Futuros caminhos da ayahuasca: um relato etnográfico sobre uma audiência pública
Henrique Fernandes Antunes, Leonardo Lessin
Ponto Urbe November 3, 2026 DOI: 10.11606/issn.1981-3341.pontourbe.2026.244927 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Ethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | A public hearing in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, involving ayahuasca religions, Indigenous peoples, state agents, researchers, and activists |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Key findings | Argues that Brazil's ayahuasca regulatory framework, constructed historically without consultation with Indigenous peoples, produces paradoxical effects: it protects certain uses while creating administrative constraints and reproducing power asymmetries. The hearing is presented as a symptom of transformations in the contemporary ayahuasca scene, including global expansion of the brew, intellectual property disputes, and growing Indigenous protagonism in defining public debate. |
Abstract
This article provides an ethnographic analysis of a public hearing held in Rio Branco, Acre, in November 2025, convened by the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office to discuss the regulation and protection of ayahuasca use in Brazil. The event brought together representatives of ayahuasca religions, Indigenous peoples, state agents, researchers, and activists, revealing tensions between different ontological and epistemological regimes. The text examines two central axes: the persistence of police repression regarding the transportation of the brew and the impasses in the cultural heritage recognition process. The analysis reveals fundamental disputes over categories such as "religion," "drug," "commerce," and "therapy," highlighting Indigenous peoples' rejection of the religious framework and their claim for a differentiated status based on original rights. The article demonstrates how the Brazilian regulatory framework, historically constructed without consultation with Indigenous peoples, produces paradoxical effects: while protecting certain uses, it creates administrative constraints and reproduces power asymmetries. The hearing is presented as a symptom of transformations in the contemporary ayahuasca scene, marked by the global expansion of the brew, intellectual property disputes, and the growing protagonism of Indigenous peoples in defining the terms of public debate.
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 |