A rope to heaven

Ayahuasca, meaning vine of the spirit in Quechuan language, also called abuelita by the Peruvian natives, is a very popular hallucinogenic drink in South America. It was used by the Incas more than 1,000 years ago in the region that we know today as Peru.

The drink has been used as an alternative medicine and is sought after by natives and foreigners from different parts of the world, who travel to Peru to use it under the supervision of the shamans, hoping to be cured of psychological trauma and even diseases such as AIDS and cancer.

From the Andes to the Amazon region, I traveled and photographed shamans and shamanic rituals throughout 2015. During this process, I came across surprising stories, such as that of a woman who had left Spain with her friends to perform a ritual, hoping to cure a terminal cancer.