Examining Changes in Personality Following Shamanic Ceremonial Use of Ayahuasca
Brandon Weiss, Joshua D. Miller, Nathan T. Carter, W. Keith Campbell
Research Square (Research Square) November 30, 2020 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-111130/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 256 |
| Population | Participants from three ayahuasca healing and spiritual centers in South and Central America |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | 3-month follow-up |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Shamanism |
| Keywords | Personality Neuroticism Moderation Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | The most pronounced change was a reduction in Neuroticism, reflected in both self-report and informant-report data, with moderation by baseline personality, acute experiences, and purgative experiences. |
Abstract
Abstract The present study examines the association between the ceremonial use of ayahuasca – a decoction combining the Banistereopsis caapi vine and N,N Dimethyltryptamine-containing plants – and changes in personality traits as conceived by the Five-Factor model (FFM); as well as the degree to which demographic characteristics, baseline personality, and acute post-ayahuasca experiences affect personality change.
Method: Participants recruited from three ayahuasca healing and spiritual centers in South and Central America (N=256) completed self-report measures of personality at three timepoints (Baseline, Post, 3-Month Follow-up). Informant-report measures of the FFM were also obtained (N=110).
Results: Linear mixed models were used to examine changes in personality and the moderation of those changes by covariates. The most pronounced change was a reduction in Neuroticism d self-reportT1-T2 =1.00; d self-reportT1-T3 =.85; d informant-reportT1-T3 =.62), reflected in self- and informant-report data. Moderation of personality change by baseline personality, acute experiences, and purgative experiences was also observed.