Ethnobotanical Stewardship Council (ESC) receives heavy criticisms

[drugo]

There is an interesting debate taking place about the ESC (Ethnobotanical Stewardship Council) and their plans to introduce a certification system to ayahuasca ceremonies of the Amazon.

A group of 60+ leading academics and experts on the Amazon region wrote a public letter rejecting the organisation based on a number of issues. You can see the public letter in the PsyPressUK article Good Intentions and the Road to the Amazon

The ESC responded with this open letter, from which an expert that help write the critique said that it confirmed their fears and that the ESC refused to acknowledge or change anything.

A hilarious parody image and a discussion about the so-called "Ethnobotanical Security Council" just turned up over at the ayahuasca forums. I tried to bring the image across but I couldn't get it to work for some reason?

Have any of you been following this debate?

What are your thoughts?

Edited January 16, 2015 by drugo

[rahli]

Thanks for highlighting the current debate Drugo.

This seems to be a recurring theme in the western Entheobotanical scene too. The epic struggle between the traditionalists on one hand who need to create rules and regulations and socially exclude those who do not want to follow the one true path, and the more liberal psychonaughts who take it upon themselves to push the boundaries and evolve knowledge in a direction that seems true to both themselves and the community, whilst paving the way for others to extend and further evolve on their own paths to truth.

I have very little knowledge on traditional Ayahuasca culture but It seems the traditionalist are so misguided in their goal to save Ayahuasca culture that even the traditional people they are supposed to be advocating for aren't impressed.

It is my opinion that the psychonuaghtical approach to Ayahuasca is more suited to the western mind frame as individuals only then have themselves to face when their plastic shields are melting in the fires of inner truth. If someone is promising that all will be well and pure as long as you follow the rules, sign this document and trust in some secret knowledge, this I think is misleading. I believe real personal growth comes from the individual taking on responsibility for their own journey.

This of cause does not relate to traditional Ayahuasca shamanism as the roles and expectations are far removed from western relationships and expectations, where if I don't get what is promised I expect a refund or some inspectors to come and shut the place down so no one has to endure again what I was put through.

I have no first hand knowledge on the situation in SA regarding Ayahuasca culture, but do plan to head over and check it out some time before I expire. I will then likely have a very different view and opinion on the entire debate.

Thanks again for raising this debate........and its nice to see your fighting the good fight!

[gwalchgwyn]

Glad it's on the table.

I've always had a problem with the concept of the 'Traditionalist' dichotomy: The one classification of a people who are defined by their tradition and the other classification (unspoken) who are the definers.

Reminds me of a clip from the Odyssian story in which Odysseus refers to himself as 'Outis' ("no-one" or "nobody") as a defensive measure, famously in his fight with the Cyclops whose cries for help ("Nobody is killing me!") were ignored by the other cyclopes.

Everybody has cultural context, so to what purpose is this persistent non-identity movement of Abramic and Aryas, among other traditions, aimed? One moniker of one of the above groups is "those from beyond." 'Beyond' what? In my observations, correct me if I am wrong, this averting of attention is a social adaptation that gives power to the Looker, the Definer, the Approver whilst maintaining the appearance of invisibility. Even when it is, and clumsily and inaccurately, called 'Western' or 'White' or 'European' it evades definition. Yet it has a clearly recognizable pattern of behavior and a cultural context: It is the Culture of Nobody.

The more Nobody tries to be accurately traditional, particularly with Caapi, the further removed Nobody becomes. Nobody is always imitating Somebody. When Nobody acts what it calls 'native' (ie not itself), it does so with the false assertion of open-mindedness and honoring. When Nobody seeks to recover its lost identity, it solemnly sings Icaros, or goes on Walkabout, or chants a Lakota story in a phony accent. Nobody seems to have a clue that Nobody is being good and that Somebody will thank Nobody someday when Nobody manages to achieve the disappearance of Everybody.

This isn't my trope, it's been used many times before, but you get the picture.

While it does make decent sense to appreciate another culture's voice and experience (famously with Caapi is the ongoing talk of diet), the blind following of many traditionalists seems to me not just rude towards the people they claim to honor, and evasive of their own identity, but also blatantly ignorant of direct experience, which could be described as a primary point of Caapi!

As far as the psychonautical approach, I perceive this as an honest relationship to any plant in question, and much closer to the shamanic process. One must know herself and the plant for a long and ongoing period of awareness before, in a shamanic society, the experience becomes a group thing. A Caapi culture may commune for the purpose of tribal identity (both living and dead), whereas the Nobody of the Abramite session, in my experience, only emboldens their resolve to save (aka mollify, aka erase) me. It's about healing (imploringly.) Why don't I just obey and be greatful (dead)?

[sundrop]

I definitely agree with the criticisms. What stands out most to me is that the people behind this, bar one womyn who was born in Peru, are all coming to this issue from a primarily Western American worldview.... which is really problematic when they are attempting to dictate the way ceremonies are conducted.

Honestly just seems like another group of people out to make money...

[gwalchgwyn]

ESC actually represents a global trend that we've observed over the past 10-20 years, with regard especially to Ayahuasca, but broadened to include any 'ethnobotanical' use of plants.

True the sky-god tendency toward labeling is relevant to the discussion, but more so the patriarchal Judeo-Christian tendency to privilege any label that (to them) represents the underdog - one can only be good in this xenophobic, misogynist world if one wears an identity that needs fixing (aka 'healing'), and in that acceptance, one gets power.

Look, I'm not against the ESC's intentions - they are addressing real problems that have arisen only recently because of the massive increase in the use of Caapi. My issue that I share here is with the source of that massive increase.

Like nothing else, Ayahuasca has during this time grown to messianic proportions in this Aya-cult's resolve to fix the world. As psychotic as trichophiles are, they don't sound like the aya cult. Why not Esphand? I recall an interaction with a man that may enlighten the issue: He was from a fundamentalist Christian background with a modern lean towards what he called "the roots" - as such he was one of a multitude just like him who grew dreads and was really turned on by the rastafarian fashion. Any connection to King David gives license to a person simultaneously of humility creds and authority. So imagine my surprise when the subject of incense came up and I, not a Davidian, mentioned my appreciation for frankincense. Nah, he says with a wave of his hand, and then Palo Santo, with extra enunciation (because evidently to him Spanish automatically gives humility creds as well.) I munched on this for awhile before coming to the realization that South American to him was pioneer ground for a worldview that requires its people to seek out, engage, and ultimately subdue the known world. Frankincense, for all his squawk of "the roots," was passe. I believe that the relatively young awareness of Caapi has stirred the imagination of this cult. This is not the first time that something or someone has come along that might just save the world.

What if one does not accept Original Sin, what then?

I don't know if there is anything to be done about the hordes in the new Aya-cult. Was there any stopping the abusive Inca in their intention to dominate their known world? That only happened when a bigger enemy arrived. All we can do is let it play out. Discuss, sure, but the real solution to the issues addressed by the ESC (overharvesting, charlatanism, etc) will - I predict - only occur when the enthusiasm wanes which will be when the Dennises and the Dianes realize that they are not saving anyone by spreading their Aya-cult.