Ayahuasca Tourism: Curating Authenticity in Transformative Times (Field Note)

Ayahuasca, a psychoactive tea from Amazonian plants, is growing in popularity globally as people seek it for recreational, medicinal, psychotherapeutic, or spiritual reasons. Many travelers journey to the Amazon to find what they consider an authentic shamanic experience, encountering a diverse ayahuasca ecosystem. Historical and archaeological evidence indicates this diversity existed before colonialism, but tourists themselves now contribute to ongoing changes in the practice.

Study at a glance

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Motivated by multiple factors collectively related to what is often termed the Psychedelic Renaissance, people increasingly consume psychedelics for recreational, medicinal, psychotherapeutic, and even spiritual or religious reasons. In the broader psychedelic ecosystem, ayahuasca (a psychoactive "tea" made from plants indigenous to the Amazon jungle) is becoming one of the more popular psychoactive substances. Ayahuasca churches, retreat centers, and informal "circles" are forming in multiple countries around the world; however, many people who want to drink ayahuasca travel to or near the Amazon, where they seek what they deem an authentic shamanic ayahuasca experience. The lure of authenticity draws people to the Amazon, where they encounter a rather diverse ayahuasca ecosystem. The limited historical and archaeological data suggest that this diversity predates colonialism; however, various factors including the tourists themselves are now agents of change.