Peyote as Earth Medicine: Examining How Symbolic Meanings Shape Experiences With Psychedelics

Abstract Narrative criminology prioritizes personal narratives for explaining past behaviours and shaping future decisions. Using this perspective, we rely on data from a photo-ethnography with people who use peyote in religious ceremonies to understand how their discourses about peyote shape their experiences with it. We find that participants define peyote as an ‘earth medicine’ that helps with healing (physical, spiritual and psychological) and thus should be respected. This narrative dictates how and when they use it (e.g. with intention and not recreationally), distances from other drugs (which are regarded as harmful) and directs their physiological experiences. Findings suggest that the symbolic meaning associated with specific drugs justifies using it and directs and encourages continued use. Thus, understanding drug use requires examining how discourse about specific drugs are incorporated into personal narratives.