A Comparative Analysis of Ayahuasca Healing in Amazonia and Australia - Alex Gearin

Ayahuasca healing practices are compared between the Amazonian context, where indigenous shamans may embody various animal or spirit beings, and the emerging neo-shamanic subculture in Australia. In the Amazon, ritual healing often centers on cosmological metamorphosis, where shamans transform into spirits to diagnose and address illness. In Australia, the practice is largely adopted by middle-class individuals, often framing the experience through holistic or secular lenses rather than traditional indigenous models of spirit possession. While Australian groups frequently reference Amazonian traditions, there is a notable absence of identical morphological transformation rituals in the Australian context. The practice in Australia is generally experienced as a tool for healing psychological ailments like stress, anxiety, and depression by facilitating a reconnection with the natural world. This summary of ethnographic field research highlights the divergent adaptations of shamanic elements across distinct cultural and geographical landscapes.