A Defense Expert Witness on Ayahuasca
February 27, 2023 DOI: 10.4324/9780429001161-14 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Interview |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Witness |
| Key points | Misinformation from Spanish authorities contradicted research on ayahuasca's effects, hindering its ceremonial use despite religious recognition. |
Abstract
In this interview, performed in 2018, anthropologist and ayahuasca researcher Dr. Bia Labate speaks with Dr. José Carlos Bouso, who is a clinical psychologist with a PhD in pharmacology and is Scientific Director of the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research & Service (ICEERS). Dr. Bouso speaks on his first experience being a defense expert witness on ayahuasca in Spain along with Dr. Jordi Riba (in memoriam) in 2006. During this trial, it seemed that there was much misinformation presented from some members of the Spanish Agency of Medicine (AEM) which directly contradicted the research of Dr. José Carlos Bouso and Dr. Jordi Riba surrounding the effects of ayahuasca. This was a classic case of ignorance surrounding ayahuasca in an effort to block accessibility and importation of this plant medicine into Spain, regardless of Santo Daime's religious status there. This is just one example of the work that Dr. Bouso and his team at the Ayahuasca Defense Fund (ADF) have been doing to address stigmas and persecutions to the ceremonial use of ayahuasca and other plants worldwide. This interview reflects on strategies and lessons learned from this work that combines scientific knowledge and advocacy.
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 |