The Touristic Use of Ayahuasca in Peru Expectations, Experiences, Meanings and Subjective Effects

This book covers the psychedelic ayahuasca tourism in Peru, with its facet-rich psychological, pharmacological, anthropological, and sociological aspects. The reader gets an interdisciplinary insight into the historical development and the current state of ayahuasca research. Findings from three empirical studies are presented, which the author has won in a 4-year field research: How do common standards develop in this particular form of psycho-spiritual tourism? Why are people from developed nations and urban centres heading to the Amazon to ingest the psychedelic beverage Ayahuasca? How do they experience such ceremonies and retreats? Which insights, personal meaning and effects do they gain and how do they integrate their experiences into the everyday life?

Traditional settings and ayahuasca tourism.- Spirituality and neo-shamanism.- Research history of psychedelic substances.- Ritual elements that influence psychedelic experiences.- Motivational elements for the ingestion of ayahuasca.- Phenomenological analysis of experiences of ayahuasca.- Subjective meanings, effects, healing theories and integration experiences.- The development of common standards in ayahuasca tourism. 

Tom John Wolff, Dipl.-Psych., is a licensed psychotherapist and addiction therapist in Germany.