A study of 256 participants from three ayahuasca healing centers in South and Central America examined changes in the Five-Factor personality traits after ceremonial use of the psychedelic brew. The largest change was a large reduction in Neuroticism, observed in both self-reports and informant reports, with effect sizes ranging from −0.62 to −1.00 across timepoints. Baseline personality, acute experiences during the ceremony, and purging experiences moderated the degree of personality change. The findings suggest that ceremonial ayahuasca use is associated with substantial decreases in emotional instability.
A longitudinal study of 256 participants at three ayahuasca healing centers in South and Central America found that ceremonial ayahuasca use was associated with a large reduction in Neuroticism, a key personality trait linked to emotional stability. This change was observed both in self-reports (effect size d = 1.00 from baseline to post-use, d = 0.85 at three-month follow-up) and in reports from informants (d = 0.62 at follow-up). The degree of personality change was moderated by participants' baseline personality, acute experiences during the ceremony, and purgative experiences. The findings suggest ayahuasca ceremonies may contribute to lasting personality change, particularly in reducing Neuroticism.