Contextual Considerations
The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199252923.003.0020 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that contextual factors and variables surrounding Ayahuasca consumption can influence the drinker's experience and the generation of visualizations, and proposes to examine these in detail. |
Abstract
Abstract So far our discussion has been concerned primarily with the question of ‘What?’ We have examined what types of visualizations Ayahuasca produces, what the contents of Ayahuasca visualizations are, what themes they may be concerned with, what ideas are associated with them, what stages Ayahuasca visualizations may define and in what order they may appear within a session. Now we turn to the question of ‘How?’ In this chapter, I discuss factors and variables that pertain to the contingencies of the context in which Ayahuasca is consumed. In particular, I shall examine the various factors and variables that may influence what is happening to a drinker under the intoxication and those that contribute to the generation of visualizations. In subsequent chapters, I shall discuss dynamical aspects of the Ayahuasca experience and highlight several cognitive-psychological patterns pertaining to the development of visualizations and their progression in time.