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Mutual reappropriations. Ayahuasca and the Peruvian neo-shamanism internationalised.


Web link: id.erudit.org/iderudit/...

Pages: 15 - 35

Abstract

In this paper, I analyze the internationalized Peruvian shamanic landscape, a landscape shaped today by what I call “neo-shamanic appropriations”. These are the result of meetings between new age and local shamanisms, between European, South and North American travelers and shamans. However, the Peruvian shamanic landscape is older – I wouldn’t want to make an estimate – as evidenced by the sharing of ritual, medicinal and psychotropic plants, and the names of those plants. In other words, the so-called “shamanic tourism” does not cause but contribute to a diffuse process. To show this, I support my analysis with the following descriptions: first, a psychotropic plant (ayahuasca) and its usages ; second, the Awajun shamanism (Jivaro linguistic family, Peru) ; third, the shamanic festivals and other unusual rituals organized in America or Europe. Finally, I discuss the encounter and its intelligence, through the understanding of what is playing out in modern psychoactive experiences. Keywords: new age, neo-shamanism, tourism, Peru, Awajun, ayahuasca, journey, appropriations