IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v334y2023ics0277953623005282.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Moving beyond a figurative psychedelic literacy: Metaphors of psychiatric symptoms in ayahuasca narratives

Author

Listed:
  • Gearin, Alex K.

Abstract

Metaphors, analogies, and similes commonly appear in narratives of drinking the potent psychedelic “ayahuasca”, presenting an intriguing transcultural pattern. Based upon survey and field research at an ayahuasca healing center in Pucallpa, Peru, the article investigates conceptual metaphors in narratives of ayahuasca experiences made by the visiting international guests. Bodily metaphors and visionary analogies frequently appear in narrative plots where they can express the reappraisal, overcoming, and sometimes emboldening of symptoms diagnosed by psychiatry. Moving beyond the literal-figurative divide, the article explores the intrinsic “metaphoricity” of psychedelic experiences and advocates for a literacy of conceptual metaphors regarding both clinical and non-clinical psychedelic narratives. Developing this literacy can broaden approaches in psychedelic psychiatry that analyze and treat syndromes and disorders, while also being applicable to social science and humanities research that examine psychoactive drug use beyond medical frameworks.

Suggested Citation

  • Gearin, Alex K., 2023. "Moving beyond a figurative psychedelic literacy: Metaphors of psychiatric symptoms in ayahuasca narratives," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 334(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:334:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623005282
    DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116171
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953623005282
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116171?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fotiou, Evgenia & Gearin, Alex K., 2019. "Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).
    2. Hartogsohn, Ido, 2018. "The Meaning-Enhancing Properties of Psychedelics and Their Mediator Role in Psychedelic Therapy, Spirituality, and Creativity," Scholarly Articles 35981870, Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lisa M. Reynolds & Amelia Akroyd & Frederick Sundram & Aideen Stack & Suresh Muthukumaraswamy & William J. Evans, 2021. "Cancer Healthcare Workers’ Perceptions toward Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: A Preliminary Investigation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-14, August.
    2. Wolff Tom John, 2021. "Ayahuasca-Tourismus in Peru: Motivationen und subjektive Bedeutungen bei Teilnehmern von Ayahuasca-Retreats im oberen Amazonasgebiet," Zeitschrift für Tourismuswissenschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 13(1), pages 101-124, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:334:y:2023:i:c:s0277953623005282. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.