Yaje: The New Purgatory
by Jimmy Weiskopf
Category: Body, Mind & Spirit

The unique path to both health and spiritual illumination offered by the consumption of yajé, a hallucinogenic herb embedded in the indigenous Amazonian cultures of Colombia, Brazil, and Peru, is thoroughly documented in this account of the culture and traditions that have developed around its use. The intensity of yajé-induced trances provoked the author to name them "the new purgatory" and resulted in this text's respectful and hard-earned insights into indigenous ritual and shamanic guidance. A complete survey of yajé ceremonies; recent botanical and anthropological research on yajé; records of scientific and medical studies; its social, psychological, and ethical boundaries; and a look at past attempts to adapt the ancient ceremony to contemporary therapeutic and religious purposes are also provided.