Ceremony
OverlapA structured, often ritualized session of substance use within a traditional or spiritual framework — as opposed to a clinical dosing session or recreational use. Ayahuasca, peyote, and iboga all have deep ceremonial traditions predating any Western clinical interest by centuries.
Example: In Amazonian ayahuasca ceremonies, a curandero or curandera sings icaros — specific medicine songs believed to help guide and shape a participant's experience — a practice now widely adopted, often unchanged, by Western retreat centers running ceremonies modeled on this tradition.
What is a psychedelic "ceremony"?
A structured, often ritualized session of substance use within a traditional or spiritual framework — as opposed to a clinical dosing session or recreational use. Ayahuasca, peyote, and iboga all have deep ceremonial traditions predating any Western clinical interest by centuries.
What role does an icaro play in an ayahuasca ceremony?
In Amazonian ayahuasca ceremonies, a curandero or curandera sings icaros — specific medicine songs believed to help guide and shape a participant's experience — a practice now widely adopted, often unchanged, by Western retreat centers running ceremonies modeled on this tradition.