This book examines the central role of tobacco in South American shamanic practices, arguing that tobacco, not hallucinogenic plants, is the primary psychoactive substance used by shamans across the region. Wilbert draws on ethnographic and historical sources to describe how tobacco is employed in rituals for healing, divination, and communication with spirits, often consumed in highly concentrated forms. The work challenges assumptions about Amazonian shamanism and emphasizes tobacco's cultural and spiritual significance.
This edited volume examines shamanism across South America, arguing that shamanic practices function as 'portals of power' that mediate social, political, and spiritual realms. The collection presents ethnographic case studies from various indigenous groups, analyzing how shamans negotiate authority, healing, and cosmology. The editors and contributors demonstrate that shamanism is not a static tradition but a dynamic system embedded in historical and cultural contexts, often serving as a site of resistance and adaptation. The book offers a comprehensive overview of regional variations, emphasizing the centrality of altered states of consciousness and ritual performance in shaping indigenous worldviews.