The Spiritual Dimension of Yage Shamanism in Colombia
Carlos Miguel Gómez Rincón
Religions July 21, 2020 DOI: 10.3390/rel11070375 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Interpretation philosophy Amazon rainforest Narrative Indigenous culture Dimension graph theory Spirituality Ethnology Anthropology Aesthetics Archaeology Literature Ecology Alternative medicine |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Proposes that yagé shamanic experience can be understood as a form of spiritual experience through an intercultural and phenomenological interpretation. |
Abstract
This article offers an intercultural interpretation of the sense of the sacred in the practice of yage shamanism in Colombia. This practice is based on the ritual use of a plant medicine which for centuries has been the basis of the medical, spiritual and cultural systems of indigenous peoples of the Amazon piedmont in Colombia, Ecuador and Perú. Since the 1990s, this practice has expanded to urban areas of Colombia and other countries. After a short introduction, I develop my interpretation of yage shamanism in three stages: first, I explore some narratives of the origin of yage, showing how it is lived and understood as a source of knowledge and the foundational element of indigenous cultures. Second, I attempt a phenomenological analysis of yage shamanic experience, presenting it as a form of spiritual experience. Finally, I briefly address the issue of whether or not this form of experience is valid.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |
Citations in the library
Cited by 3
- (Techno)Paganism: An Exploration of Animistic Relations with the Digital Religions November 3, 2023
- Mystical and Ego-Dissolution Experiences in Ayahuasca and Jurema Holistic Rituals: An Exploratory Study International Journal for the Psychology of Religion April 13, 2023
- The Ecology of Religious Knowledges Religions January 20, 2022
Cites 6
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond Oxford University Press eBooks June 18, 2014
- The World Ayahuasca Diaspora September 1, 2016
- The Revitalization of Yajé Shamanism among the Siona: Strategies of Survival in Historical Context Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2016
and 1 more in the library