Therapeutic Potential Ascribed to Ayahuasca by Users in the Czech Republic
Miroslav Horák, Lea Hasíková, Nahanga Verter
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs August 30, 2018 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2018.1511878 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 46 |
| Population | Users and facilitators of ayahuasca rituals in the Czech Republic |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | November 2015 to December 2016 |
| Topics | Addiction Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Czech Psychotherapist Clinical psychology |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | The therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, which users consider applicable to drug addiction and based on memory recall, is not proportional to the intensity of its effects. |
Abstract
This article focuses on the therapeutic potential ascribed to ayahuasca by users in the Czech Republic. Following an online survey, the fieldwork among users of ayahuasca was carried out from November 2015 to December 2016. The research sample consisted of 46 persons (23 women and 23 men), who took part at least once in some type of ayahuasca ritual and/or were the facilitators of the ayahuasca sessions. We held semi-structured interviews with participants in order to discover the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca. Transcribed recordings were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. The results suggest that the intensity of effects produced by ayahuasca is not directly proportional to its therapeutic effect. According to the informants, ayahuasca is applicable in the treatment of drug addiction. They consider it to have a broad spectrum of therapeutic potential. This therapeutic potential could be based on memory recall.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.