The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca

by Beatriz Caiuby Labate (Editor), Clancy Cavnar (Editor)

This book presents a series of perspectives on the therapeutic potential of the ritual and clinical use of the Amazonian hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca in the treatment and management of various diseases and ailments, especially its role in psychological well-being and substance dependence. Biomedical and anthropological data on the use of ayahuasca for treating depression, PTSD, and substance dependence in different settings, such as indigenous contexts, neo-shamanic rituals, contemporary therapeutic circles, and in ayahuasca religions, in both South and North America, are presented and critiqued. Though multiple anecdotal reports on the therapeutic use of ayahuasca exist, there has been no systematic and dense reflection on the topic thus far. The book brings the therapeutic use of ayahuasca to a new level of public examination and academic debate. The texts in this volume stimulate discussion on methodological, ethical, and political aspects of research and will enhance the development of this emergent field of studies.

260 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2013

About the author

Bia Labate (Beatriz Caiuby Labate) has a PhD in Anthropology. Her main areas of interest are the study of psychoactive substances, drug policies, shamanism, ritual and religion.

Reviews

[Roger Green]

This is a good, but very expensive, collection of journal-type articles related to ayahuasca and therapeutic practice. Much of the information and its presentation is geared toward scientific approaches and it therefore risks the ongoing tendency to frame ayahuasca and psychedelics within a "professional" and "medical," biopolitical discourse. The information inside is good, but there needs to be more critical awareness about the assumptions that underwrite rhetorical presentations concerning psychedelics.

[Eugene Pustoshkin]

Contains a nice essay by Gabor Mate. Much of the book is dedicated to treatment of addiction, while a broader spectrum of topic would have been much more interesting to me.