When Plants Dream: How Ayahuasca Is Changing the World

- Blurb -

Ayahuasca is a powerful tool for transformation, that more and more Westerners are flocking to drink in a quest for greater self-knowledge and a reconnection with nature. This formerly esoteric, little-known 'brew' is now a growth industry. But why? Ayahuasca is a sacred hallucinogenic tea that has a long history of ritual use among indigenous groups of the Upper Amazon. Made from the stem of the Ayahuasca vine and the leaves of a shrub, Ayahuasca is traditionally associated with healing in collective ceremonies and in more intimate contexts, generally under the direction of specialist--Ayahuasqueros. These are experienced Shamans who guide the ceremony and the 'drinkers' experience. Ayahuasca has gained significant popularity these days in cities around the world. Ceremonies happen nightly and Hollywood stars, Wall Street players and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs now drink the brew. Why? What effect might Ayahuasca be having on our culture? Could it be the LSD of our time? Does the brew, which seems to advocate for environmental action, simplified lifestyles and more communitarian behaviour, act as an antidote to frenzied western culture? In When Plants Dream, journalist and social commentator Daniel Pinchbeck explores the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impact that Ayahuasca is having on society, both good and bad. Part 1 covers the background; what Ayahuasca is, where it is found, and its cultural origins. Part 2 explores the role and practices of the Shaman in both Western and Amazonian cultures, Part 3 examines the medicinal plants of the Amazon, looking particularly at Ayahuasca and its healing qualities, covering the most up-to-date biomedical research as well as psychedelic science and psychopharmacology. Part 4 looks more closely at how it is being used today, covering law, the drug wars, media and money. Lastly in Part 5 Daniel questions the future of Ayahuasca, including its possible use with AI. When Plants Dream is the first book to look at every aspect of Ayahuasca from its historical use to its appropriation by the West and the impact it is having on modern culture.