Ritual, Master Plants and Dieta: Altered States of Consciousness in Amazonia
Rebekah Senanayake (Cultural anthropologist and Psychologist, Founder and President of the Student Association of Psychedelic Investigation)
Thursday 10 April, 2025 7PM CEST (5PM GMT, 1PM ET, 10AM PT)
Online via Zoom
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The Amazon is home to over 50,000 species of plants and 400 indigenous groups. Situated in the jungle are some of the most potent psychoactive plants known to humankind, commonly referred to as Master Plants. Master Plants have been ritually consumed by rainforest societies and practices continue into the present day. The induced altered state of consciousness through the consumption of plant matter is believed to provide wisdom, healing, and teachings, all of which are crucial to human evolution. Accessed nearly always in a tightly constructed ritual setting, these plants require the human subject to undergo a series of purification rites to ‘neutralise humanness’ to allow for inter-species communication to take place.
In this talk, Rebekah will explore the process of connecting with Master Plants known as dieta. Dieta involves a series of ritualised restrictions enacted to various degrees at multiple stages of interacting with Master Plants. The process is usually finalised with a potent hallucinogen, usually; ayahuasca. Dieta provides a crucial insight into the nature of inter-species interaction, the function of altered states of consciousness, and ritual more broadly. Rebekah will analyse how dieta pushes beyond anthropocentrism and cognocentrism, as typically found in the West, and the unique insights into ways of knowing and inferring knowledge that the practice illuminates.
Who Is This Discussion For?
- Researchers & scholars – Those exploring anthropology, plant intelligence, psychedelics, and Indigenous knowledge systems.
- Practitioners & healers – Individuals working with plant medicine, ritual practices, or altered states of consciousness.
- Spiritual seekers – Anyone interested in non-Western ways of knowing, inter-species communication, and expanded perception.
- Ecologists & environmentalists – Those intrigued by the deep connections between humans, plants, and ecosystems.
- Curious minds – If you’re fascinated by dieta, ritual, and the wisdom of Master Plants, this talk is for you!
