Ethno medicine and Shamanic Practices in the Ecuadorian Amazon: Journey through the Imaginaries of Health, Disease, Healing and Healing
International Journal of Integrated Medical Research November 15, 2022 Patricio Trujillo Montalvo
Amazonian peoples use sacred hallucinogenic plants to heal both body and spirit, restoring balance disrupted by magical arrows sent by enemies. Shamans, as specialists, extract these arrows through elaborate rituals involving ingestion of a sacred plant, allowing them to know the patient's body and spirit. This article argues that healing must address both physical and spiritual dimensions, drawing on ethnographic stories to show how Amazonian groups maintain a philosophy of balance despite years of contact, using knowledge of sacred and medicinal plants to achieve well-being and health.