The Sound of Rushing Water

Michael J. Harner's account of Jivaro shamanism, focusing on the use of hallucinogenic drugs to access the supernatural world.

A shaman under the influence of a hallucinogenic drink (natemä) experiences vivid visions.
He sees spirit helpers (tsentsak) in the form of animals (anaconda, butterfly, snakes, spiders, birds, bats).
The shaman feels empowered by Tsungi, the first shaman, and gains the ability to see the truth.
He can diagnose illnesses by seeing into the patient's body and identifying the cause, such as a poisonous serpent (makanchi) sent by an enemy shaman.

The Jivaro believe that witchcraft is the primary cause of illness and death.
They consider the normal waking life an illusion, while the supernatural world is the true reality.
Shamans are specialists who can access and manipulate the supernatural world using hallucinogenic drugs.
There are two types of shamans: bewitching shamans and curing shamans.
Both types use natemä to enter the supernatural world.

Natemä is prepared from the vine Banisteriopsis caapi and another similar vine.
It contains hallucinogenic alkaloids: harmaline, harmine, d-tetrahydroharmine, and possibly N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT).

Harner initially underestimated the impact of Banisteriopsis on the native view of reality.
He later drank the hallucinogen and experienced a world beyond his wildest dreams.
He encountered bird-headed people and dragon-like creatures who claimed to be gods.
This experience made him realize the importance of the drug in affecting native ideology.

Natemä allows almost anyone to achieve the trance state necessary for shamanism.
Approximately one in four Jivaro men is a shaman.
Women can also become shamans and are considered particularly powerful.
To become a shaman, one must present a gift to a practicing shaman, who administers natemä and gives some of their spirit helpers (tsentsak) to the apprentice.

The practicing shaman regurgitates a substance containing tsentsak and gives it to the novice.
The novice experiences pain and stays in bed for ten days, drinking natemä every evening.
The Jivaro believe they can keep magical darts in their stomachs and regurgitate them at will.
The shaman rubs and blows on the novice's body to increase the power transfer.
The novice must remain inactive and abstain from sexual intercourse for at least three months.
At the end of the first month, a tsentsak emerges from the novice's mouth.
If the novice casts the tsentsak, he becomes a bewitching shaman; if he reswallows it, he becomes a curing shaman.
The type of shaman (bewitcher or curer) depends on the shaman who gave the tsentsak and the novice's ability to control their impulses.
Sexual abstinence for five months grants the power to kill or cure.
A full year's abstinence is needed to become a truly effective bewitcher or curer.
During abstinence, the new shaman collects objects that can be converted into tsentsak.
Different tsentsak cause different illnesses, and the greater the variety, the greater the shaman's ability.

Each tsentsak has a natural and supernatural aspect.
The natural aspect is an ordinary material object, while the supernatural aspect is revealed by taking natemä.
In their supernatural form, tsentsak are spirit helpers in various forms (butterflies, jaguars, monkeys) who assist the shaman.

Bewitching is carried out against a specific individual, usually a neighbor or tribesman, to avenge an offense.
The shaman takes natemä, drinks tobacco juice, and secretly approaches the victim's house.
He regurgitates a tsentsak and throws it at the victim.
If the tsentsak is strong enough, it will pass through the victim's body, causing death.
The bewitcher does not want the victim to know they are being attacked, to prevent them from seeking a curing shaman.
Illness invariably follows bewitchment.
A spirit helper called a pasuk can remain near the victim to shoot more darts if a curing shaman removes the original tsentsak.
The shaman can also use wakani (