#  Video: Global Ayahuasca: A Book Talk with Anthropologist Alex Gearin 

 





March 26, 2026

 

 

Ayahuasca originated in the Amazon and has long been considered sacred by many Indigenous and mestizo communities across South America. Fueled by the “psychedelic renaissance” and growing interest in its visionary and healing potential, groups serving the psychoactive brew have emerged around the world.

In this conversation, medical anthropologist Alex Gearin joined Jeffrey Breau, Program Lead for Psychedelics and Spirituality, to discuss Gearin’s book *Global Ayahuasca: Wondrous Visions and Modern Worlds* (2024). Drawing on fieldwork in Peru, Australia, and China, Gearin examined ayahuasca’s global spread and challenged universalizing narratives about its nature and uses, offering insight into its diverse contemporary forms.

**ALEX K. GEARIN**  
Alex K. Gearin is a medical anthropologist whose research explores the cultural and experiential dimensions of psychedelic use. He is the author of *Global Ayahuasca* (Stanford University Press, 2024) and serves as Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong.



 

 

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Anthropology ](/topic-tags/anthropology)
- [ psychedelics ](/topic-tags/psychedelics)
- [ Public Health ](/topic-tags/public-health)
- [ Video ](/news-classification/video)
- [ Transcendence and Transformation ](/programming-threads/transcendence-and-transformation)
- [ Spirituality and Psychedelics ](/programming-threads/spirituality-and-psychedelics)
- [ Psychedelics and Ethics ](/programming-threads/psychedelics-and-ethics)
- [ Psychedelics and the Future of Religion ](/programming-threads/psychedelics-and-future-religion)