At Chacruna: Ayahuasca and the Gift of Seeing Through Serpent Eyes

Robin Wright, Ph.DOne of the more spectacular cinematic productions this year is the film Embrace of the Serpent, directed by Colombian filmmaker Ciro Guerra. Nominated for an Oscar in the category of best foreign language production,¹ the story has everything to do with the sacred plant mixture of ayahuasca vine and chacruna leaf, reflecting a quest for spiritual knowledge and transformation of the main actors. As an anthropologist and scholar of religions, I have researched in and about sacred plants, shamanism, and the Amazon for four decades; so, when I first heard of the film, I eagerly waited for it to see what else I could learn from one with such an enticing title... continue reading.