Abstract:
This thesis explores the use of ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic plant concoction from the
Amazon, by people from the English speaking world. This thesis argues that there is no
“original” or “typical” use of ayahuasca; it is a dynamic practice that has undergone
massive change. In order to show this change, this thesis describes the different roles that
shamans have had as a result of colonialism and modernization. Fieldwork was carried
out at a healing center in the Peruvian Amazon. The motivations of informants and the
effects ayahuasca had on them are compared with previous research on non-native
ayahuasca use. The motivations of non-natives for taking ayahuasca are different from
native motivations. The two main reasons are a desire for an end to alienation and a
resolution of emotional trauma. Nearly all participants reported positive experiences from
taking ayahuasca. The ayahuasca intoxication produces a liminal period, in which
participants are able to reflect upon the issues affecting them.
