Vegetalismo: Shamanism Among the Mestizo Population of the Peruvian Amazon (Stockholm Studies in Comparative Religion)

By Luis Eduardo Luna. Cover Title. Bibliography: P. 181-202. Almqvist & Wiksell Internat. Map 7 Preface 8 Contents 4 Chapter 1. Introduction 12 1.1. Scope 12 1.2. Shamanism 14 1.3. The term "mestizo" 15 1.4. Ayahuasca and the plant-teachers 15 1.5. Methodological considerations 15 1.6. A survey of the scientific literature 17 1.7. Organization of the material 22 Chapter 2. Vegitalismo in the Peruvian Amazon 24 2.1. The Peruvian Amazon area 24 2.2. Iquitos and Pucallpa. Historical and socio-economic considerations 26 2.3. Religious background of the area 28 2.4. Tribal Amazonian shamanism: main characteristics 29 2.5. Vegetalismo and vegetalistas: Amazonian mestizo shamanism 30 2.6. The informants 35 Chapter 3. Shamanic Initation and the Plant-Teachers 42 3.1. Shamanic initiation 42 3.1.1. Don Emilio's account 43 3.1.2. Don Jose's account 45 3.1.3. Learning from an ant spirit 46 3.1.4. Commentaries on the accounts 49 3.2. The diet and sexual segregation 50 3.3. The use of psychotropic plants in the Americas 54 3.4. Ayahuasca: An overview 56 3.5. Tribal uses of ayahuasca 59 3.6. Learning from the plants 61 3.7. The plant-teachers 66 Chapter 4. The Superanatural Realm 72 4.1. Spirit world 72 4.1.01. The Chullachaqui 73 4.1.02. The Sachamama 76 4.1.03. The Yakumama 78 4.1.04. The Yakuruna 79 4.1.05. The Sirena (mermaid) 81 4.1.06. The Bufeo Colorado (pink river dolphin) 83 4.1.07. Plants leading to the underwater world 86 4.1.08. The Tunchi 86 4.1.09. Christian elements 88 4.1.10. The Inca motif 88 4.2. The concept of arkana 89 4.3. The helping spirits 93 Chapter 5. The Gifts of the Spirits: The Magic Melodies and the Magic Phlegm 96 5.1. The magic melodies or icaros 96 5.2. Icaros and plant-teachers 100 5.3. Function of the icaros 103 5.3.1. Icaros for calling the spirit of a person, plant or animal 103 5.3.2. Icaros to modify the effect of ayahuasca and other plant-teachers 104 5.3.3. Icaros arkana 106 5.3.4. Icaros for healing 106 5.3.5. Huarmi icaros 107 5.3.6. Other kinds of icaros 107 5.4. The magic phlegms 109 5.5. The dichotomy good vs vegetalista 115 Chapter 6. Illness and its Treatment 118 6.1. Etiology of illness 118 6.2. Diagnosis of illness 121 6.3. Illness as a magic dart: A case study 122 6.4. Extraction of the magic dart: Treatment 124 6.5. Doctor shopping: The case of Doña Rosa Teco 134 6.6. Soul-loss 134 6.7. Illness produced by spiritual beings 134 6.8. Love magic 134 6.9. Herbal baths 135 Chapter 7. Ayahusca Sessions and Visions 140 7.1. ayahuasca sessions 140 7.1.1. An ayahuasca session in the home of Don Emilio 142 7.2. The role of ayahuasca: visions vs. cleansing 147 7.3. Shamanic journeys 151 Conclusions 156 Appendix 166 Appendix I. Indian tribes that use or used Banisteriopsis basednarcotic beverages 166 Appendix II. Vernacular names given to Banisteriopsis based narcotic beverages 170 Appendix III. Musical transcription of magic melodies or icaros 173 References 180 ISBN-13:,9789122008194 ISBN-13: 9789122008194 Map ......Page 7 Preface ......Page 8 Contents ......Page 4 1.1. Scope......Page 12 1.2. Shamanism......Page 14 1.5. Methodological considerations......Page 15 1.6. A survey of the scientific literature......Page 17 1.7. Organization of the material......Page 22 2.1. The Peruvian Amazon area ......Page 24 2.2. Iquitos and Pucallpa. Historical and socio-economic considerations......Page 26 2.3. Religious background of the area......Page 28 2.4. Tribal Amazonian shamanism: main characteristics......Page 29 2.5. Vegetalismo and vegetalistas: Amazonian mestizo shamanism......Page 30 2.6. The informants......Page 35 3.1. Shamanic initiation......Page 42 3.1.1. Don Emilio's account......Page 43 3.1.2. Don Jose's account......Page 45 3.1.3. Learning from an ant spirit......Page 46 3.1.4. Commentaries on the accounts......Page 49 3.2. The diet and sexual segregation......Page 50 3.3. The use of psychotropic plants in the Americas......Page 54 3.4. Ayahuasca: An overview......Page 56 3.5. Tribal uses of ayahuasca......Page 59 3.6. Learning from the plants......Page 61 3.7. The plant-teachers......Page 66 4.1. Spirit world......Page 72 4.1.01. The Chullachaqui......Page 73 4.1.02. The Sachamama......Page 76 4.1.03. The Yakumama ......Page 78 4.1.04. The Yakuruna......Page 79 4.1.05. The Sirena (mermaid)......Page 81 4.1.06. The Bufeo Colorado (pink river dolphin)......Page 83 4.1.08. The Tunchi......Page 86 4.1.10. The Inca motif......Page 88 4.2. The concept of arkana......Page 89 4.3. The helping spirits......Page 93 5.1. The magic melodies or icaros......Page 96 5.2. Icaros and plant-teachers......Page 100 5.3.1. Icaros for calling the spirit of a person, plant or animal......Page 103 5.3.2. Icaros to modify the effect of ayahuasca and other plant-teachers......Page 104 5.3.4. Icaros for healing......Page 106 5.3.6. Other kinds of icaros......Page 107 5.4. The magic phlegms......Page 109 5.5. The dichotomy good vs vegetalista......Page 115 6.1. Etiology of illness......Page 118 6.2. Diagnosis of illness......Page 121 6.3. Illness as a magic dart: A case study......Page 122 6.4. Extraction of the magic dart: Treatment......Page 124 6.8. Love magic......Page 134 6.9. Herbal baths......Page 135 7.1. ayahuasca sessions......Page 140 7.1.1. An ayahuasca session in the home of Don Emilio......Page 142 7.2. The role of ayahuasca: visions vs. cleansing......Page 147 7.3. Shamanic journeys......Page 151 Conclusions ......Page 156 Appendix I. Indian tribes that use or used Banisteriopsis basednarcotic beverages......Page 166 Appendix II. Vernacular names given to Banisteriopsis based narcotic beverages......Page 170 Appendix III. Musical transcription of magic melodies or icaros......Page 173 References ......Page 180