Luis Eduardo Luna

Luis Eduardo Luna is a Colombian anthropologist and author, known for his extensive work on Amazonian shamanism and ayahuasca. He is the co-founder and director of the Research Center for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art and Consciousness, and is a distinguished member of the International Society for Ethnopharmacology.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Luis Eduardo Luna was born in Florence, Colombia. He completed his undergraduate studies in Philosophy and Literature at the Complutense University of Madrid. Luna later obtained his Ph.D. in Anthropology from the Stockholm University, where his dissertation focused on the use of ayahuasca in the Peruvian Amazon.

Career[edit | edit source]

Luna has dedicated his career to the study of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology, with a particular focus on the traditional use of ayahuasca in the Amazon region. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in the Peruvian Amazon, documenting the practices and beliefs of indigenous communities.

In 1986, Luna co-founded the Research Center for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art and Consciousness with fellow anthropologist Pablo Amaringo. The center aims to study and promote the understanding of psychointegrator plants and their role in human consciousness.

Luna has authored several books and articles on the subject of Amazonian shamanism and the use of ayahuasca. His most notable works include Vegetalismo: Shamanism Among the Mestizo Population of the Peruvian Amazon (1986), and Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian Shaman (1991), co-authored with Pablo Amaringo.

Recognition[edit | edit source]

Luna's contributions to the field of ethnopharmacology have been recognized by the International Society for Ethnopharmacology, where he is a distinguished member. His work has also been acknowledged by the Heffter Research Institute, which awarded him the Heffter Award of Excellence in 2016.