The Shuar people live in the Upper Amazon area of Ecuador. Partially acculturated, most ofthe population, living in small settlements in the middle of the Amazon forest, maintaintheir traditional culture, including their healing system. As in other traditional societies,witchcraft tends to be the main explanation for illness, and the healers, wishin in Shuarlanguage, are in charge of manipulating the energies imputed to healing or harmingindividuals in Shuar communities. They use a variety of healing techniques, although thebest known is the use of a hallucinogenic compound called natem (or ayahuasca-meaning'the devil's rope' in Quichua). The Shuar explanatory model of illness is described, basedon fieldwork by the author among the Shuar people. Some personal experiences in providingWestern medicine among the Shuar are presented.