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“Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: Enhanced visual imagery after ayahuasca intake in a man with “blind imagination” (aphantasia)

Rafael G. Dos Santos, Scotty Enyart, José Carlos Bouso, Òscar Parés, Jaime E. C. Hallak

Journal of Psychedelic Studies July 25, 2018 DOI: 10.1556/2054.2018.008 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Case study Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 1
Population A man self-diagnosed with long-lasting aphantasia
Intervention Ayahuasca
Dose single dose
Topics Ayahuasca LSD Psilocybin
Keywords Hallucinogen Mental image Dissociative
Citations 18
Key findings A single dose of ayahuasca was associated with sustained improvements in visual imagery in a man with aphantasia.

Abstract

Aphantasia ("blind imagination") is a poorly described condition with an uncertain etiology, characterized by reduced or lack of voluntary visual imagery. Preliminary evidence in humans suggests that hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs that act as agonists of cortical 5-HT2A receptors [lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin, and dimethyltryptamine (DMT)] enhance visual imagery. Interview and description of the case are presented in this study. A man self-diagnosed with long-lasting aphantasia that he attributed to a traumatic separation from his father when he was young and to a difficult relationship with him described sustained improvements in his visual imagery following ingestion of a single dose of the South American botanical hallucinogen ayahuasca, which is rich in DMT. Although improvements were modest, they were sustained and significative for the subject. It is suggested that the described improvements were possibly attributed to biological and psychological processes, including stimulation of cortical 5-HT2A receptors, subsequent increased activity in the visual cortex, enhanced imaginative and imagery capacities, and psychosomatic resolution of a previous psychological trauma. Further trials could elucidate the role of 5-HT2A agonists, especially ayahuasca, in aphantasia.

Comparable studies

Other case reports and case series on ayahuasca, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
A fatal intoxication following the ingestion of 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine in an ayahuasca preparation. 25-year-old white male 2005 Case study n = 1
The Diaspora of Brazilian Religions 2013 Ethnographic case studies
EEG Gamma Coherence and Other Correlates of Subjective Reports During Ayahuasca Experiences Experienced ayahuasca users 2005 Exploratory case series n = 2
Reply to “Ayahuasca turned on my mind’s eye”: A case of acquired versus congenital aphantasia, as evidenced with DMT use? Individual with apparent congenital aphantasia 2018 Case study n = 1
Light microscopy can reveal the consumption of a mixture of psychotropic plant and fungal material in suspicious death. Deceased young man who participated in an ayahuasca ceremony 2015 Case study n = 1

Citations in the library

Cited by 8

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Cites 5

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