Learn about native Amazonian practices of drinking ayahuasca for healing and consciousness expansion.
Taught by world renowned anthropologist Glenn H. Shepard Jr. Ph.D., this course offers a profound journey into the often misunderstood realms of shamanic healing, culture and knowledge.
In this short course, you’ll learn about:
- Global shamanic techniques of healing and consciousness expansion
- Common uses of ayahuasca among native Amazonian people
- How culture, ecology and belief entwine in native healing techniques
- What shamans mean when they say ayahuasca offers “True Seeing” and a clear, pure window onto reality.
“Glenn Shepard is an outstanding anthropologist specializing in Amazonian shamanism and ayahuasca. This online course he has designed will surely be of wide interest to anyone interested in psychedelics and shamanism.”
Michael Harner, PhD. Author of the book: The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing
There is a special alliance between plants, culture and consciousness in the shamanic techniques of native people of the Amazon rainforest. In this course, Glenn H. Shepard teaches us about the importance of nature and ecology for shamanic understandings of reality and healing. You’ll also learn about how techniques of native shamanism are transforming and adapting in global society.
The course begins with fast-paced lessons about how Western society has largely misunderstood shamanism for over 100 years. This sets the backdrop for teachings about how psychedelic plants and fungi have been used by humans for thousands of years in different parts of the globe.
Dr. Shepard draws upon his 30 years of research in the Amazon rainforest and other parts of the world. He offers advanced understandings of the intelligence and artistry within so-called “tribal” techniques of psychedelic healing and consciousness expansion.
Course Overview
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01
Course Introduction
Show details- Introduction
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02
The Anthropology of Shamanism
Show details- “The Shaman as Neurotic”: Early Anthropological (Mis)understandings (7:42)
- “Techniques of Ecstasy”: Early Anthropological (Mis)understandings (7:13)
- A Prehistory of Psychoactive Plants in The Americas (6:25)
- The Most Important Shamanic Plant in the Americas (10:25)
- Shamanism Goes Global: The Psychedelic 1950s and 1960s (7:17)
- Shamanism Goes Global: Brazilian Ayahuasca Religions and Vegetalismo (7:31)
- Will the Real Ayahuasca Shaman Please Stand Up (11:14)
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03
Ayahuasca and Shamanism in South America
Show details- Before Ayahuasca: The Diversity of Psychoactive Preparations (10:28)
- Toé: The Ultimate Poison and Medicine (12:41)
- The Expansion of Ayahuasca Among Indigenous Peoples (6:05)
- Different Ayahuasca Preparations (9:18)
- Psychoactive Plants in Medicine & Shamanism (11:32)
- The International Ayahuasca Expansion (7:02)
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04
Health, Medicine and Ethnobotany in The Amazon
Show details- Concepts of Well-being: Ecology, Society and the Self (12:22)
- How Cultural Beliefs Can Heal: Body, Soul, Substance, Cosmos (9:25)
- Medicine, Botany and The Senses: Introducing the Matsigenka and Yora (3:31)
- Comparing Matsigenka and Yora Plant Medicine Systems (10:11)
- Indigenous Understandings of Illness and Healing (9:14)
- Love Magic and Homeopathic Shamans (7:53)
- Ayahuasca, Reality and “True Seeing” (5:56)
- Integrating Ecological, Bodily, Spiritual and Social Healing (4:21)
Glenn H. Shepard, Jr. (PhD) Anthropologist
Meet Your Instructor
Glenn H. Shepard, Jr., is an anthropologist and ethnobotanist who has worked with diverse indigenous groups of Peru, Brazil, and Mexico and speaks more than ten languages. He received his Ph.D in medical anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1999. His doctoral research focused on herbal medicine, emotions and shamanism, including ayahuasca use, among two neighbouring Amazonian cultures in the remote Peruvian Amazon: the Matsigenka and the Piro. He first began researching shamanism and ayahuasca among indigenous Amazonian groups in the late 1980s. He has published widely on shamanism, psychoactive botanicals, medical anthropology, human ecology, and indigenous environmental knowledge. He is currently a curator and researcher in indigenous ethnology at the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi in Belem do Pará, Brazil.
FAQs
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Do I Need to Start the Courses at a Particular Time or Place?
No, all Kahpi courses are online, and you can take them from any place where you have an internet connection. All the teachings are pre-recorded so you can watch them at any time that works for you. You can also enjoy all the lessons on your phone and tablet.
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How Much Time Do I Need to Complete The Kahpi Courses?
We currently have 12 Courses for you to browse and learn from. Each course consists of several hours of teachings that are split into many 10 minute lessons. You can navigate the course panel in an easy-to-use way and choose whichever lessons you wish.
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Can I Buy Each Course Separately?
The courses cannot be purchased individually. With a Kahpi membership, you'll get full access to all the Kahpi courses.
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What Does the Kahpi Membership Include?
The Kahpi Membership includes: 1. Full access to all the Kahpi courses 2. An exclusive monthly newsletter with information about new Kahpi articles, scientific and cultural studies, and more, 3. A copy of our E-Booklet, "The Kahpi Guide to Ayahuasca", and 4. Access to the Members-only discussion forums for each Kahpi course. There are two great options to become a member and receive all of the above: You can become a Monthly Member or a Lifetime Member.
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What if I Find Technology Difficult to Use?
It's very simple to browse and watch the Kahpi courses. Once you signup or login, you are taken directly to your courses and can simply choose which lessons to watch. If you ever have any questions, our team can assist you immediately.
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Is it Safe to Pay By Credit Card Online?
We use industry-standard encryption to protect your credit card details throughout the checkout process. Your information is never shared with anyone, and we won’t be able to see your credit card details. We take your online security extremely seriously. If you don’t like paying by credit card online, you can also pay with your PayPal account.
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What Should I Do When I Complete My Learning?
It's very simple to cancel your Monthly Membership at anytime you wish. Students of Lifetime Membership can easily revisit lessons in the future to help with integration and the longer path of ayahuasca.
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Am I eligible for a refund?
Am I eligible for a refund? If you’re not 100% satisfied, we offer a 10-day money-back guarantee for purchasers of the Monthly Membership or Lifetime Membership, no questions asked.