Peyote Way: Background and Cultural Context
The term “Peyote Religion” describes a wide range of spiritual practices primarily from tribes of the American Southwest that has expanded into a kind of pan-Indian movement under the auspices of the Native American Church (NAC). Peyote Religion, formally recognized as the Native American Church (NAC), incorporates the ritual use of peyote, the small spineless peyote cactus Lophophora williamsii, into its spiritual and healing ceremonies. The Peyote Ceremony is led by a recognized practitioner who is referred to as a Roadman, who is sponsored by an individual or family requesting a ceremony, usually for some specific need or healing or to recognize some event, such as a birthday or an important life transition.
Derived from the Aztec word Péyotl, the Peyote Way religions have expanded their spheres of influence from an area around the Rio Grande Valley, along the current US-Mexico border, to Indigenous groups throughout Central and North...
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Voss, R.W., Prue, R. (2014). Peyote Religion. In: Leeming, D.A. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6086-2_506
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