Living Mirrors with Dr. James Cooke Bia Labate on global psychedelic culture & ayahuasca | Living Mirrors #62
Aug 4, 2021
Bia Labate, an expert anthropologist on psychoactive substances and founder of the Chacruna Institute, dives deep into global psychedelic culture. They discuss the transformative power of ayahuasca and its cultural significance, while bridging indigenous practices with modern therapy. Critical issues like safety and consent in ayahuasca retreats are addressed, alongside the dynamic of ayahuasca tourism. Labate also sheds light on peyote conservation and community advocacy efforts, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in the psychedelic conversation.
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Bia's Transformative Plant Journey
- Bia Labate began her work with plant medicine after a transformative year and a half traveling across Latin America, experiencing psilocybin, peyote, and LSD.
- This personal journey sparked her curiosity and eventual professional focus on psychoactive substances.
Brazil's Ayahuasca Cultural Diversity
- Ayahuasca use in Brazil is culturally rich but numerically minor, involving 30-50,000 people.
- It blends indigenous traditions with urban, multi-religious, and therapeutic influences creating diverse practices.
Ayahuasca Churches' Syncretic Roots
- Brazilian ayahuasca churches emerged from syncretism among Amerindian shamanism, Catholicism, African religions, and European esotericism, predating the drug war.
- These religions are authentic Brazilian phenomena combining nature spirits and Christian elements.