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Increases in Aesthetic Experience Following Ayahuasca Use: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study

Jacob S. Aday, Emily K. Bloesch, Alan K. Davis, Sarah E. Domoff, Kyle C Scherr, Josh Woolley, Christopher C. Davoli

Journal of Humanistic Psychology February 27, 2024 DOI: 10.1177/00221678241230609 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Open-label longitudinal survey Peer reviewed
Sample size 54
Population Adults attending an ayahuasca retreat
Intervention Ayahuasca
Duration 1-month follow-up
Topics Ayahuasca Mysticism
Keywords Aesthetic experience Religious experience Perception Psychotherapist Aesthetics
Citations 5
Key findings Participants reported increased aesthetic experience at one-week and one-month follow-ups compared to baseline, but acute drug effects did not predict these changes.

Abstract

Psychedelic drugs are currently being investigated for their potential to facilitate a variety of long-lasting psychological changes. One area that has yet to be systematically investigated in psychedelic research, however, regards changes in aesthetic experience (i.e., one’s attitudes, perceptions, and expression of art). This is surprising given the wealth of anecdotes directly noting increased appreciation of aesthetic experiences after psychedelic use and that psychedelics have facilitated their own distinctive aesthetic (i.e., “psychedelic art”). To address this gap in the literature, participants in the current study ( N = 54) completed a validated and multifaceted measure of aesthetic experience 1-week before, 1-week after, and 1-month after attending an ayahuasca retreat. We found that compared with baseline, participants exhibited increased levels of aesthetic experience at both the 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. Contrary to our hypotheses, measures of acute drug effects (e.g., mystical-type experiences, awe, and ego dissolution) did not predict changes in aesthetic experience. Although the study was limited by an open-label design, the results support anecdotal reports noting changes in aesthetic experience after psychedelic use. Further research is needed to address limitations related to the study design as well as to identify predictors and mechanisms of changes in aesthetic experience following psychedelic use.

Comparable studies

Other non-randomized and open-label trials on ayahuasca, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression Patients with recurrent depression 2015 Open-label trial n = 17
Assessing the Psychedelic “After-Glow” in Ayahuasca Users: Post-Acute Neurometabolic and Functional Connectivity Changes Are Associated with Enhanced Mindfulness Capacities Healthy volunteers 2017 Open-label uncontrolled study n = 16
Rapid and sustained decreases in suicidality following a single dose of ayahuasca among individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder: results from an open-label trial. Individuals with recurrent major depressive disorder 2021 Open-label trial (secondary analysis) n = 17
Pilot Evaluation of a Residential Drug Addiction Treatment Combining Traditional Amazonian Medicine, Ayahuasca and Psychotherapy on Depression and Anxiety Male patients in an inpatient addiction treatment program 2020 Pre-post observational study n = 31
Long-term effects of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a 5-year qualitative follow-up Patients with treatment-resistant major depressive disorder who had participated in an... 2018 Long-term follow-up of an open-label trial n = 8

Citations in the library

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Ayahuasca Mysticism Ego dissolution Mystical experience