bad energy or illness out of the body. The positive energy is restored to the
body using water, massage, plants and other natural materials, or a mixture
of these techniques. Overall, the mind and the desire to cure exercise their
healing power.^1
The prescription – choosing a remedy
It is important to note that the sabedores, shamans, payésand traditional
medical practitioners approach the plants by ‘feeling’ or sensing the energies
or spirits contained in them, in order to heal. These can be the ordinary
curative plants or those of ‘extreme’ knowledge, such as a diverse selection
of entheogenic plants. Entheogen, derived from part of the Greek root en-
theosor god, literally translated means ‘which generates the experience of
god within us’.^10 The term was invented by a group of ethnobotanists and
scholars of mythology including RE Schultes in 1979.^11
In this way traditional healers extract the necessary information and
knowledge to cure spiritual and physical ailments. Within this traditional
healing process numerous spirits and energies exercise their power. Equally,
the sacred plants ambil(tobacco), ayahuasca, mambe(coca) andyajé (also
known as yagé), to which other substances are added such as the various
species of borrachero (e.g. Brugmansia suaveolens), act on the mind
enabling the individual to ‘see further’.^10
Ritualistic practice
The shaman, other traditional healer or owner of the Malocacarries out the
daily ritual of the mambeo, or the ritual of management of yajé or
ayahuascain which part of the great Historiais narrated. This includes
teaching apprentices the necessary knowledge to become a successful healer.
During these rituals mambe(coca) is prepared and ingested together with
ambil(tobacco), enabling the sabedorto communicate with spirits and the
energies of the surrounding environment.
The rituals materialise the myths and Historiaof the ethnic groups. Within
these rituals components of the ethnic groups are not simply being represented
(as in a theatre) but the time of the creation of the universe is being reacti-
vated. A rebirth of the world and the entire ecosystem is enacted. At this time,
all the energies, spirits and owners of the universe are present. By means of
this ritual all types of harassment, aggression and illnesses are eliminated in a
form of renovation. This rebirth is managed by the sabedoresand shamans
who are capable of controlling situations of good and evil. Other ethnic
groups from near and far are invited to participate in these events and they are
celebrated as ritual dances. Figure 4.2 shows a Uitoto ritual dance, in which
the creation of the universe, the world and humans is re-enacted – all illnesses
70 |Traditional medicine