A review by miocenemama
The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge by Jeremy Narby

4.0

This was a very interesting book. Written in the first person, the author describes his experiences with the shamanic culture of the Amazon and their use of ayahuasca to gain knowledge. Comparing various fields such as anthropology, biochemistry, biology, and physics, Narby makes comparisons between the cosmic serpents and celestial ladder so prominent in diverse shamanic cultures to DNA. He has some intriguing hypotheses about "junk DNA" and parallels between scientific discoveries and the visions of the ayahuasqueros. I'm not sure how I feel about all of his conclusions, but I am fascinated about all the parallels he finds. I do agree that we need to take a broader look in science and not just try to pigeon-hole or limit ourselves to one particular field. I like the wholistic approach he takes and the validation he gives indigenous culture. He talks about the need for natives to have more control over intellectual properties as far as the use of native plants goes. Pharmaceutical companies take the native plants and simulate the molecular components giving almost nothing to the indigenous people that have shared their knowledge. I like that he tries to understand rather than just dismiss the belief system that has been passed down through generations. He discusses the problems of indigenous people trying to live in the competitive world that is the modern age and even discusses the problems of using western schooling to try and teach people who have such a different way of learning. As I read this book, I found myself wondering how many of these native lands remained unplundered. The native Amazonian people and their cultures are under constant attack by governments and institutions who claim that they are not adequately using their resources. Part of Narby's original intent was to show how efficiently their resources were being used. Narby is not an expert in the scientific areas that he uses to find the links, but he does extensive research and gives us a lot to think about. My biggest concern would be that we often find the evidence most likely to support our predisposed conclusions and I wonder if that might not be the case with some of what he has come up with. Still, it is fascinating and his conclusions certainly left me with a lot to contemplate.