Ayahuasca (Entheogens)

From ecodelic triplit, the peyoteros’ sense of place, interspecies communication and animistic healing to ecocentric entheogenic rituals, psychedelic bioregionalism, biogenetic structuralist ecopsychology and transpersonal ecosophy – this special issue of the EJE explores the verdant intersection between neurobiology and botany, shamanism and animism, and psychology and ecology, fusing mind with Nature in a boiling cauldron full of entheogenic insight.

Luke, D., & Spowers, R. (Eds.)(2021). DMT entity encounters: Dialogues on the spirit molecule. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.

Available on Kindle from 2nd November, with paperback launches on 30th November (USA) and 9th December (UK). there will also be an audiobook version out shortly after...

With contributions from the late Ralph Metzner, Chris Bache, Whitley Strieber, Jefrey Kripal, Angela Voss, Bill Richards, Chris Timmermann, Michael Winkelman, Luis Eduardo Luna, Anton Bilton, Bernard Carr, Daniel Pinchbeck, Dennis McKenna, Ede Frecska, David Luke and many more...


https://www.innertraditions.com/books/dmt-entity-encounters

The highly psychoactive molecule N,N -dimethyltryptamine (or simply DMT), is found naturally occurring in the brains of humans, mammals, and some other animals, as well as in a broad range of species of the plant kingdom. Although speculative, neurochemical research suggests that DMT may be made in the pineal gland, and it is hypothesised that, as much as melatonin helps activate sleep cycles, DMT activates dreaming, and may also be implicated in other natural visionary states such as mystical experience, near-death experience (NDE), spontaneous psi and psychosis. Amazonian shamans have made use of this chemical for its visionary properties for thousands of years, most likely, and take it as part of a decoction frequently called ayahuasca, which translates from Quechua as “vine of the spirits” or “vine of the dead”. The psychedelic brew is taken because it gives rise to extraordinary mental phenomena that have shamanic and supposed healing qualities, such as synaesthesia, ostensible extra-dimensional percepts, out-of-body experiences, psi experiences and perhaps most commonly, encounters with discarnate entities. When described by independent and seemingly naïve DMT participants the entities encountered tend to vary in detail but often belong to one of a very few similar types, with similar behavioural characteristics. For instance, mischievous shapeshifting elves, preying mantis alien brain surgeons and jewel-encrusted reptilian beings, who all seem to appear with baffling predictability. This opens up a wealth of questions as to the reality (i.e., the ontology) of these entities. The discussion of the phenomenology and ontology of these entities mixes research from parapsychology, ethnobotany and psychopharmacology – the fruits of science – with the foamy custard of folklore, anthropology, mythology, cultural studies and related disciplines. Hopefully however, given the varied readership of this journal, it won’t prove to be a trifle too interdisciplinary.

This commentary serves to reflect upon the conception and development of a set of guidelines for the awareness of sexual abuse in ayahuasca settings, an assortment of scenarios that take place in local and global settings entailing the use of a psychedelic brew known for producing visionary and purgative effects composed of Amazonian Banisteriopsis caapi (ayahuasca vine) most commonly combined with the leaves of Psychotria viridis (chacruna) or Diplopterys cabrerana (chaliponga). The globalization and diaspora of ayahuasca expertise, usage, and plant materials has broadened the diversity of individual and group interactions and geographical and social contexts in which this hallucinogenic concoction is ingested, and thus given rise to a range of possibilities which also may, despondently, include possibilities for sexual harassment and abuse. Here, the authors raise the key issues and processes that have led to formation, publication, and dissemination of the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines’ Ayahuasca Community Guide for the Awareness of Sexual Abuse, focusing specifically on the needs for such guidelines, as well as the challenges faced in collaboratively creating them. The creation of guidelines as a form of education is a task wrought with concerns, as they must first and foremost convey the fact that abuse is never the victim/survivor’s fault, and yet they must also aim to inform individuals of potential common scenarios that can lead to abuse. In this sense, guidelines themselves are held up to scrutiny, and the process of collaboratively crafting the Chacruna Institute for Psychedelic Plant Medicines’ Ayahuasca Community Guide for the Awareness of Sexual Abuse has not been an exception. The authors stress the importance of research and experience in understanding the complexities of the contexts in which potential abuse can occur, particularly around issues of consent and intercultural communication. The overall aim is one of education at all levels; not just in better informing participants but, in doing so, being part of a broader goal of changing the potential scenarios themselves.

This extract from The Drug Users Bible (ISBN: 9780995593688) introduces a basic common sense safety regime (aka "The Ten Commandments Of Safer Drug Use"). It has been made freely available in the hope that it reaches more of the users who might otherwise remain ignorant of this primary but essential risk mitigation information.

Abstract

There are many similarities amongst Mesoamerican religious practices that cannot be overlooked. This paper seeks to establish the commonalities between the origin stories and religious practices of three Mesoamerican cultures. In this manner, one can begin to better understand the extent to which these similarities were within the pre-Columbian Maya, Inca, and the Aztec.

Ceremonial practices and the use of entheogenic plants to achieve a desired altered state has been well established through archaeological finds throughout what is now known as Central/South America. Many of the same entheogens have been recorded in use amongst pre-Columbian cultures. Practices that would seem unimaginable to most people living in the current day were carried out with zeal with the desired result well documented through several available sources. The use of said plants in ritual (and medical) occasions is shrouded with mystery and intrigue, however great strides have been made in our current understanding of pre-Columbian ethnobotanical rituals. Historians, ethnobotanist, biologists, anthropologists, mystics and even a few “kooks” have contributed greatly to our understanding of their use, yet little is known regarding how widely spread these acts (uses) were.

Ayahuasca has become a subject of great interest in recent years. Academics, spiritual seekers, communities, and curious individuals have all been intrigued by this topic through either writing about it or direct participation in the contemporary spiritual phenomenon that is ayahuasca, which holds promises of bestowing upon its users profound wisdom or healing. However, what anthropological (but also popular) writings barely comment on are the deviant perceptions that arise out of experiences seeking amelioration or transcendence, and the subjective ways in which those experiences are interpreted. Consequently, I wish to supplement this scope of representation. In this text, I present fieldwork conducted in the Peruvian Amazon amid the Shipibo, focusing on the experiences of the spiritual seekers who came to them in search of healing or self-discovery. I discovered a unique contradiction—participation in Shipibo ayahuasca practices while simultaneously having or developing a negative perception or attitude towards it. These aberrances are held, as I argue herein, (incognizantly) in the expressed attitudes of the Westerners (especially North American and European) as a result of the positivist notions that emerged from the Age of Enlightenment (but are not limited to it). My priority in this article is to present and expound on these atypical associations and place them against a historical (Western) background to elucidate the origin of the thus found and experienced perceptions.

Graham Hancock (26th May, 2009) – Supernatural: Did psychedelic experiences make our ancestors human? The Ecology, Cosmos and Consciousness Salon, The Institute of Ecotechnics, October Gallery, Bloomsbury, London. (Host and compère)

Modern technological societies value only the alert, problem-solving state of consciousness, and have demonised trance states brought on by the consumption of psychedelic drugs. But in his book Supernatural, the background to his talk at the October Gallery, Graham Hancock presents staggering new information that experiences induced by plant hallucinogens may have played a vital role in the evolution of our species – opening our ancestors to supernatural realms and making us truly human for the first time. It all happened very recently.

Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as ‘the greatest riddle in human history’, all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In his lecture, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious ‘before-and-after moment’ and to discover the truth about the influences that shaped the modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art.

He uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant hallucinogen Ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of ‘supernatural beings’ identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. And Western laboratory volunteers placed experimentally under the influence of hallucinogens such as mescaline, psilocybin and LSD also report visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other ‘dimensions’.

Could it be that the human brain is not just a generator of consciousness, but also a receiver of consciousness, and could the ‘supernaturals’ first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? This new approach strongly suggests that human evolution is not just the ‘blind’, ‘meaningless’ process that Darwin identified, but something else, more purposive and intelligent, that we have barely even begun to understand. By criminalising and demonising the consumption of psychedelic drugs it may even be that our societies are blocking off the next vital step in the evolution of our species.

La ayahuasca o yajé es una bebida psicotrópica ampliamente utilizada en toda la cuenca del Amazonas por los pueblos indígenas y mestizos en sus prácticas mágicas, adivinatorias, rituales y como elemento central de su medicina. Es una mezcla de plantas (Banisteriopsis caapi con Psychotria viridis) que combina el neurotransmisor DMT con moléculas como la harmina (inhibidores la monoaminoxidasa -IMAO), las cuales en combinación producen un efecto psicodélico al que se le atribuye la  capacidad de re-conectar la esencia espiritual del ser humano.  Además de poseer propiedades ansiolíticas y antidepresivas, este brebaje es utilizado actualmente en América del Sur como forma de terapia para tratar problemas de dependencia a drogas, entre otras aplicaciones en varios trastornos psicológico-conductuales. El presente trabajo es una revisión sitemática para revisar la literatura científica relacionada con la eficacia o las propiedades beneficiosas de la Ayahuasca o Yagé en población adulta y así poder verificar si existe relación entre el consumo de Ayahuasca y su utilidad terapéutica.
Los resultados indican que la ayahuasca es efectiva en los problemas de salud descritos en el trabajo y que sería conveniente más investigación científica para comprender mejor todos los factores que influyen en la terapia con ayahuasca.

Ayahuasca or yaje is a psychotropic beverage widely used throughout the Amazon basin by indigenous and mestizo peoples in their magical, divinatory, ritual practices and as a central element of their medicine. It is a mixture of plants (Banisteriopsis caapi with Psychotria viridis) that combines the DMT neurotransmitter with molecules such as harmine (monoamine oxidase inhibitors -IMAO), which in combination produce a psychedelic effect which is attributed the ability to reconnect with the spiritual essence of the human being. Besides having anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, this brew is currently used in South America as a form of therapy to treat problems of drug dependence, among other applications in various psychological-behavioral disorders. The present work is a systematic review to review the scientific literature related to the efficacy or beneficial properties of Ayahuasca or Yagé in the adult population and thus verify if there is a relationship between the consumption of Ayahuasca and its therapeutic utility.
The results indicate that ayahuasca is effective in the health problems described in the work and that more scientific research would be appropriate to better understand all the factors that influence ayahuasca therapy.

Resumo: Sob a liderança de Sebastião Mota de Melo foi construída uma igreja e formada uma comunidade autossustentável na zona rural da capital do Estado do Acre conhecida por Colônia Cinco Mil. Durante a década de 1970 chegaram diversos viajantes, hippies, mochileiros, estudantes, andarilhos e pesquisadores que traziam ideias da contracultura, da vida em comunidade e também os conhecimentos e experiências com outras plantas ensinadoras. No caso emblemático em análise, trata-se de discutir o caráter sagrado atribuído a uma planta considerada ilegal pela legislação brasileira, a canabis. Rebatizada como Santa Maria nessa comunidade, ela recebeu outras formas de cultivo, uso e significado. A construção narrativa de Sebastião Mota como líder da comunidade é marcada por uma outra compreensão ao tratar das plantas medicinais, em especial, a canabis. Este trabalho, intitulado A consagração da Santa Maria do Padrinho Sebastião na Colônia Cinco Mil pretende, nos seus limites, analisar o período da formação da igreja da comunidade que, apoiada pelo grupo que se formou ao seu redor, fez a introdução do uso da Santa Maria entre seus membros. Nesta dissertação utilizamos a metodologia da História Oral, que envolve atores sociais que representam e fizeram parte da formação da Colônia Cinco Mil e do “Povo” do Padrinho Sebastião. A influência e repercussão do Santo Daime no Brasil e no exterior tem como epicentro essa comunidade no início dos anos de 1980. Nossa pesquisa procura analisar a formação daimista que Padrinho Sebastião constitui como discurso político sobre o uso religioso de plantas psicoativas assim como a migração messiânica para a floresta como resposta às perseguições e investigações a que o grupo estava sendo submetido no Acre. Por fim, o trabalho ainda aponta quais ensinos seus membros atribuíam à consagração dos pitos de Santa Maria.

"Abstract
The recourse to entopic phenomena as an explanationof certain geometric rock-art imagery has generated considerable debate among archaeologists and anthropologists of consciousness, and even among neuropsychologists, to a lesser degree. Surprisingly little has been discussed concerning the philosophical location of this debate in relation to the mind-body problem of consciousness, however, and a new perspective presented here on the experience of form constants challenges current thinking. Considering the neuropsychological-shamanistic theory of Paleolithic rock art in light of visionary experiences among both the blind and the sighted, and under different states of altered consciousness, an argument is presented that form constants are not actually entoptic as they are currently defined, that is, made within the eye and the visual cortex. It is suggested that the entoptic rock-art model is swayed by philosophical biases that force theorists to see what they want to see, somewhat like a Rorschach ink blot test, when, rather, it actually appears that there may be more to entoptics than meets the eye."

As fossil fuelled capitalism drags global civilisation towards the strange attractor of ecological implosion, can we get any help from outside (what the secular mainstream in the west generally recognises as), the human social field? This paper makes the case for the pedagogical potential of the naturally-occurring psycho-active 'entheogens', that is, substances which, taken sacramentally, are held to 'engender the divine within'. Handled in a thoughtful way, these substances, I argue, are potential allies for the remaking of the revolutionary movement in an age where human extinction is now thinkable. Between the existing radical left in its various forms, and this ally, however, there are some obstacles. One such obstacle is the atheism of the dominant European revolutionary tradition. In this paper Mikhail Bakunin's influential critique of religion as a form of human domination , as an enemy of human freedom, is taken as exemplary of this tradition. The testimony, meanwhile, of entheogenic experience puts this familiar leftist-atheist standpoint in question. Drawing on fieldwork and interviews with users of entheo-gens including ayahuasca, vaporised DMT, and 5-MeO-DMT toad venom, I argue that a left willing to open itself to these experiences could gain a new standpoint from which to oppose and outflank capitalist ecocide.

After an explanation of the used methodology and Ayahuasca itself, this study presents a personal account of the researcher's experience of an Ayahuasca Medicine Ceremony. Based on an  complete participant observation, a casestudy of the ritual acts during the ceremony is offered to analyze its structure and meaning. Finally, the main question “What is the ritual structure and meaning of an Ayahuasca Medicine Ceremony as experienced in the context of a Western participant in a postmodern society specifically The Netherlands?” is being answered.

This thesis examines the New Age spiritual movement in its relationship with Indigenous cultures. Indigenous spiritual traditions have been appropriated to support relevant New Age theories. It critiques New Age perceptions of Indigenous cultures as misinformed and argues this misinformation is proliferated through certain New Age practices. It argues that the New Age can achieve a sustaining, earth-based spiritual practice without resorting to the appropriation of Indigenous traditions. Neo-paganism holds many of the qualities that New Agers seek in Indigenous traditions and is a potential alternative avenue of spiritual solace to the appropriation of Indigenous culture. The embodiment of New Age goals can be understood within the context of environmental ethics philosophies. Alternative festivals that operate with a spiritual ethic are explored as evidence that the New Age can and in some areas, does operate in a positive, life-affirming manner. Importantly, the thesis argues that re-interpretation of Indigenous culture by the New Age is neither welcome nor necessary.

Since the synergistic mechanism integral to ayahuasca became known, ayahuasca analogues—botanical fusions said to simulate an “ayahuasca effect”, also called anahuasca, pharmahuasca, and acaciahuasca—have been explored in various world regional contexts beyond the Amazon. This chapter contributes to the study of ayahuasca analogues through its attention to Australian developments. Specifically, it will address the phenomenon of changa, a “smokable ayahuasca” sometimes referred to as “aussiewaska” and also promoted as an “intelligent DMT” blend. Changa is an Australian smoking blend typically involving B. caapi or other sources of β-carboline alkaloids infused with DMT alkaloids extracted from local species of Acacia along with a variety of other herbs. Pioneers and users have typically championed the authentically Australian botanical characteristics of these blends, especially given that Golden Wattle, a common name for Acacia, is Australia's national floral emblem. Others have speculated about the role of Acacia in the religious and cultural life of Australia's precolonial indigenous population. Since the 1990s, the consumption of changa has evolved from private events and workshops at local ethnobotanical symposia (notably Entheogenesis Australis), to seasonal dance music and global visionary arts festivals. In a variety of ritual and festive contexts, changa has been ab/used for entheogenic (spiritual) or recreational (pleasure) purposes. The chapter will address how these usages position changa vis-a-vis ayahuasca, covering the spiritual/recreational, individual/subcultural and local/global dimensions of changa.

Este trabajo de investigación tiene por objeto describir y analizar cómo llega la ayahuasca a España y cómo se difunde su uso. Se describen las principales modalidades de chamanismo amazónico que se practican en España. Este trabajo de investigación se llevó a cabo para la obtención del Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (DEA), paso previo a la realización de la Tesis Doctoral.

This thesis uses the philosophy of deep ecology as a theoretical framework to explore ecospiritual themes as a key feature of increasing discourse around the ayahuasca phenomenon. The broad objective of the research is to use contemporary ayahuasca discourse to reveal the way cross-cultural seekers engage with and discuss shamanic practices that inform a postmodern ecosophical ontology and deep ecological praxis. Three convergent discourses inform this research; the transcultural ayahuasca phenomenon, nature-based spiritualities of the New Age and the philosophy of deep ecology. Threading through these discourses are ecological and spiritual themes that capture a web of meanings for contextualising the transcultural emergence of ayahuasca spirituality. A key paradigmatic shift suggested by contemporary ayahuasca discourse is a shift in human consciousness toward a non-dualistic ontology regarding humanity’s place in nature. An ecocultural studies approach provides theoretical support for interpreting how the elements of this paradigmatic shift are discussed, understood and practised. As the internet functions as a superlative site for discursive formations of ayahuasca, a thematic content analysis of selected discussion forums within the Ayahuasca.com website was conducted using a multiparadigmatic, deductive and inductive approach. Naess and Sessions’ (1984) eight platform principles of deep ecology were used as a framework to deductively locate textual articulations of the philosophy. Further inductive analysis revealed not only embedded deep ecological themes but also articulations of an ecocentric praxis arising from experiences of unitary consciousness and plant sentience. The deep ecology articulated in contemporary ayahuasca discourse further raised an explicit challenge to hegemonic anthropocentricism through expressions of an expanded sense of self that accentuates the countercultural bearings of entheogenic informed ecospirituality.

DMT and other tryptamines. Chaired symposium. Breaking Convention: Multidisciplinary Conference of Psychedelic Consciousness, University of Greenwich, London, 12th-14th July, 2013.

Videos:
https://vimeo.com/76519380
https://vimeo.com/75407868
https://vimeo.com/75296178
https://vimeo.com/74804462

14:30 Nen - NMT: A Spatial Hallucinogen with Therapeutic Applications
15:00 Graham St John - Remixticism: DMT, Psychedelic Electronica & Mystical Experience
15:30 Aleksander Milosz Zielinski - The DMT Experience and Altered (Dual & Non-Dual) States of Consciousness
16:00 Andrew Gallimore - Building Alien Worlds: An Evolutionary Perspective on the Mechanism of Action of N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

Skypedelia: Psychedelic luminaries by Skype. Chaired symposium. Breaking Convention: Multidisciplinary Conference of Psychedelic Consciousness, University of Greenwich, London, 12th-14th July, 2013.

Videos:
https://vimeo.com/74714107
https://vimeo.com/74804463
https://vimeo.com/75282865

Chaired by Dr David Luke

18:00 Casey Hardison & Charlotte Walsh - Charlotte Walsh Interviews Casey Hardison
18:30 Dr Dennis McKenna - Ayahuasca Research Then and Now (1984-2013)
19:00 Dr Tim Scully - A Sketch of the Early History of LSD Manufacturing

The Kichwa of San Martín, often referred to as “Lamista Kichwa” after the central town of Lamas, are a group of Indigenous people whose cultural identity was borne out of the colonial encounter. Like other lowland Kichwa peoples, they maintain economic, educational, and social relations with the wider Peruvian society while also maintaining a distinct culture expressed through their livelihood as farmers, the celebration of fiestas, use of the Kichwa language, and the use of medicinal plants and shamanic practices. This study assesses the contemporary state of Kichwa ethnomedicine, as well as the nature and use of music and song in Kichwa ethnomedical practices. This study embeds these practices within the broader context of Kichwa culture and historical processes. Research methods included semi-structured and open-ended interviews, participant observation, audio-visual documentation, and collaborative ethnopoetics. Data was analyzed using a grounded-theory approach. This study found that the Kichwa participate in a system of medical pluralism, with ethnomedical and shamanic practices playing a robust role in the achievement and maintenance of health and well-being. Kichwa ethnomedical and shamanic practices bear resemblance to those described elsewhere in the Amazon, but some elements of practice appear to be unique or autochthonous to the region, including the use of a class of plants called “purgas” and the relationship of shamanic song to the landscape of San Martín. In all, the ethnomedical practices of the Kichwa of San Martín are a product of and response to the same historic, economic, social, and environmental factors that have shaped Kichwa culture and the region as a whole. Kichwa ethnomedical practices reveal a sophisticated understanding of medicine congruent with the tenets and findings of Chinese medicine and Western biomedicine. They also reflect a worldview characterized by the unity between the mundane and the supernatural, by the personhood of non-human agents, and by the importance of collaboration in effecting healing.

This essay reflects on some community dynamics underlying neo-shamanic practices, starting from a review of field-notes taken by the author in the course of an ethnographic experience conducted in an urban context, in Colombia. The observation of the social and ritual procedures played by neo-shamanic therapists in post-colonial contexts reveals how indigenous performance has had to transform itself to survive the cultural pressure imposed by the hegemonic rationalism of modern mechanisms of knowledge. Urban shamanism, as an emerging social phenomena, appears as a hybrid creation, synchronizing forms and contents of the traditional shamanic practice with the post-modern needs of disciples (and clients) looking for their psycho-social balance in a climate of growing deindividuation. If ethno-biological knowledge were the core skill of traditional shamanism, neo-shamans prefer to strengthen their social position thanks to the tools offered by the same modernity (such as the ICT) and to confirm their social role of mediators and therapists through the development of a syncretic paraphernalia and a community of faithful aficionados.

Ayahuasca, an entheogenic beverage endemic to the Amazon, has been utilized by indigenous peoples in the region for hundreds of years for a wide range of purposes. Recently however, this beverage has entered into the Occidental consciousness, becoming a facet of Western popular culture and triggering a surge in tourism to the region. As this trend in tourism has grown over the past sixty years, ayahuasca has become increasingly commoditized and delocalized as it circulates on a global scale. Likewise, a number of scholars have critiqued the practice of ayahuasca tourism, labeling many practitioners as charlatans and tourists as “drug” users. In order to investigate this phenomenon and provide a deeper anthropologically informed critique, I draw upon ethnographic fieldwork conducted in 2007 and 2008 in the far Western Peruvian Amazon. Utilizing field data and a review of the extant literature, I argue that the vast majority of shamans participating in ayahuasca tourism rely on an ontology based upon the notions of mimesis and alterity, which in turn structures their practice and experience. Underscoring the political economy of its use, I conclude by problematizing ayahuasca tourism’s uncertain future.

This paper will try outline the role and reverberation that Terence McKenna has had in the
Psychedelic community from the Cultural Revolution of the late Sixties to the ongoing
Psychedelic Renaissance. Moreover, it will discuss his unquestionable influence not only on
the investigations pursued by the leading figures of scientific world, but also on the collective
perception of such a controversial and misunderstood topic.

Psychedelic drugs are some of the most powerful tools in the world for personal healing and psychological growth. Research at major medical centers over the past few years have shown remarkable results in the treatment of conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety. Psychedelic drugs provide a path of treatment that is often more effective and rapid than other methods, and with many fewer side effects than pharmaceutical options. This paper will be focusing on hallucinogens such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), and psilocybin and entheogens such as ayahuasca and ibogaine.

Charles Upton (b. 1948), poet, author, activist, and veteran of the counter-culture has voyaged and experienced firsthand the many facets of the New Age cul-de-sac, including its pitfalls which are all too often ignored. Since the 1960s, psychedelics 2 or hallucinogens, now termed entheogens, 3 have played a pivotal role in the modern and postmodern seeker's quest to circumvent the trappings of the empirical ego and attain self-realization. After a hiatus of nearly thirty years, psychedelic research has now made a revival, which should provoke much inquiry as to what underlies this phenomenon. It is interesting to note that the New Age Movement, the Human Potential Movement, Humanistic Psychology, and Transpersonal Psychology all emerged in a common setting; they do not only share many similarities but have also assisted in each other's development. For example, the English writer Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) could be said to be a single figure connecting all of the above movements via his popularizing of the perennial philosophy and his writings on psychedelics, both of which are acknowledged by the above movements and or disciplines. Huxley not only helped shape each of the above but provided an integrative theory in which they could take root. That said, while he popularized the perennial philosophy he is not considered to be a traditionalist or perennialist. Where Charles Upton parts ways with his New Age and counter-culture comrades is that since his introduction to the works of the traditionalist or perennialist school-most significantly René Guénon (1886-1951), Frithjof Schuon (1907-1998), and Ananda Coomaraswamy (1887-1947)-he has affiliated himself with this orientation. Upton has written numerous books and articles on traditional metaphysics and the perennial philosophy, the most noteworthy of which are The System of Antichrist: Truth and Falsehood in Postmodernism and the New Age (2001), including its sequel, Vectors of the Counter-Initiation: The Shape and Destiny of Inverted Spirituality (2012). Although he has abandoned the practices of his early search in the New Age and counter-culture movements, he acquired an abundant knowledge and understanding of these pseudo-spiritualities and is in a position to inform and also caution contemporary seekers. The following interview offers a unique look at psychedelics in the light of the perennial philosophy by way of perennialist theory and also personal accounts of the author. 1 Editor's Note: This interview was conducted electronically with Charles Upton between March and May of 2011. The footnotes were compiled by the editor. 2 British psychiatrist Humphry Fortescue Osmond (1917-2004) coined the term "psychedelic" or "mind-manifesting" via his correspondence with Aldous Huxley. In responding to a letter that Dr. Osmond received from Huxley written on 30 March, 1956 he wrote in poetic reflection: "To fathom Hell or soar angelic, / Just take a pinch of psychedelic," thus giving birth to the term "psychedelic"; yet it was not known to the public at large or the scientific community until 1957 (Michael Horowitz and Cynthia Palmer (eds.), Moksha: Aldous Huxley's Classic Writings on Psychedelics and the Visionary Experience [Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 1999], p. 107). It is also relevant to point out that it was Dr. Osmond who in May of 1953 first introduced Huxley to a synthesized form of mescaline, the psychoactive compound in peyote (among other psychedelic cacti) that in turn produced his work The Doors of Perception in 1954, which according to some launched the psychedelic revolution. 3 "'Entheogen' means simply 'God generated within you!'" (Robert Forte, "A Conversation with R. Gordon Wasson," in Entheogens and the Future of Religion, ed. Robert Forte [San Francisco, CA: Council on Spiritual Practices, 1997], p. 69).

Anthropological study on the globalization of Ayahuasca, including: fieldwork in Peru; Ayahuasca use, effects, and ingredients; Shamanism and its etymology; legal issues of Ayahuasca; cultural appropriation of Ayahuasca; and history of Ayahuasca's globalization.

After a long, slow journey from the leather armchairs of its forefathers to out-of-body travels over Amazonian jungles, the anthropology of psi has progressed through a number of historical, methodological, and ontological developments. The course of this transformation from the detached and disbelieving dismissal of the occult to the engaged and emic entertainment of psi as a scientific possibility is discussed. Following a century of obscurity within anthropology, the notion of magic as psi finally found unique refuge within the anthropology of consciousness. Nevertheless, despite decades of research anthropological parapsychology can still be considered a completely nascent field of study and is speculated to remain so until its interdisciplinary imperative is actually fulfilled and its subject matter is shared fully by the disciplines that border it.

This study deals with the exploration, systematisation and analysis of existing discourses in relation to the articulation of traditional medicine in the official healthcare system in Peru. The focus is on the identification of fundamental thematic guidelines and socio-cultural and anthropological factors on the topic with particular importance for anthropological theory construction and policy making. The work is inspired by
approaches of medical anthropology and ethnomedicine, as well as post-colonial and alternative development studies. The starting point is based on empirical data collection on the basis of theme-centred interviews, ethnographies and participant observation with traditional healers, scholars and research experts on traditional medicine, academic and health authorities, physicians and health workers, alternative health practitioners and social activists in the regions of Lima, La Libertad, Ica, and Lambayeque. The collected data was complemented with document research, the achievement,
systematisation and analysis of policy documents; scientific literature and archive search; according to the strategies of the grounded theory and other methods of qualitative research, in particular the content analysis. The investigation reveals a
number of anthropological factors that are relevant in terms of the feasibility of an official formulation of traditional medicine in Peru. The analysis and systematisation of these results leads to the identification of five models that provide important theoretical positions for the healthcare system’s integration: 1. the harmonisation or standardisation model, 2. the intercultural approach revisited, or the “intercambio de saberes”, 3. the community-based approach, 4. the educational approach, and 5. the cultural heritage approach. The differences in the concepts underlying these five models reflect the different views and content deemed essential related to the integration of indigenous medicines in official care systems. They describe processes and structures that are of outstanding importance for understanding the development and representation of cultural and historical identities in Peru.

The thesis examines the phenomenon most commonly known as “ayahuasca tourism” – i.e. the practice of westerners traveling to South America and partaking in ceremonies in which a powerful entheogenic brew, ayahuasca, is consumed. While this popular phenomenon has been steadily increasing during the last decades, it has, however, been insufficiently studied by scholars. An important question which has not been properly addressed in earlier studies is how ayahuasca tourism relates to the wider occurrence of travel and how it should be perceived with reference to the theoretical frameworks on the subject of travel. Drawing on theories regarding pilgrimage and tourism, the main purpose of this thesis is to examine the relationship between ayahuasca tourism and the broader spectrum of travel. In particular, the study tests the designations “pilgrimage”, “religious tourism” and “spiritual tourism” with reference to ayahuasca tourism. Utilizing earlier literature as well as ayahuasca tourists‟ reports obtained from an Internet forum as a basis for analysis, I search for a suitable terminology to be used for the phenomenon. The study lays special emphasis on the protagonists‟ motivations, experiences and outcomes in order to take note of various aspects of the wide-ranging occurrence of ayahuasca tourism.

Key findings indicate that ayahuasca tourism is best understood as a combination of pilgrimage and tourism. On the basis of the analysis I argue that ayahuasca tourism should be labeled as “pilgrimage” and/or “spiritual tourism”, and the tourists respectively as “pilgrims” and/or “spiritual tourists”. The category of “religious tourism/tourist”, on the other hand, turns out to be an inappropriate designation when describing the phenomenon. In general, through my study I show that the results are consistent with the present trend in the study of travel to perceive pilgrimage and tourism as theoretically similar phenomena. The study of ayahuasca tourism serves thus as living proof of contemporary travel, in which the categories of pilgrimage and tourism are often indistinguishable. I suggest that ayahuasca tourism is by no means exceptional on this point, but can rather be used as an illustration of modern travel forms on a general level. Thus, the present study does not only add to the research of ayahuasca tourism, but also provides additional insights into the study of travel.

La ayahuasca es un brebaje psicoactivo de origen botánico que ha sido consumido tradicionalmente por diversas culturas de la selva amazónica. En décadas recientes las prácticas asociadas al consumo de esta bebida han tendido a difundirse alrededor del mundo. Este proceso de internacionalización ha significado que cada vez sean más las personas no-indígenas que utilizan la ayahuasca en dife-rentes contextos. Chile no ha permanecido ajeno a este fenómeno, siendo que actualmente existe en nuestro país un número indeterminado de usuarios regulares de la bebida. En este contexto, se observa que los profesionales de la salud mental chilenos contamos con un escaso conocimiento de la literatura científica y académica sobre la ayahuasca. Atendiendo a este panorama, nos hemos pro-puesto llevar a cabo una revisión de la evidencia existente sobre la bebida, sus principales formas de uso y sus efectos sobre la salud mental de los usuarios, con el fin de aportar a una mayor comprensión sobre este fenómeno cultural emergente. Este trabajo será presentado en una serie de artículos. En esta primera entrega revisaremos la historia del consumo de ayahuasca, abarcando desde sus oríge-nes en la esfera cultural indígena amazónica hasta su actual proceso de internacionalización. Al fina-lizar nuestra exposición ofrecemos algunas reflexiones sobre los desafíos que este fenómeno plantea a los profesionales de la salud mental de nuestro país.

The purpose of this article is to help demystify the beliefs and practices around what is commonly known as shamanism. A series of definitions are explored, with a focus on extrapolating theory from practice. A brief sketch of ayahuasca traditions helps to illuminate possibilities rather than conclusive definitions, highlighting the creative, changeable and negotiable nature of shamanism.

Esta é uma etnografia com o tema da aliança entre uma igreja urbana do Santo Daime, localizada no Rio de Janeiro, e o povo indígena Yawanawá (Pano), proveniente da Terra Indígena Rio Gregório, localizada no Acre, no município de Tarauacá. O problema de pesquisa é o processo de mudança cultural na igreja Céu do Mar, relacionado a inovações nas práticas rituais e no sistema cosmológico, compreendido como reinvenções da tradição do Santo Daime. Na tese, demonstro como essas adaptações e ressignificações se relacionam à realidade sociocultural dos atores sociais do Rio de Janeiro; e a processos sincréticos de tradução e ressignificação em meio à aliança espiritual com o povo indígena Yawanawá (Pano). Busco compreender as relações sociais de aliança, que envolvem parentesco simbólico, parentesco efetivo e relações de afinidade, e um sistema de trocas interétnico envolvendo conversão de dívidas em distintos regimes de valores. Analiso implicações sociológicas dos rituais, em relação à produção de coesão e a fabricação (corporal) de pessoas e sujeitos sociais híbridos, os daimistas-aliados ou daimistas Yawanawá, induzidos ritualmente à ação social. Demonstro ao longo da tese que essa é uma igreja central em um dos segmentos expansionistas do Santo Daime, de onde provém reinvenções rituais, estéticas e no arcabouço cosmológico, que circulam em meio à rede de igrejas filiadas, sendo agente de produção de diferenciações e variações culturais da religião. Dialogo predominante com a abordagem teórico-metodológica proposta por Max Gluckman (2010) de descrição e análise de situações sociais. Do lado empírico, realizei observação participante, envolvendo o esforço de estranhar o familiar (Velho, 1978).