Singing to the Plants

By Stephan V. Beyer,

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

Book description

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,…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked Singing to the Plants as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I suspect that many of us now know someone who’s been to the Amazon to take the psychedelic beverage, ayahuasca, returning with wide eyes and tales of profound healing. Here, anthropologist Stephan Beyer cuts through the romanticisation to present an accurate and engaging picture of ayahuasca shamanism in the Upper Amazon. He asks difficult questions, such as how well shamans actually cure sickness and why so many shamans engage in sorcery, but his inquiry is never less than sympathetic. That he peppers the book with his own psychedelic, ayahuasca visions, makes this one of the most accessible and engaging books…

From Andy's list on the riddle of psychedelics.

Want books like Singing to the Plants?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Singing to the Plants.

Browse books like Singing to the Plants

Book cover of The Doors of Perception
Book cover of True Hallucinations: Being an Account of the Author's Extraordinary Adventures in the Devil's Paradise
Book cover of Psychedelic Mysteries of the Feminine: Creativity, Ecstasy, and Healing

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,531

readers submitted
so far, will you?

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in flora, healing, and Peru?

Flora 30 books
Healing 27 books
Peru 51 books