Before them, there is no real evidence that Peruvian cultures ritually used hallucinogens, or power plants. Artifacts and relics have been found formed into or have painted on them the image of the central Chavin deity (represented as a demonic-looking feline deity, with fangs, a stern face and sometimes with serpents radiating from its head) holding a large San Pedro cactus in his hand. A Chavin ceramic bottle was discovered with a San Pedro cactus "growing" on it; and, on another pot, a feline sits surrounded by several San Pedro cactuses.
The Inkas, after the Chavin, were also known for their use of power plants. As well as coca, their "divine plant", the Incas had their own special hallucinogen: Vilca (meaning "sacred" in Quechua), which grew in the cloud-forest zones on the eastern slopes of the Peruvian Andes. The Incas used a snuff made from the seeds, which was used to bring on visions and make contact with the gods and spirit world. The Vilca tree was probably what we know today as Anadenanthera colubrine.
In present day Peru many of these plants are still commonly used amongst Shamans, or curanderos, on the coast and in the mountains of Peru. The Coca is very widespread and is not only used by the curanderos but also by almost all of the natives of the northern Andes. It contains various vitamins, helps one adjust to the high altitude and is a great supplier of energy in general.
The San Pedro cactus (Trichocereus panchanoi) is a potent hallucinogen based on active mescaline. The curandero administers the hallucinogenic brew to his or her clients to bring about a period of revelation when questions are asked of the intoxicated person, who might also be asked to choose some object from among a range of magical curios which all have different meanings to the healer. Sometimes a curandero might imbibe San Pedro (or one of the many other indigenous hallucinogens) to see into the future, retrieve lost souls, divine causes of illness, or discover the whereabouts of lost objects. Most have their own San Pedro plant, which is said to protect or guard their homes against unwanted intruders by letting out a high-pitched whistle if somebody approaches.
Another plant that is commonly used in the jungle regions of present day Peru is the Ayahuasca, which is used to induce altered states of consciousness and to induce visions and dreams, which the practitioner may hope to utilize to change and improve his or her way of living.
Shamanic medicine is based on knowledge that has been collected for over four thousand years and transmitted from generation to generation and from village to village. One of its most central underlying principles is harmony and unity with the natural environment. To a shaman, the elements of nature are an extension of his or her own body and mind. His relationship with these elements is one of respect and interdependence; shamans ask for and receive consent from the plants and animals that they use for food and medicine. In turn, shamans protect the forests, rivers, mountains, plants, animals, etc. since they know that they are an integral part of life, and, indeed, cannot be said to be separate from themselves.
Many shamanistic healers get their most potent magic and powerful plants from a small zone in the northern Andes. The mountain areas around Las Huaringas and Huancabamba, north of Chiclayo is where a large number of the "great masters" are believed to live and work. But it is in the Amazon Basin of Peru that shamanism continues in its least changed form. In the Amazon jungle, native shamans are the only real specialists within indigenous tribal life. They are thought of in their traditional societies as healers, masters of ritual and mythology, interpreters of dreams and visions and sometimes, as controllers of the flora, fauna and weather. They are often also a major conservative force for their own culture and the environment, particularly in the face of encroaching development and consumerism.
The Shipibo, for example, are a tribe from the central Peruvian Amazon. They are famous for the beauty of their excellent ceramics and extremely complex weavings of geometric patterns. It is not generally known, however, that the spirits originally gave Shamans (male or female) these geometric designs. To directly contact the spirits they use Ayahuasca. The shaman imbibes the hallucinogen, whose effect is described as "the spirits descending." The spirits teach the shaman songs, or chants, the vibration of which help determine the shaman's visions. The geometric designs used on pots and textiles, which are highly valued as healing agents, are his or her material manifestation of these visions. Traditionally the Shipibo painted their bodies with these geometric designs to maintain harmony in their lives as well as health and beauty. Similarly, painting a sick person from head to toe in the designs was seen as an important part of the healing process.
In modern Peru these healing shamans offer an alternative to the rational scientific perception of the world. Recent developments, publications and studies have begun to posit that shamanism and science can be seen as complementary, and not contradictory, forms of perceiving reality.
In The Cosmic Serpent, by Jerome Narby, studies of Ayahuasca and DNA have produced evidence that these world views may not be as mutually exclusive as previously thought. For those of us who live and act on this planet, there is a need for further study to explore the possibilities that a synthesis that includes elements of both science and shamanism, may, by increasing the understanding of practitioners of both schools of thought, contribute to a mutually enriched body of knowledge with applicability for facing the challenges of surviving and thriving on this planet in sustainable ways. |
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