Drug Tourism or Spiritual Healing? Ayahuasca Seekers in Amazonia
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs June 1, 2005 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2005.10399803 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Westerners participating in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Transpersonal Personal development Tourism Spirituality Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 156 |
| Key findings | Participants' motivations and perceived benefits center on spiritual, therapeutic, and transpersonal concerns rather than drug tourism. |
Abstract
This research addresses the question of whether Westerners who seek traditional spiritual medicine known as ayahuasca can be best characterized as "drug tourists" or as people pursuing spiritual and therapeutic opportunities. Participants in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia were interviewed regarding their motivations for participation and the benefits they felt that they received. These findings from the interviews were organized to reveal common motivations and benefits. Contrary to the characterization as "drug tourists", the principal motivations can be characterized as: seeking spiritual relations and personal spiritual development; emotional healing; and the development of personal self-awareness, including contact with a sacred nature, God, spirits and plant and natural energies produced by the ayahuasca. The motivation and perceived benefits both point to transpersonal concerns, with the principal perceived benefits involving increased self awareness, insights and access to deeper levels of the self that enhanced personal development and the higher self, providing personal direction in life.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The antipodes Of the mind Indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and... | 2002 | Qualitative study | |
| Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... | 2014 | Qualitative study | n = 29 |
| Nourishing the Spirit: Exploratory Research on Ayahuasca Experiences along the Continuum of Recovery from Eating Disorders Individuals previously diagnosed with an eating disorder | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 16 |
| Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 11 |
| Experiences of Encounters with Ayahuasca—“the Vine of the Soul” Northern European adults with experiences of group ayahuasca sessions | 2009 | Qualitative study | n = 25 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 94
- Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 15, 2018
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
- The globalization of ayahuasca: Harm reduction or benefit maximization? International Journal of Drug Policy December 5, 2006
- Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness Current Neuropharmacology March 2, 2018
- A critical review of reports of endogenous psychedelic N, N-dimethyltryptamines in humans: 1955-2010. Drug Testing and Analysis 2012
and 89 more in the library
Cites 3
- Sociopsychotherapeutic Functions of Ayahuasca Healing in Amazonia Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 1989
- A reinvenção do uso da ayahuasca nos centros urbanos April 27, 2000
- Psychointegrators: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Therapeutic Effects of Hallucinogens Complementary health practice review July 1, 2001