Jaclyn Costello, Estefania Herrera and Alina Lindquist
University of Nevada, USA
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Clin Exp Psychol
Statement of the Problem:
When asked about the sickness
of the West, the beloved
shamans say, “It’s quite
simple. You have severed your
connection with Spirit. Unless
you reconnect with Spirit and do
so soon, you’re going to bring
the whole house of cards down
around your heads and ours.”
Methodology & Theoretical
Orientation: Our team is
currently participating in a fully
immersive study of sacred,
ceremonial, indigenous healing
techniques within a variety
of South American and North
American lineages. Through
our studies in Brazil, Peru,
Mexico, and on our home
soil-the United States-we
are witnessing first-hand the
cultural fusion of ancient
practices within modern society.
Our approach arrives from three
angles: given Jaclyn Costello’s
background in Comparative
Spiritual Studies and Creative
Writing, her research is
shared poetically, exploring
indigenous healing techniques
and how they work upon one’s
spirit. Since Estefania Herrera
has a background in Health
Sciences, hers is a scientific
approach, exploring the ways
indigenous healing techniques
work upon the body and how
they are applicable to our
current medical system. Alina
Lindquist, with a background
in Anthropology and Yoga, is
researching the body-mind
connection in indigenous
medicine and how this
connection leads to a greater
sense of overall well-being
within the individual.
Findings: Shamans, especially
those from the Amazon, are
currently mounting a reverse
missionary activity, hoping to
heal the spiritual disconnect
they witness in Westerners.
Rightly or wrongly, many of
these shamans believe the
remedy for this disconnect to
be sacred plant medicines such
as Ayahuasca, “the vine of the
soul.” It is our collective finding
that plant- medicines, such as
Ayahuasca, can be used in a
respectful, ceremonial fashion
to help Westerners reduce
anxiety, heal from trauma,
and harmoniously integrate all
parts of themselves to build
happier, more ‘conscious,’ more
purposeful lives
Jaclyn Costello received an MFA in Fiction & Poetry Writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she now teaches multidisciplinary seminars in the Honors College and leads a meditation program called ‘Mindfulness in the Mountains.’
E-mail: Jaclyn.Costello@gmail.com
