The antipodes Of the mind
November 7, 2002 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780199252923.001.0001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and travelers |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Indigenous Consciousness Trance Perspective graphical Interview Ethnography Anthropology Visual arts Ecology |
| Citations | 225 |
| Key findings | The book provides a comprehensive charting of the various facets of the special state of mind induced by Ayahuasca from a cognitive psychological perspective. |
Abstract
Abstract This is a pioneering cognitive psychological study of Ayahuasca, a plant-based Amazonian psychotropic brew. Benny Shanon presents a comprehensive charting of the various facets of the special state of mind induced by Ayahuasca, and analyzes them from a cognitive psychological perspective. He also presents some philosophical reflections. Empirically, the research presented in this book is based on the systematic recording of the author’s extensive experiences with the brew and on the interviewing of a large number of informants: indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and travellers. In addition to its being the most thorough study of the Ayahuasca experience to date, the book lays the theoretical foundations for the psychological study of non-ordinary states of consciousness in general.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 141
- Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial Psychological Medicine June 15, 2018
- Set and setting, psychedelics and the placebo response: An extra-pharmacological perspective on psychopharmacology Journal of Psychopharmacology November 16, 2016
- Patient Experiences of Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Journal of Humanistic Psychology April 28, 2017
- Self unbound: ego dissolution in psychedelic experience Neuroscience of Consciousness 2017
- The Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca: Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization. Frontiers in Pharmacology March 2, 2016
and 136 more in the library