A dream about spiritual appropriation

After writing all that yesterday, I remembered a dream I had, back in 2001, I think, maybe 2002. In the dream, I was in a big community center somewhere in the US. An anthropologist friend who works with indigenous tribes in the Peruvian Amazon had brought me there, because there was a new kind of hallucinogen there that he wanted to try. We went into the main hall, which was mostly empty except for some tables up at the front. The drug was there in some flat, chalky cakes. He broke off a piece and ate it, saying that he had heard it was stronger than anything else. I didn't take any, because I was afraid of trying something so strong. We walked around outside, and he grew quieter and quieter, disappearing into his own inner world. He finally said, "This wasn't a good idea," and went back to his home to finish his trip.

I went back into the community center, which was now filling up with people, well-off white folks. They were gathering for a ritual in which they would take the hallucinogen. They were all dressed up in palm frond and feather headdresses, shell jewelry, trying to look like Amazonian Indians. I wasn't there for the ritual; I only found out that it was happening by wandering around the room listening to people. I kept looking around at all these people and thinking it wasn't right for them to dress up like that, pretending to be something they weren't, and stand around chattering and gossiping as they were. I thought it would be better if they were quiet and meditative, preparing for the inner journey they were about to take. Putting on certain clothes wouldn't make the ritual be a good one. But I didn't say anything. I walked past a group of women, and overheard one of them saying, "I'm so glad none of those hyper-rational scientist types are here!" I grabbed her and wrestled her down to the ground. I wanted to really get in her face. I had both her shoulders pinned to the ground, and I was leaning over her, pushing my face towards hers. In a wicked, TV-villain kind of voice, I said, "I'm a scientist, and I'm here!" Then I laughed a "bwahahaha" kind of TV-villain laugh, and then I woke up.

Might be something.