Subjective Configurations in Cacao Ceremonies

A Theoretical Analysis from a Latin American Cultural-Historical Psychology Perspective

Dados Bibliográficos

ID5654596
AutoresRodolfo Valle-Kendall, Rodolfo Bastián Valle-Kendall (0000-0001-6592-4210, University of Tarapacá, autor correspondente), Carlos Piñones Rivera (0000-0002-4771-3345, University of Tarapacá)
Ano2025
Volume16
Fascículo10
Páginas1322
Data de publicação2025-10-20
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoReligions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
EditoraMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel16101322
OpenAlexW4415361761
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas41

This article explores the heuristic potential of González-Rey's theory of subjectivity and its use in theorizing neo-shamanic rituals, focusing on the case of the cacao ceremony. In the context of the growing popularity of contemporary spiritual practices, it examines how these rituals may contribute to the well-being of participants, serving as spaces for subjective reconfiguration. Through a theoretical-interpretive analysis and a critical review of the existing literature, the concepts of subjective configuration and subjective sense are explored as analytical tools. It is argued that (1) cacao functions as a symbolic mediator that facilitates the production of new subjective senses; (2) ritual practices allow for both the emergence and the dynamic stabilization of subjective configurations; (3) shamans act as mediators of subjectivation through discursive, material, and emotional practices; and (4) these processes are not mechanically determined by the social context but rather emerge as singular productions, which are historically situated and liable to indetermination. Finally, the article reflects on the ambivalence of this ritual, which is capable of fostering subjective transformations as well as reproducing neoliberal logics

Ambivalence · Latin Americans · Popularity · Situated · Subjectivity · Culinary Culture and Tourism · Diverse multidisciplinary academic research