Ayahuasca Religions: A Comprehensive Bibliography & Critical Essays

by Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Isabel Santana de Rose, and Rafael Guimarães dos Santos (translated by Matthew Meyer)

From the Publisher: The last two decades have seen a broad expansion of the ayahuasca religions, and it has also witnessed, especially since the millennium, an explosion of studies into the spiritual uses of ayahuasca. Ayahuasca Religions grew out of the need for an ordering of the profusion of titles related to this subject that are now appearing. This publication offers a map of the global production of literature on this theme.

Three researchers located in different cities (Beatriz Caiuby Labate in São Paulo, Rafael Guimarães dos Santos in Barcelona, and Isabel Santana de Rose in Florianapolis, Brazil) worked in a virtual research group for a year to compile a list of bibliographical references on Santo Daime, Barquinha, UDV and urban ayahuasqueiros, including the specialized academic literature as well as esoteric and experiential writings produced by participants of these churches. Ayahuasca Religions presents the results of that collaboration.

Ayahuasca Religions includes two essays commenting on aspects of the bibliography. The first presents a profile of these religious groups, including their history and expansion, and a general assessment of the principal characteristics, tendencies, and perspectives evident in the literature about them. The second essay summarizes the most important studies of human subjects in the context of Santo Daime, Unio do Vegetal and Barquinha, evaluating their results, contributions, and limitations. The essay also offers some preliminary anthropological reflections on biomedical research of ayahuasca.

Praise for the Book: “This material should be of great interest to all who are interested in these unusual religious movements which are based on a powerful plant hallucinogen, with strong healing, therapeutic, and spiritually significant effects. A wonderful resource and contribution.” — Ralph Metzner, Ph.D., author of Ayahuasca: Sacred Vine of Spirits

“Ayahuasca is a complex topic, and most articles on this topic have been published in obscure sources, over hundreds of years and in many different languages. This book promises to offer a comprehensive guide to the world’s disparate literature on ayahuasca religions, and with commentary that is not from a North American/European perspective, which is much needed for this interesting and emergent phenomenon from South America. ” –Jace Callaway, Ph.D., Departments of Neurobiology and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Kuopio, Finland

“After Sigmund Freud, who introduced the unconscious, the libido, and guilt into the interpretation of art, and Carl Gustav Jung who introduced the collective unconscious and the archetypes, we now have Stanislav Grof who widens the horizons by bringing in the perinatal and the transpersonal dimensions of human experience. Grof is unquestionably the third giant in the psychological interpretation of art in the modern age.” — Ervin László, Hungarian philosopher of science, systems theorist, and editor of World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution

“Bia Labate and colleagues have compiled a comprehensive review of the world anthropological and clinical literature on ayahuasca. For investigators interested in exploring the fascinating field of ayahuasca studies, this book is a valuable source for our current understanding of the effects of this mysterious vine. ” –Charles Grob, M.D., editor of Hallucinogens: A Reader and co-editor (with Roger Walsh) of Higher Wisdom: Eminent Elders Explore the Continuing Impact of Psychedelics

About the Author: Bia Labate (Beatriz Caiuby Labate) has a PhD in Anthropology. Her main areas of interest are the study of psychoactive substances, drug policies, shamanism, ritual and religion. She is author, co-author and co-editor of seven books, 2 with translations to English, and one journal special edition. Visit Bia Labate’s website to learn more.

ISBN-10: 0979862213    –    ISBN-13: 978-0979862212