“Knowledge Belongs to All, but You Don’t Understand that because You’re Nothing but a White”: The Mystical Philosophy of Embrace of the Serpent
Journal of Religion & Film April 1, 2023 Rebecca Makas
The article examines how the film Embrace of the Serpent presents a theory of mysticism that challenges the idea that true mystical experience is unmediated and universal. In the film, two Westerners seek entheogenic mystical experiences guided by an indigenous shaman; the first attempt fails, but the second yields a profound vision. The film argues that transcending culture and healing the trauma of colonization requires not an unmediated experience but a culturally-specific mystical expertise. Only through understanding such expertise can mystical experience foster cross-cultural understanding and deep healing.