Celebrities, adventurers, and scientists alike have all contributed to the growing popularity of Ayahuasca. As influential artists and researchers have sought out this experience for either personal or educational reasons, the impact has been more and more people traveling to the mysterious jungle to find out for themselves what this powerful brew is all about.
There are many celebrities that have discussed their experience with Ayahuasca. Paul Simon, known as Simon in the band Simon and Garfunkel wrote the strong “Spirit Voices” in the 1990’s to share his experience (SVARC, 2020). According to the Hollywood Reporter and an L.A. based Shaman, Jim Carrey was using Ayahuasca when he refused to come down from a mountain until he sold a picture for $10 million, which he did (SVARC, 2020). If you have seen the movie “Wanderlust” then you will have seen Jennifer Aniston, Naomi Watts and Ben Stiller act out an ayahuasca ritual (Ginsberg, 2015). Even the artist Sting and actress Lindsey Lohan have discussed their use of Ayahuasca and its role in their lives and art, Lohan even credits ayahuasca for helping her overcome her struggles with addiction (SCARC, 2020). As westerners idealize the jungle shaman and their own spiritual jungle experience, as representation in media increases and more influencers in pop culture promote ayahuasca westerners have begun flocking to the jungle for their own adventure. This has had many negative effects on the local culture including harmful stereotypes, appropriation, economic impacts, and environmental impacts. South America and particularly parts of the Amazon jungle in Peru and Brazil have been subject to exploitation throughout history, most notably through the rubber boom, and that is a history that continues to this day (Fotiou 2016, 151-79). This is why travelers must consider the impact their travel is having.
The most blatant negative impact from the new worldwide use of Ayahuasca is the cultural appropriation. Originally, ayahuasca was used by natives for a variety of reasons including spiritual insight, healing, hunting and daily living (Fotiou 2016, 151-79). Early practitioners were called Curanderos and it wasn’t until westerners sought out ayahuasca that they became know as shamans, which is a made-up title based on inaccurate stereotypes (Fotiou 2016, 151-79). This shift in understanding shifted the entire practice, as we have already seen in how differently the ritual is framed for tourists as opposed to locals. As practitioners or shamans began framing the ritual differently and providing more accommodations for travelers, locals began seeing that there is a lot of money to be made in this new commercialization of what was once a daily part of local life. This commercialization led to many different ayahuasca retreat centers being opened by western shamans and natives alike, some of them may have had the necessary 7-year internship and plant study, and some may not have (Fotiou 2016, 151-79). Traditional internships with Curanderos included years of study so that the practitioner could safely guide participants through their ayahuasca journey, not having this training is dangerous and has led to death and injury from improper dosage and other complications (Fotiou 2016, 151-79). This shift from a local practice to a tourism business is dangerous and reciprocates racist stereotypes about struggling natives and noble white people (Fotiou 2016, 151-79).
In addition to these major cultural concerns there are also many concerns about how the globalization of ayahuasca will impact the environment. Ayahuasca takes years to mature and it is not clearly known how much is being exported, where it is being taken from or how long this practice can be sustained (Fotiou 2016, 151-79).Having taken so much from the amazon jungle already, the western world needs to take serious caution before continuing to exploit this resource and the natives as a result. Sustainable practices and protections need to be considered by everyone. As we look to the future it is clear that ayahuasca and the associated healing will be a part of society for many years to come. Travelers and participants need to engage thoughtfully and responsibly, recognizing that we are guests witnessing a wholistic culture. We must avoid exploitation and appropriation at all costs.
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