Ferment Radio

Microbes and Other Shamanic Beings

Missionaries and explorers who arrived in the Americas in the 17th century interpreted what they encountered through their own viewpoint and interests. In this way, local shamanism was mostly understood in reference to spirits and souls; concepts that were present at that time in medieval Europe. But what would happen if we attempted to comprehend shamanism differently?

The work of César Enrique Giraldo Herrera, a biologist, anthropologist and a PhD in Social Anthropology, questions our views on Amerindian shamanism and its colonial interpretation. He proposes that there is a much closer relationship between shamanic practices and microbiology than we could think. César wrote a book about this fascinating topic. It’s called “Microbes and Other Shamanic Beings”, and he’s our guest on the 22nd episode of Ferment Radio. 

Credits
Producer & Host: Agnieszka Pokrywka
Guest: César Enrique Giraldo Herrera
Sound recording & editing: Lucio Celomundo
Visuals: Super Eclectic

*The podcast has been recorded at the Helsinki Open Waves performance & recording room located at Caisa & the guest had online participation.

**The views expressed in this podcast and texts are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the view of Helsinki Open Waves.  

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