Concepts of “reality” have many levels, some of which are gained by fasting, and/or the use of certain plants that allow a person to view the past, present or and future. This is especially true for cultures which cherish and practice the oral tradition and thrive among an abundance of flora and fauna, like those located in the Amazon basin of South America. In Ecuador the knowledge of the effects of the various plants in the Amazon basin is held by Shamans. Dr. Juan Martinez, our guest in this edition of Radio Curious, is a Professor of History and Anthropology at the University of Cuenca, in Cuenca, Ecuador. He’s studied, written and lectured about Shamanic practices in the Ecuadorian jungle and the medicinal and spiritual effects of the plants native to the eastern portion of the Amazon basin. Professor Juan Martinez and I visited in his office in Cuenca, Ecuador on November 17, 2005. He began by describing the relationship of the people of Ecuadorian jungle to their worlds, the spiritual world, and the world in which they live on a daily basis. The book Juan Martinez recommends is “Amazon Worlds,” a collected work published by Sinchi Sancha, an indigenous foundation based in Ecuador. Originally Broadcast: December 5, 2005.
Barry Vogel, Esq. is the host and producer. Ignacio Ayala is the assistant producer.
As Radio Curious begins the 33d year of weekly broadcast, we're proud to be a part of the Library of Congress Audio Division. Our interviews cover a curiously wide variety of topics about life and ideas. Currently all of our half-hour, long-form interviews are from the Radio Curious archives. The website is www.radiocurious.org.
We ask that you please let us know if your station airs Radio Curious. If listen on line, please let us know your source. We would like to add you to our list of syndicate stations. Being curious as we are, we do welcome questions, feedback and program ideas.
Thank you for listening. Barry Vogel, Host and Producer
![<?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/rp-navimg.gif)
![Support the <?php echo $config['site_title']; ?>](/static/images/support.png)
