době na příkladu oblasti peruánské Amazonie / The Purpose of Shamanism in the Postmodern Age Demonstrated on the Peruvian Amazon District

Sylvie Abbasová

Kulturní Studia November 13, 2018 DOI: 10.7160/ks.2018.110203 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population Western tourists traveling to Amazon shamans and the shamans themselves
Topics Shamanism
Keywords Religion Postmodern age Amazonia Tourism Qualitative research
Key findings Western tourists travel to Amazon shamans for ayahuasca rituals to seek treatment, extraordinary experiences, and shamanic knowledge.

Abstract

This article considers the purpose of shamanism in the postmodern age. It explores why Western tourists travel to the shamans of the Amazon to participate in the shamanic ritual with ayahuasca. The field research focuses mainly on a description of Amazon shamanism from the perspective of both the shamans and the tourists. The practical work focuses primarily on the motives of passengers travelling to the area regarding their needs for treatment, to seek extraordinary experiences, and to learn shamanic knowledge.

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

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