Itamar Zadoff is a Ph.D. candidate at the department of Asian Studies, University of Haifa with a collaborative affiliation at the Faculty of Social Studies, Doshisha University, Kyoto. His research explores the psychedelic communities in Israel and Japan and their cultural footprint, focusing on how rituals, communal practices, and spiritual traditions shape social identities and cultural narratives. Investigating the intersection of cultural heritage, social structures, and psychedelic movements using fieldwork and cultural studies theory.

Revolutionizing with Antiquity: Glocalized Ayahuasca Rituals in Japan and Israel

Since the spread of Ayahuasca from the Amazonas to the Western world, it has been adapted to local moral values, beliefs, and cultural nuances in places far beyond its origin. This presentation compares two case studies—one in a Jewish ultra-orthodox setting in Israel and another inspired by Ko-Shinto traditions in Okinawa, Japan—to reveal how global ayahuasca use is reshaped within specific cultural and religious contexts. By comparing these two cases, we gain new insights into the internationalization of ayahuasca as it transcends borders, transforms belief systems, and is redefined by spiritual paradigms around the world.

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