World's Most Incredible Tribes Episode 3: Shamanic Rituals - Hallucinogenic Drugs

World's Most Incredible Tribes Episode 3: Shamanic Rituals - Hallucinogenic Drugs - the journey to the other side

Tribos - tribo Sanema, Venezuela (Photo credit: tvbrasil)

Sanema tribe know countless remedies for many of the ailments they suffer. But the disease here has a religious significance because the etiology reside in magic and spells.


Apart from the recipes of potions and ointments applied to the sick, the shamans of the tribe should move to the other side, the land of the spirits for advice. They are the only ones able to undo the spells.

The Sanema need to ingest large doses of sakona, which is a heavy salivation. The journey they have to make to meet their deidas and formulate their questions is very long. The ritual chants and rhythmic movements are effective tools to get out of themselves, to transcend to the afterlife, to open the door allowing their conscience to access a different reality.

Tribos - tribo Sanema Venezuela (Photo credit: tvbrasil)

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