Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon

by Stephan V. Beyer

In the Upper Amazon, mestizos are the Spanish-speaking descendants of Hispanic colonizers and the indigenous peoples of the jungle. Some mestizos have migrated to Amazon towns and cities, such as Iquitos and Pucallpa; most remain in small villages. They have retained features of a folk Catholicism and traditional Hispanic medicine, and have incorporated much of the religious tradition of the Amazon, especially its shamanism, sorcery, healing, and the use of potent plant hallucinogens, including ayahuasca. Singing to the Plants sets forth just what this shamanism is about - what happens at an ayahuasca healing ceremony, how the apprentice shaman forms a spiritual relationship with the healing plant spirits, how sorcerers inflict the harm that the shaman heals, and the ways that plants are used in healing, love magic, and sorcery.

Genres: Spirituality, Plants, Psychology, Anthropology, Nonfiction, Religion, Drugs

530 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Shay Begun · Rating 3 out of 5]

Took me a while to read this book. Not an easy read. The content is a bit overwhelming, touching all different aspects of Ayauhasca, but very little about the Ayauhasca experience itself. There is a big focus on the anthropological background, the drama and the relationships between the different tribes and shamans, a bit like a telenovela, then a scientific focus. Towards the middle of the book the author discusses the experience itself for around 50 pages and then goes to talk about the legal aspects and different trial studies related to the substance. There are probably better alternatives.

[Uncle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are into metaphysics or science this book is a fantastic read. It's probably one of the best written, first hand accounts of Shamanism from an Ethnobotany perspective. This book was written well after the movie 'Medicine Man' was released, starring Sean Connery. I mention this only because the author looks just like Sean Connery in that film. I think that a few of my FB friends will enjoy this book, if I know them as well as I think that I do. Enjoy!

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing. Anyone who is interested in Mestizo Shamanism or Ayahuasca owes it to themselves to check out this masterpiece. Detail oriented with lots of documentation and references. However, Beyer doesn't completely leave the reader out in the cold. He also includes lots of his own personal experiences.

[C.G. Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good generalistic coverage of contemporary plant spirit shamanism. Recommended reading for those students seeking deeper understanding is of the ayahuasca experience. Whilst some of the experiences and thoughts do not reflect my own observations in the area, the Amazon is a huge geographical zone, and I am sure that the thoughts attributed to native wisdom are accurate, even if not within my limited first hand experience.

[Nicholas]

A staggeringly well researched, magisterially comprehensive, and surprisingly entertaining resource on nearly every aspect of Upper Amazonian shamanism – not just the use of psychedelic plant medicine, but shamanic extraction, spiritual warfare, herbal remedies, and more. I especially appreciated its willingness to engage in real theoretical reflection on the anthropological questions involved: what it means for shamanic ceremony to rely so heavily on performance, for instance, or how the phenomenology of “hallucinations” is culturally constructed. There are also important, detailed, and quite readable scientific excurses, such as on the chemical mechanisms of DMT and the role of B-carbolines in the ayahuasca brew. While the book often repeats itself and could have used some more judicious editing (you will hear three times, I think, about the sounds that aliens make according to two different shamans, and I thought that if he introduced the frequently cited Cesar Calvo as “the poet Cesar Calvo” just one more time, I’d go mad), it’s a small price to pay for a truly indispensable resource for anyone interested in Upper Amazonian shamanism and/or plant medicine in general.

[Raye MacLennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was extremely thorough and well-written, a window into the realities of Mestizo Shamanism. It is filled with stories and a unique perspective that many never get to experience. If one is curious about true divine medicine, or looking to know more, this could be considered textbook worthy to send off one in the right direction.

[Andrej · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic basics on tradition of working with plants

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most comprehensive guide to ayahuasca shamanism in Amazon.

[Katie Hamaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frustratingly colonial patriarchal perspectives all through out this book.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

So amazing.

[Sukhmani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thorough. The author has two PhDs: one in psychology and one in religion (re: this is not a skimmer) so the reader gets a rich shamanic, spiritual experience with many footnotes on the scientific explanation of what is happening neurologically and behaviorally. Overall it is an incredibly well researched book using case studies and anthropology to color the ayahuasca experience over the last 60+ years. What no one speaks about is how this book might be a spoiler for anyone seeking to try the plant.

[Evgenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very thorough and very well researched. It combines extensive literature review with his own experience and observations and manages to cover every facet and perspective on the topic. I expect this to be a great resource for anyone interested in upper Amazonian Shamanism.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good middle-of-the-road guide to shamanism—both magical and rational sides presented. I gleaned a lot of practical info from the first parts. Would've been 5 stars but got a bit too bogged down in details for me in the later parts of the book.

[Seti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative. A wealth of information on shamanism throughout the Amazon in a general sense and mestizo shamanism of Northern Peru in particular. The section on Ayahuasca was also a wealth of knowledge. If you are interested in medicinal plants and shamanism it is worth the read.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

You will buy me this book.

[Timothy Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important book.
Well researched and very informative.
No BS.
Ayahuasca and Shamanism.

[Elana A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some strange territory is covered here. I wish some areas could have been more comprehensive though.

[Reece Eoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are even remotely interested in Mestizo Shamanism or Ayahuasca (Yagé), then this book is for you.

[Velvetink]

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