The Ayahuasca Dialogues: Globalization, Plant Medicine, and the Healing of the Human Heart

The Ayahuasca Dialogues is a transcribed collection of conversations between Ricardo Amaringo and Brian Francis Culkin. This dynamic and compelling discussion engages topics diverse as Shipibo cosmology, the structure of contemporary capitalism, digital technologies, trauma, globalization, and the future of humanity. Why are psychedelic culture and plant-based medicines like ayahuasca having a revival in the second decade of the 21st century? Why are educated Westerners suddenly trekking into the Amazon jungle searching for healing and meaning in their lives? How are the new forms of networked technologies radically transforming human consciousness in the present day? Why is ayahuasca so effective in treating PTSD, depression, and addiction? These are just some of the questions that this dialogue wrestles with. From familiar themes in shamanism to the pressing sociocultural issues of our now interconnected planetary society, these talks between a revered shaman of the Upper Peruvian Amazon and a young American writer provide a unique insight into the state of the contemporary world. The Ayahuasca Dialogues is a riveting and thought-provoking conversation that explores the emergent relationship between the powerful plant medicine of ayahuasca, Amazonian shamanism, and a rapidly globalizing world.