This presentation was given as part of the Breaking Convention at the Univiserty of Exeter – UK. Here I offer a journey through the historical socio-cultural aspects of ayahuasca, including its origins, past and present uses, and purposes. I discuss if and how Indigenous cosmologies and the practice of ayahuasca are being incorporated into the psychedelic scientific debates and research and what are the implications for Indigenous rights. Conclusions point out the need to better legitimize Indigenous knowledge and spirituality as important evidence of intellectual property and ancestral ties to the land and other-than-human beings. Finally, expanding perceptions of ayahuasca to include Indigenous science and practices could help in integrating a plurality of knowledges when moving forward toward the future of psychedelics.
