We don't talk about brujos

And that puts people at risk

It’s understood by those within shamanic cultures, and by westerners working within those cultures, that there is a dark side to shamanism - brujeria, or sorcery. The difference between a brujo and a curandero is that a curandero heals, and works for the benefit of their client, while a brujo harms, and works for their own gratification, seeking sex, money or status. And the plant-allies (cuddly ol’ Mama Ayahuasca) will happily assist the shaman along either path. The universe of shamanism is not benevolent or peaceful. It’s a violent jungle of warring forces. Brujeria isn’t peripheral to shamanism, it’s absolutely central to it. In fact, in some shamanic theories of healing, you get ill because a shaman has cursed you, and you get better by another shaman removing the curse and possibly sending it back.

Western psychedelic culture talks a lot about indigenous wisdom but very little about brujos. As Neil Whitehead writes in his analysis of Amazon sorcery:

There has been a marked tendency in the past two or three decades to emphasize the positive, therapeutic, and socially integrative dimensions of shamanism…Although recognized, the ‘dark’ side - the shamans' power to destroy or inflict harm through sorcery and witchcraft - has received little in-depth attention.

There are risks in talking about brujeria - risks of cultural misunderstanding, western projection and fear-mongering. There are also commercial risks - have you ever seen an ayahuasca retreat company or charity mention brujeria? Probably not, because it might put people off. So they present a sanitized ‘love and light’ version of shamanism.

Still, considering how many tens of thousands of western tourists are taking ayahuasca and making themselves vulnerable to shamans, shouldn’t we walk about brujeria more? How common is it? What risks do brujos pose to hapless clients - psychological, sexual, financial, spiritual? And what can the West learn from indigenous wisdom regarding brujos? Do we have brujos in our own culture? Is it even a tendency in all of us?

I’ve gathered opinions on this topic from several experts, either through books or interviews - including Alex Gearin, Sitaramaya Sita, Jeronimo Mazarrasa, Luis Eduardo Luna, Rebekah Senanayake and Jeremy Narby.