Ayahuasca and Spiritual Crisis: Liminality as Space for Personal Growth
Anthropology of Consciousness September 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1111/j.1556-3537.2008.00006.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Western ayahuasca users who experienced psychological distress following ceremonies |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Liminality Transformative learning Distress Ethnography Indigenous Psychotherapist |
| Citations | 40 |
| Key findings | Western ayahuasca users' psychological distress following ceremonies can be understood as spiritual emergencies, and psychotherapy can help them make meaning of these crises. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT There is an increased controversy surrounding Westerners' use of ayahuasca. One issue of importance is psychological resiliency of users and lack of screening by ayahuasca tourism groups in the Amazon. Given the powerful effects of ayahuasca coupled with lack of cultural support, Western users are at increased risk for psychological distress. Many Westerners who experience psychological distress following ayahuasca ceremonies report concurrently profound spiritual experiences. Because of this, it may be helpful to consider these episodes “spiritual emergencies,” or crises resulting from intense and transformative spiritual experiences. Although the author warns readers to avoid romantic comparisons of Western ayahuasca users to shamans, ethnographic data on indigenous shamanic initiates along with theory on liminality may be of some use to understand difficult experiences that accompany ayahuasca use. Given that psychotherapy is culturally sanctioned, therapists trained in treating spiritual crises can help Western ayahuasca users make meaning of their distress. Three case studies are offered as examples of individuals working through various sorts of crises following ayahuasca ceremonies.
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 | |
| Drug Tourism or Spiritual Healing? Ayahuasca Seekers in Amazonia Westerners participating in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia | 2005 | 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 18
- Psychedelic Communitas: Intersubjective Experience During Psychedelic Group Sessions Predicts Enduring Changes in Psychological Wellbeing and Social Connectedness. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 25, 2021
- Ayahuasca Tourism: Participants in Shamanic Rituals and their Personality Styles, Motivation, Benefits and Risks Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 20, 2015
- Potential Use of Ayahuasca in Grief Therapy OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying May 30, 2017
- The Future of a Discipline: Considering the ontological/methodological future of the anthropology of consciousness, Part I† Anthropology of Consciousness March 1, 2010
- Neurobiological research on N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and its potentiation by monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition: from ayahuasca to synthetic combinations of DMT and MAO inhibitors. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences September 10, 2024
and 13 more in the library
Cites 6
- Ketamine psychotherapy for heroin addiction: immediate effects and two-year follow-up. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment December 1, 2002
- The antipodes Of the mind November 7, 2002
- Effects of the South American Psychoactive Beverage Ayahuasca on Regional Brain Electrical Activity in Humans: A Functional Neuroimaging Study Using Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography Neuropsychobiology 2004
- LSD and Psychotherapy Journal of Psychoactive Drugs October 1, 1985
- Pharmacokinetics of Hoasca alkaloids in healthy humans. Journal of Ethnopharmacology June 1, 1999
and 1 more in the library