CultNEWS101 Articles: 7/10/2021
Patrick Ryan
"The People’s Temple and NXIVM stand as two of the most terrifying testaments to the cruel, violent and deadly nature of cults. These organizations—led by the charismatic and manipulative figures Jim Jones and Keith Raniere, respectively—showcase how even the most well-informed and intelligent individuals can fall prey to the insidious tactics of cultic leaders."
The psychotropic allure of the ayahuasca plant for hundreds of thousands of non-Indigenous consciousness seekers is raising many concerns." ... In the spring of 2018, a double murder in the Peruvian Amazon rocked the ayahuasca shamanic community and cast a dark shadow on the hallucinogenic brew. Olivia Arevalo, a beloved 95-year-old curandero, was killed by a Canadian ayahuasca tourist named Sebastian Woodroffe. The death of Arevalo, heralded as the grandmother of the Shipibo-Kobibo tribe, caused outrage among the community, and Woodroffe was lynched by a mob.
These incidents sparked widespread debates about non-Indigenous tourists flocking to the Amazon to imbibe the psychedelic tea: Spiritual seekers don’t always respect boundaries and processes set by local healers – the above incident being an extreme example.
Namely, as anthropologist Veronica Davidov points out, as the use of ayahuasca increases among non-Indigenous individuals, the creation of “entheogen tourism” – travel for the purposes of spiritual awakenings – raises questions about the importance of spiritual contexts in these ceremonies.
As Peruvian archaeologist and healer Ruben Orellana argues, ayahuasca rituals were developed within particular cultural contexts for Indigenous peoples. Without context, non-Indigenous seekers can veer into the territory of cultural appropriation at best, while also exposing themselves to the mental and physical health risks of the psychedelic brew.
Spiritual tourism critics also note that many of the lodges are not owned by locals and that the influx of tourists has had a negative effect on the ecosystem. Local economies don’t always benefit from the capital flowing into the area when outsiders become the middle man, even while local resources are being consumed.
Not only are the intricacies of the cultural experience not always respected or appreciated, but the ecosystem suffers from this entheogen tourism when demand for the plant results in overharvesting of the Banisteriopisis caapi vines of the ayahuasca trees."
"Jehovah’s Witness prisoner of conscience Dmitry Terebilov, who has been serving a sentence in a strict-regime labour camp (penal colony) in Kostroma Region, is currently on trial again for having answered questions about his faith from a fellow prisoner. The camp administration has recordings of his conversations. If found guilty, he could receive a further sentence of several years, on top of his present 3-year term.
There have so far been seven hearings, all postponed or adjourned for a variety of reasons. Terebilov is next due to appear in court on 8 August.
Investigators charged 44-year-old Terebilov with “Inclination, recruitment or other involvement of a person in an extremist organisation” (Criminal Code Article 282.2, Part 1.1) and “Participating in a banned extremist organisation” (Article 282.2, Part 2) in December 2023 when he was already jailed."
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