At Chacruna: How Indigenous Youths in Peru are Being Initiated in Western Ayahuasca Retreat Centers

Adam Andros Aronovich, Ph.DAs the evening fell dark, I saw 4 young indigenous students enter the round maloka ceremony space at the Temple of the Way of Light, a Peruvian-based ayahuasca healing retreat in the jungle. They entered silently, trying to remain unnoticed by all the “gringos” gazing at them curiously. They have a good reason to be nervous: Tonight, they will drink ayahuasca for the first time in their lives. But, even though they come from indigenous groups where ayahuasca has been historically used, they are not to be initiated by the shamans of their communities; instead, they are the guests of honor for that night’s ceremony in one of the oldest and better known “gringo” ayahuasca retreat centers in the world... continue reading.