The enchanted snake and the forbidden fruit: the ayahuasca ‘fairy tale’ tourist

Western tourists who seek genuine fairy tale experiences of magic, transformation, and enchantment through South American ayahuasca tourism often feel abandoned by their spirit guides and disconnected from an enchanted universe upon returning home. The vision-based spirit sensegivers help individuals exorcise inner demons and see themselves as spiritual beings, but the potion's effects quickly wear off. Combined with reluctance to re-experience intense inner tensions from stepping in and out of a fairy tale, further tourism is rejected. Ayahuasca tourism thus becomes a 'forgotten' fairy tale, rarely told.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This ethnographic study increases our understanding of Westerners seeking genuine fairy tale experiences of magic, transformation and enchantment within South American psychedelic ayahuasca tourism. Examining 63 tourists, this study shows how vision-based spirit sensegivers facilitate individuals in exorcising demons, to make sense of themselves as spiritual beings within an enchanted universe. However, and with this potion quickly wearing off upon returning to the West, tourists feel abandoned by their spirits, and disconnected from the fairy lands. Coupled with not wanting to re-experience intense inner tensions from stepping in and out of a fairy tale, further tourism is rejected. As such, ayahuasca tourism becomes a ‘forgotten’ fairy tale, rarely told.