Spirituality, Drugs, and Tourism: Tourists' and Shamans' Experiences of Ayahuasca in Iquitos, Peru
Girish Prayag, Paolo Mura, Colin Michael Hall, Julien Fontaine
November 5, 2024 DOI: 10.4324/9781003531517-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Micro-ethnography |
|---|---|
| Population | Tourists and shamans involved in ayahuasca tourism in Iquitos, Peru |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | One month of immersion |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Spirituality Tourism Traditional medicine Anthropology Archaeology Alternative medicine |
| Key findings | Tourists' encounters with ayahuasca were perceived as spiritual due to better understanding and perception of 'self' and 'others', while shamans' encounters with tourists were mostly positive but negative consequences on their practices were evident. |
Abstract
This study critically evaluates the complex inter space of spirituality, drugs, and tourism through tourists’ and shamans’ accounts of ayahuasca tourism in Iquitos, Peru. Ayahuasca is a hallucinogenic beverage traditionally consumed for spiritual and health purposes. Using micro-ethnography, one of the researchers was immersed for one month in the tourism experience of ayahuasca. The findings reveal the ambivalent nature of tourists’ experiences and the changing meaning and practices of ayahuasca. Tourists’ encounters with ayahuasca were perceived as spiritual due to better understanding and perception of ‘self’ and ‘others’. Shamans’ encounters with tourists were mostly positive but negative consequences on their practices were evident. The study highlights issues of fluidity, positionality, and self-identification of roles in tourism.
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 |