Examining Changes in Personality Following Shamanic Ceremonial Use of Ayahuasca
Brandon Weiss, Joshua D. Miller, Nathan T. Carter, W. Keith Campbell
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.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on shamanism, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Psychedelic Science of Spirituality and Religion: An Attachment-Informed Agenda Proposal December 25, 2021
- Synthesizing Attachment Theory with the REBUS Model The Oxford Handbook of Psychedelic, Religious, Spiritual, and Mystical Experiences December 18, 2024
- Embracing Change: Impermanence Acceptance Mediates Differences in Death Processing Between Ayahuasca Users and Non-users July 28, 2024
- Psychotherapeutic and neurobiological processes associated with ayahuasca’s mental health and wellbeing outcomes: a proposed model and implications for therapeutic use February 14, 2022
- Expectancy effects cannot be neglected in MDMA-assisted therapy research
Cites 19
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up. Psychopharmacology November 8, 2017
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Mystical experiences occasioned by the hallucinogen psilocybin lead to increases in the personality domain of openness Journal of Psychopharmacology September 28, 2011
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
and 14 more in the library