Light
The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199252923.003.0018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that the portrayal of light as characterizing only the first stage of Ayahuasca inebriation is misleading; light can appear at the most powerful moments of a session. |
Abstract
Abstract In practically all the accounts found in the anthropological literature, visualizations of light are described as characterizing the first stage of the Ayahuasca inebriation. This is, I think, a very misleading portrayal. While it is indeed true that typically the first visual effects of Ayahuasca generate internal stimuli of light and colour, it is by no means the case that light is confined to the beginnings of sessions or to the stages in which the force of the intoxication is at its weakest. Actually, quite the contrary is the case. Not infrequently, the most powerful moments in an Ayahuasca session involve light.