Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results
Anja Loizaga-Velder, Rolf Verres
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2014 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2013.873157 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted therapy for addictions in South America |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca-assisted therapy |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Psychotherapist Indigenous Qualitative research Hallucinogen Clinical psychology Traditional medicine |
| Citations | 154 |
| Key findings | Ayahuasca can serve as a valuable therapeutic tool that, in carefully structured settings, catalyzes neurobiological and psychological processes supporting recovery from substance dependencies and relapse prevention. |
Abstract
This qualitative empirical study explores the ritual use of ayahuasca in the treatment of addictions. Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychedelic plant compound created from an admixture of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the bush Psychotria viridis. The study included interviews with 13 therapists who apply ayahuasca professionally in the treatment of addictions (four indigenous healers and nine Western mental health professionals with university degrees), two expert researchers, and 14 individuals who had undergone ayahuasca-assisted therapy for addictions in diverse contexts in South America. The study provides empirically based hypotheses on therapeutic mechanisms of ayahuasca in substance dependence treatment. Findings indicate that ayahuasca can serve as a valuable therapeutic tool that, in carefully structured settings, can catalyze neurobiological and psychological processes that support recovery from substance dependencies and the prevention of relapse. Treatment outcomes, however, can be influenced by a number of variables that are explained in this study. In addition, issues related to ritual transfer and strategies for minimizing undesired side-effects are discussed.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for a synthesis in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Findings indicate that ayahuasca can serve as a valuable therapeutic tool that, in carefully structured settings, can catalyze neurobiological and psychological processes supporting recovery from substance dependencies and relapse prevention.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| A phenomenological analysis of the subjective experience elicited by ibogaine in the context of a drug dependence treatment Patients with substance-related disorders | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 22 |
| Is Ayahuasca an Option for the Treatment of Crack Cocaine Dependence? Crack cocaine users in Brazil | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |
| Traditional Use of Banisteriopsis caapi Alone and Its Application in a Context of Drug Addiction Therapy. Patients with substance use disorders at Takiwasi therapeutic community | 2021 | Qualitative study with clinical data analysis | n = 359 |
| Therapeutic Potential Ascribed to Ayahuasca by Users in the Czech Republic Users and facilitators of ayahuasca rituals in the Czech Republic | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 46 |