Ayahuasca Users in Estonia: Ceremonial Practices, Subjective Long-Term Effects, Mental Health, and Quality of Life.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2020 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2020.1748773 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional case-controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 60 |
| Population | Ayahuasca users and nonusers in Estonia matched by gender, age, and education |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Ceremony Mental health Neoshamanism Psychedelics Quality of life |
| Citations | 31 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca users in Estonia showed lower depression and anxiety screening indicators and no deterioration of mental health compared to matched nonusers. |
Abstract
The study aims to describe ayahuasca users in Estonia and compare their mental health and quality of life to those of nonusers. Ceremonial practices, motivation for ayahuasca use, use-related experiences, and subjective consequences of use are described. We conducted a cross-sectional case-controlled study of thirty ayahuasca users and thirty nonusers matched by gender, age, and education. The participants completed questionnaires, standardized psychometric tests, and neuropsychiatric interviews. Ayahuasca use in Estonia occurred mainly in (neo)shamanic group ceremonies. The main motives for ayahuasca use were spiritual development, self-knowledge, and spiritual experiences. The users reported mostly positive subjective consequences of ayahuasca use for their health and life. However, some difficult experiences and adverse effects were reported. No abuse of ayahuasca or addiction to it was found. Screening test indicators of depression and anxiety were lower in the ayahuasca-using group. No deterioration of the mental health of ayahuasca users in comparison to nonusers was found. The participants perceive their use of ayahuasca as a spiritual practice with mostly favorable outcomes for their health and life. They also perceive ayahuasca use in Estonia as a reasonably safe and self-limiting form of spiritual practice.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 4,285 |
| Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. Ayahuasca users from more than 50 countries who completed an online survey | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 10,836 |
| Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment. Adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect and matched controls | 2005 | Controlled cross-sectional study | n = 80 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey People with cluster headache | 2015 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 496 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 29
- Predicting Reactions to Psychedelic Drugs: A Systematic Review of States and Traits Related to Acute Drug Effects. ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science March 5, 2021
- On the Relationship between Classic Psychedelics and Suicidality: A Systematic Review ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science March 11, 2021
- Chemical Composition of Traditional and Analog Ayahuasca Journal of Psychoactive Drugs September 8, 2020
- Changes in mental health, wellbeing and personality following ayahuasca consumption: Results of a naturalistic longitudinal study. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2022
- Motives for the use of serotonergic psychedelics: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Review September 1, 2022
and 24 more in the library
Cites 27
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 18, 2003
- Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Current Drug Abuse Reviews June 1, 2013
- Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study PLoS One August 8, 2012
- Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Psychopharmacology February 22, 2001
and 22 more in the library