June 16, 2025
Jacques Mabit, Fabio Friso, Matteo Politi
1 citation
The psychoactive brew Ayahuasca has a central role in the traditional medicines of the indigenous people of the Amazon basin and in recent decades has generated significant research interest among the academic community along with the revival of psychedelic medicine. The therapeutic community Takiwasi, located in Peru, leads this movement in its dedication to treatment of substance use...
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
May 15, 2025
Marc Sherwin, Fabio Friso, Jörg Fachner et al.
4 citations
Abstract Musico-healing practices play a key role in indigenous and mestizo traditional medicine in the Amazon. The curative songs or icaros used by the curanderos (traditional healers) of the Peruvian Upper Amazon are administered alongside the psychoactive plant decoction ayahuasca in ritual settings. This Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis examines musical experiences of 6 participants...
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
September 1, 2024
Svět Lustig Vijay, Magdalena Harris, Fabio Friso et al.
1 citation
Ayahuasca, an entheogen from the Amazon rainforest, has garnered growing interest for treating substance dependence. To date, there is little research concerning the act of ayahuasca-related purging (mainly vomiting), which is considered to be central to healing during ayahuasca rituals. This study explored practitioner perspectives on purging during ayahuasca rituals at the Takiwasi Center in...
Ecosystems and People
April 18, 2024
David Manuel‐navarrete, Serena Deluca, Fabio Friso et al.
7 citations
The use of psychedelic substances is increasingly associated with nature-relatedness. We explore whether entheogenic uses of ayahuasca in settings co-produced between Indigenous and Western knowledges may also foster relationality and sustainability transformations across ontology, praxis, and epistemology. A survey with 74 English-speaking individuals who attended Amazonian healing ceremonies...
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
2021
Matteo Politi, Fabio Friso, Gary Saucedo et al.
18 citations
Takiwasi is a therapeutic community for the treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) that combines traditional Amazonian medicine (TAM) with modern psychotherapy. One of the plant medicines from TAM used in this protocol is purgahuasca. It is a decoction of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi alone, whose use is traditional among the Awajún and other ethnic groups in Peru. The research began with...
Cultura y Droga
July 1, 2019
Matteo Polit, Fabio Friso, Jacques Mabit
4 citations
Objective. This article aims to offer a vision of the centers at a global level that use derivatives of plants or animals for the treatment of substance use disorders, and to offer a reflection on the concept of drugs as medicinal or toxicant agents depending on the context of use, culture and policy. Methodology. Some practices coming from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas were considered,...
Revista Peruana de Medicina Integrativa
March 25, 2019
Gary Saucedo Rojas, Fabio Friso, Jaime Torres Romero et al.
8 citations
Objetivo. Describir el perfil de usuarios, pacientes atendidos y tratamientos brindados en el Centro Takiwasi por medio del sistema de información PPLUS, entre los años 2013-2018. Materiales y métodos. Estudio descriptivo. De acuerdo con los objetivos bajo los cuales el sistema PPLUS ha sido concebido, se recolectó información sobre la cantidad de registros, número de usuarios del sistema,...
Cultura y Droga
July 3, 2018
Matteo Politi, Fabio Friso, Jacques Mabit
19 citations
Objective. This article aims to give an overview of the major American centers using traditional herbal medicine or their derivatives in the treatment of substance dependence. Methodology. For the purpose of this article we have considered a small number of plants hailing from South, Central and North America. The research has been based on scientific literature, information exchange with...
Horticulture International Journal
May 9, 2018
Matteo Politi, Fabio Friso
9 citations
I The Center for Drug Addiction Treatment and Research on Traditional Medicines -Takiwasi, is a 25 years' Non-Governmental-Organization (NGO) specialized in the treatment of drug addiction and mental health disorders based on modern psychotherapy and biomedical approach, as well as the use of herbal Traditional Amazonian Medicine (TAM). Part of this latter therapeutic resources are obtained...