Psychoactive plants, Amerindian/Peruvian traditional medicines, and the psychedelic renaissance
Peruvian traditional healing systems, some of which have been estimated to date back to prehistoric times, are known for their prominent usage of psychoactive plants: For curing traditions in the Andean highlands or sierra, it is the coca bush (Erythroxylum coca) that plays the protagonist role. Healing traditions that have arisen in the deserts of the northern Pacific coast (costa), on the other hand, are characterized by the usage of the psychoactive huachuma cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi). Finally, medical systems that have evolved east to the Andes in the tropical forests of the Amazon make use of diverse psychoactive plants, of which especially tobacco (Nicotiana rustica) and ayahuasca (Banisteriopsis caapi) are known. The present contribution takes reference to the Peruvian healing tradition and mainly its Amazonian branch in the context of the ongoing psychedelic renaissance. We argue that culturally inclusive studies are critical in the scope of the revival of psychedelic research and present two examples of cross-cultural clinical field research in this context. The first one involved a collaborative study with an Amazonian traditional healer specializing in the usage of the tobacco plant for therapeutic purposes, while the second one focused on an integrative Peruvian addiction treatment program, in which Amazonian medicine is combined with psychotherapy. The examples point to promising therapeutic means and underscore the importance of an intercultural approach in view of both clinical utility and cultural equality in the psychedelic renaissance.