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artistic,” (Fotiou, 2016, p. 156). There is a western obsession with the “other” that leads to tourists seeking out

that exoticness, and is one of the main reasons for their travels (Fotiou, 2010). This is not always a bad thing,

but it can create expectations that cultures feel the need to live up to, thereby placing less value on their actual

culture and traditions. The exoticness is then heightened by the mysterious facade of an ancient civilization

and its sacred practices. Sometimes when constructing this ambiance, even eastern spirituality is often used

because the Western imagination of the exotic spiritual “other” usually has east Asian influences (Fotiou,

2010). This is simply an example of the narrative that is written around shamanic experiences in Peru, to the

point that the practices may not even be entirely Peruvian.

Another large draw surrounding the exotic is the use of Ayahuasca and San Pedro, which have

dominated the conversation around the commercialization of shamanism mainly because of its large draw as a

spiritual and hallucinogenic experience. Ayahuasca is a practice that comes from the Amazon jungle but due

to its increasing popularity has now moved to the highlands to large tourist cities like Cusco (Kordova &

Ventegodt, 2016). There is archaeological evidence for use of San Pedro many years before the conquistadors

arrived and now it has become, along with Ayahuasca, not only an important healing ritual but a tourist

attraction as well (Glass-Coffin, 2010). The fact that Ayahuasca comes from the jungle, a place seen as wild

and mysterious, full of uncontacted peoples where the western world has yet to conquer further adds to the

exotic ambiance that tourists are looking for when they come to Peru. With the decline of the Shining Path

there is safer to access the jungle, leading to a rise in tourists going there for wildlife experiences and

Ayahuasca retreats (Fotiou, 2010).

Because it is more potent and more widely talked about, Ayahuasca remains more popular for tourists

and therefore has had more influence on the commercialization of shamanism. Ayahuasca is used not only a

pretext to use drug but a way for people to seek a new start, to go on what they imagine as a pilgrimage, but

many tourists try it just to experience its hallucinogenic effects (Fotiou, 2010). This is where rituals can

become dangerous to tourists. The use of Ayahuasca rituals differs immensely from person to person, with

many giving it to anyone who can pay but with some going through a month-long process (Kordova &

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