ENCYCLOPEDIA OF AYAHUASCA AND AMAZONIAN SHAMANISM

This book is a comprehensive encyclopedia of the Amazonian ceremonial tradition associated with the use of ayahuasca and its plant teachers. It examines the history of the brew from pre-Columbian times to modern research interest, the botanical characteristics of six Banisteriopsis caapi cultivars and their additive components, the biochemistry of dimethyltryptamine and monoamine oxidase inhibitors, pharmacological interactions and contraindications, and its legal status in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and other countries. Separate sections are devoted to the preparatory diet, the structure of the ceremony, the role of the curandero shaman, ritual icaro chants, the concept of the three worlds in Quechua cosmology, individual plant teachers (mapacho, bobinsana, chiriq-sanango, huachuma, and others), and the integration of post-ceremonial experience. References are provided to studies on its therapeutic use in addictions, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

This book is intended for specialists in ethnobotany, anthropology, psychotherapy, and integrative medicine, as well as for advanced readers interested in the traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon. It is distributed exclusively for cultural, anthropological, and educational purposes, as specifically stated in the author's disclaimer. It is based on the author's personal experience working with Quechua shamans, a review of scientific research, and ethnographic evidence.