Neo-Shamanism

Scuro, Juan; Rodd, Robin

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-08956-0_49-1

Cited by 8 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Aside from their perceived value for physical or mental health benefits, Amazonian diets have another important function which is also medical, but in a radically different way. Namely, it revolves around learning the work of a healer and training in a type of medicine which can be classified as shamanic ( Rock and Krippner, 2011 ; Scuro and Rodd, 2015 ). In the anthropological literature, the function of diets as a means of learning this kind of plant medicine are well known: Luna’s now classic early publications ( Luna, 1984a ; Luna, 1984b ; Luna, 1986 ), and later with Peruvian curandero Pablo Amaringo ( Luna and Amaringo, 1999 ), describe a complex and dangerous “invisible world” that becomes accessible to the practitioner, with entry implying exposure to forces both good and evil ( Kamppinen, 1988 ; Harner, 1993 ; Dobkin de Rios and Rumrrill, 2008a ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One example can be seen in the case of ayahuasca (roughly translated from Quechua as “vine of the soul”), a psychoactive plant brew originating in Amazonia with a variety of traditional uses ( Schultes, 1982 ; Luna, 2011 ). Still used for instance in Colombia, Brazil, or Peru according to local traditions, the brew has also undergone a process of globalization in recent decades, initially through so-called “ayahuasca tourism” at South American ayahuasca retreat centres, but also through increasing religious, neo-shamanic ( Scuro and Rodd, 2015 ), and underground usage throughout the world ( Grunwell, 1998 ; Winkelman, 2005 ; Dobkin de Rios, 2006 ; Dobkin de Rios and Rumrrill, 2008a ; Tupper, 2009a ; Labate and MacRae, 2010 ; Labate and Feeney, 2012 ; Cohen, 2014 ; Labate, 2014 ; Gearin, 2015 ; Kavenská and Simonová, 2015 ; Fotiou, 2016 ). While in academic and popular use the word “ayahuasca” frequently refers to a decoction of at least two plants—usually a vine containing monoamine-oxidase inhibiting β-carbolines ( Banisteriopsis caapi ) and the leaves of a shrub containing N , N -dimethyltryptamine (DMT; e.g., Psychotria viridis )—the name also refers to the B. caapi vine itself ( Luna, 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Amazonian Medicine and the Psychedelic Revival: Considering the “Dieta”

O’Shaughnessy

Berlowitz

2021

Front. Pharmacol.

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Background: In Peruvian Amazonian medicine, plant diets (dietas) are a fundamental and highly flexible technique with a variety of uses: from treating and preventing illness, to increasing strength and resilience, to rites of passage, to learning even medicine itself. Many of the plants used in diets are psychoactive; for example, one now well-known plant that can be dieted is Banisteriopsis caapi—the vine also used in the psychoactive brew ayahuasca. The use of ayahuasca has attracted increasing clinical attention towards Amazonian medicine in recent decades, and much work has focused on the potent DMT-containing ayahuasca brew, thus placing the tradition within the purview of psychedelic science.Aims: In comparison to ayahuasca, the properties of diets have been studied less often. Our work draws on data from Amazonian healers to examine plant diets as medical practices, while also considering their fit within the “set and setting framework” that is central to psychedelic research. We argue that the framework is not sufficiently broad for understanding diets, and thus the investigation aimed to expand the conceptual field of Amazonian medicine, particularly in the context of a renewed psychedelic science and its theoretical concepts.Design: We used qualitative data from interviews with Amazonian healers, applying a thematic analysis and contrasting findings with the available literature.Setting: Interviews were conducted in various locations in the San Martín province of Peru between 2015 and 2017.Participants: We selected and interviewed eight healers who had been extensively trained in traditional Amazonian medicine.Measures: Semi-structured interviews were used to gain insight into the healers’ personal experiences with plant diets.Conclusions: Diets are complex but understudied medical practices that should not be explained by reference to pharmacology or psychology only. Intercultural and interdisciplinary research programmes are called for in order to not only better understand plant diets, but traditional Amazonian medicine on the whole.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Amazonian Medicine and the Psychedelic Revival: Considering the “Dieta”

O’Shaughnessy

Berlowitz

2021

Front. Pharmacol.

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“…First, "traditional Shamanism" is usually practiced as a service for the community while Neo-Shamanism tends to be practiced as an individual spiritual journey or individual healing. 11 Traditional Shamanism involves a large scale of activities bound to very specific practical, mythical-ritual, and healing needs of the community. Apart from healing as such, it can involve rituals that aim to secure an abundance of animals for hunting.…”

Section: Carlos Castaneda In the Context Of Traditional Shamanism And Neo-shamanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Healing by Fiction: Carlos Castaneda in the Context of Neo-Shamanism and Psychotherapy

Müller¹

2020

Central European Journal for Contemporary Religion

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is famous for the series of books about his shamanistic apprenticeship and, subsequently, mastery. As an author, however, he seems to be resisting any categorization as he has been moving on the borders of ethnography, fiction and esoterism. This article aims to assess his possible contribution to psychotherapeutic theory and practice. Castaneda is considered one of the fathers of the neo-shamanistic movement that seems to be linked to some schools of Western psychotherapy in many ways. However, he does not display many of its typical characteristics. While neo-shamanism tends to emphasize positive aspects of the world, harmony and healing, Castaneda emphasizes contemplating the "dark side of the world" and his approach contains a lot of dangerous and potentially psychologically disruptive techniques. Castaneda is thus probably less convenient for psychotherapeutic use than some of his followers. Despite that, some elements of his work seem to have a psychotherapeutic potential and they have not been left unnoticed in the psychotherapeutic community. I emphasize two specific elements of his work to be key in this respect: narrativity and direct bodily experience. Castaneda's ambiguous position at the borders of genres thus can serve us to perceive their permeability at the one hand but also to remind us of the importance of keeping them apart on the other hand.

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“…As the western travelers seek psychospiritual personal healing, the interpretative framework is sometimes psychologized, and the practice is sanitized from what is considered by westerners as ‘darker’ aspects of Amazonian shamanism, like sorcery ( Fotiou, 2010a ; Brabec De Mori, 2014 ). The third line of spread, which is usually more underground , is worldwide, local ayahuasca circles typically led by local facilitators, sometimes referred to as neoshamans ( Scuro and Rodd, 2015 ). The facilitators blend indigenous practices with some forms of Western therapeutic practices, new-age , religious elements, and other spiritual traditions and practices based on their own identity, or local to their countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In many cases, 1 Many names exist for the person who facilitates ayahuasca rituals and healing e.g. curandero, onaya, maestro, ayahuasquero, vegetalista, taita, etc. In this manuscript, we chose to use the word shaman, as this was the name used by most of our interviewees who were participants in what could be called a 'neoshamanic' ceremony (Scuro and Rodd, 2015). We acknowledge, however, that 'shaman' is a name given by westerners to Amazonian practitioners and it actually originates from Siberia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis

Roseman

Ron

Saca³

et al. 2021

Front. Pharmacol.

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Psychedelics are used in many group contexts. However, most phenomenological research on psychedelics is focused on personal experiences. This paper presents a phenomenological investigation centered on intersubjective and intercultural relational processes, exploring how an intercultural context affects both the group and individual process. Through 31 in-depth interviews, ceremonies in which Palestinians and Israelis drink ayahuasca together have been investigated. The overarching question guiding this inquiry was how psychedelics might contribute to processes of peacebuilding, and in particular how an intercultural context, embedded in a protracted conflict, would affect the group’s psychedelic process in a relational sense. Analysis of the interviews was based on grounded theory. Three relational themes about multilocal participatory events which occurred during ayahuasca rituals have emerged from the interviews: 1) Unity-Based Connection – collective events in which a feeling of unity and ‘oneness’ is experienced, whereby participants related to each other based upon a sense of shared humanity, and other social identities seemed to dissolve (such as national and religious identities). 2) Recognition and Difference-Based Connection – events where a strong connection was made to the other culture. These events occurred through the expression of the other culture or religion through music or prayers, which resulted in feelings of awe and reverence 3) Conflict-related revelations – events where participants revisited personal or historical traumatic elements related to the conflict, usually through visions. These events were triggered by the presence of ‘the Other,’ and there was a political undertone in those personal visions. This inquiry has revealed that psychedelic ceremonies have the potential to contribute to peacebuilding. This can happen not just by ‘dissolution of identities,’ but also by providing a space in which shared spiritual experiences can emerge from intercultural and interfaith exchanges. Furthermore, in many cases, personal revelations were related to the larger political reality and the history of the conflict. Such processes can elucidate the relationship between personal psychological mental states and the larger sociopolitical context.

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Neo-Shamanism

Cited by 8 publications

References 13 publications

Amazonian Medicine and the Psychedelic Revival: Considering the “Dieta”

Amazonian Medicine and the Psychedelic Revival: Considering the “Dieta”

Healing by Fiction: Carlos Castaneda in the Context of Neo-Shamanism and Psychotherapy

Relational Processes in Ayahuasca Groups of Palestinians and Israelis

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