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Takiwasi: The Use of Amazonian Shamanism to Rehabilitate Drug Addicts.


Pages: 257 - 285

Abstract

Takiwasi is a center for the treatment of drug addictions and research on traditional medicines. The therapeutic protocol of Takiwasi is based in traditional medicine's functions at three levels: organic, psychological and spiritual. The central plant in Takiwasi is the water extract from Banisteriopsis caapi, Psychotria viridis, and Brugmansia sp. Generally known in the jungle as ayahuasca it constitutes the central axis of curanderismo (shamanism), in the whole of the Amazon Western basin, due to its purgative and psychotropic effects. Anthropological, psychological, and phytochemical studies demonstrate that it can be effectively used in the treatment of chemical dependencies and psychopathology if it is properly administered. Treatment of patients also indicates that curative sessions are affected not only by the active ingredients (Beta-carbolines and tryptarnines), but also by the therapist, the psychosomatic condition of the patient, environmental factors, and the interaction between the participants. The article includes details of the organization of Takiwasi and the therapeutic process.