Yanomamö religion

The Yanomamö believe that the earth consists of four parallel planes or layers. The upper-most layer is empty but was once occupied by ancient beings that descended to lower layers. The second layer is the home of spirits of dead men and women, and it resembles the earth. Except the hunting is better, the food tastier, and the spirits of people are young and beautiful. The third layer is the earth, and below the earth is the fourth layer, or underworld. In the underworld lives the Amahi-teri, ancient spirits that bring harm to living humans. The Yanomamö have multiple souls that exist in a complex relation to one another.

All shamans, the priest of the village, can use demons over which they have personal control to cure or cause illnesses. Catholic missionaries have been in steady contact with the Yanomamö since the late 1950s but have had very little success.

The Yanomamö smoke a hallucinogenic drug called Yopo. Yopo is made by grinding several natural roots and vines that are gathered in the rainforest. Smoking the drug is very painful, causing blinding pains in the head and nausea. After they have achieved a trance state, they communicate with the spirit world and relate what they are seeing with chanting and dancing. The Yopo is taken by being forcibly blown into the nasal cavities by another person by means of a long pipe like object.

Above is a picture of a Shaman of a village, they are recognised by the make-up put on their face.