Ayahuasca and Cultural Survival: A Fundraiser for Amazonian Activists

Join Sophia Rokhlin, co-author of When Plants Dream, for a conversation exploring the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impacts of the global spread of ayahuasca. Hosted by the Pearl Psychedelic Institute and Art Garden AVL, in The Canopy, 191 Lyman St #320 (above Art Garden). January 11, 6-8:30 pm. Talk followed by Q&A, and a book signing.

Ayahuasca is a powerful tool for transformation, that more and more Westerners are flocking to drink in a quest for greater self-knowledge, healing and reconnection with the natural world. This formerly esoteric, little-known brew is now a growth industry. But why?

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive tea that has a long history of ritual use among Indigenous groups of the Upper Amazon. Made from the ayahuasca vine and the leaves of a shrub, ayahuasca is associated with healing in collective ceremonies and in more intimate contexts, generally under the direction of a specialist – an ayahuasquero. These are experienced practitioners who guide the ceremony and the ‘drinkers’ experience.

Ayahuasca has gained significant popularity these days in cities around the world. Ceremonies happen nightly and Hollywood stars, Wall Street players and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs now drink the brew. Why? What effect might ayahuasca be having on our culture? Could it be the LSD of our time? Does the brew, which seems to inspire environmental action, simplified lifestyles and more communitarian behavior, act as an antidote to frenzied consumerist culture?

Join Sophia Rokhlin for a conversation where we’ll explore the economic, social, political, cultural and environmental impacts of the global spread of ayahuasca.

RSVP HERE

BIO

Sophia Rokhlin MSc. is an author, speaker and nonprofit organizer supporting the conservation of forest peoples’ wisdom and territories. She previously served as Development Coordinator at the Rainforest Foundation US, securing Indigenous peoples’ lands and rights, and was the Technical Secretariat of the Amazon Emergency Fund, the largest Indigenous-led humanitarian relief program delivering aid to nine countries of the Amazon. Sophia is a co-author of When Plants Dream: Ayahuasca, Amazonian Shamanism and the Global Psychedelic Renaissance (Watkins, 2019). Her work has been featured in publications and podcasts including the Duncan Trussell Family Hour, The New York Times, Acne Paper Magazine, PBS, the BBC, and others. https://www.sophiarokhlin.com/