Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant brew from the Amazon made from Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a DMT-containing plant like Psychotria viridis, has attracted growing interest since the year 2000. This review covers its history, pharmacology, and the phenomenological responses it produces. Anecdotal reports range from positive to accounts of physical and psychological harm. The authors discuss effects on personality and mental health, and examine phenomenological analyses of the experience. They conclude that ayahuasca is a promising psychedelic agent deserving more empirical research into its neurochemical mechanisms and potential therapeutic use.
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew from the Amazon Rainforest made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a DMT-containing plant like Psychotria viridis, has seen a surge in global interest since 2000. This review covers its history, pharmacology, and phenomenological effects, as well as clinical applications. Tourists increasingly travel to the Amazon to consume it, and retreat centers offering plant medicine have become a thriving business. Anecdotal reports range from evangelical accounts to stories of physical and psychological harm. The brew shows promise as a psychedelic agent warranting more empirical research into its neurochemical mechanisms and therapeutic uses.
Physical touch is often used as a supportive tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but participants under the influence of psychedelics have reduced capacity to consent and are more suggestible. Interviews with 16 researchers revealed three themes: flexible frameworks, therapeutic alliance, and boundary management. Researchers noted that consent to therapeutic touch should be established before dosing sessions and continually managed. Flexibility in consent protocols helped build therapeutic alliance but also created challenges in boundary management. Researchers emphasized the need for clearer ethical guidelines for handling changing preferences during dosing sessions and limits on expanding consent after drug administration.