Title: Corazón abierto, la senda del chaman
Description: "I started the journey along the path of the sha

"I started the journey along the path of the sha­mans in August 2005. For starters I looked in small communities in Hidalgo. To my surprise in every village there was a healer, two or even three of them. I went to their houses and knocked on the door. Some let me in and photograph them; others looked at me suspi ciously. Nevertheless, these experiences only increased my curiosity such that I later traveled to the Sierra Tarahumara in Chihuahua, Tieu! and Mayapan in Yucatan, Pisac and Pucallpa in Peru looking for the best health practices and knowledge. As I went deeper, I tried several of their healing techniques: I did pilgrimages, visited sanctuaries, par ticipated in veiling ceremonies, listened to masses and took offerings; I used cataplasms and, during long periods, drank infusions and potions made from fruit; I was devoted to Hunab Ku and had a spiritual operation; I ingested visionary plants and, along with some healers, I collected pharmacopoeia herbs, that are now dried in my workbooks. Also, my son Rodrigo and I traveled to the Peruvian jungle, where we had sha­manic diets and drank extracts of sacred plants. Photography-an unconditional accomplice-opened the doors for me. Initially, I did photographic pursuits with those healers who allowed me to, with mechanical cameras and black and white film rolls. In some rituals, I stood still in solemn moments or by the impediment of the visionary plants intake, so the expe­rience is all I have--Page 10.

"Chihuahua photographer Alicia Ahumada presented her book "Open Heart, The Path of the Shaman," and the exhibition "Traspasando la Muerta" (Photos for healing) at the National Museum of Anthropology (MNA). Ahumada's experiences in search of self-knowledge can be known through the volume and the sample consisting of almost 40 photographs that are displayed on the first floor of the museum, said the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). In the publication co-edited by the Secretary of Culture and the Government of Hidalgo through the State Council for Culture and the Arts, the author affirms that this personal path has led her to change habits and attitudes. This has led to "a noble human life, not forgetting that all other species of the Earth are sacred, they are a source of wisdom and play a vital role for the survival of the planet""--English translation by translate.google.com from entretenimiento.terra.com.
Subjects: Traditional medicine, Pictorial works, Medicinal plants, Shamans, Hallucinogenic plants, Hallucinogenic drugs and religious experience, Social life and customs, Artistic Photography, Manners and customs
Places: Mexico, Peru