A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naive users with and without depression
Lucas Villar Magalhães da Cruz, Bheatrix Bienemann Favero, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes, Luís Fernando Tófoli, Ulio B. Araújo, Daniel C Mograbi
Research Square (Research Square) August 23, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3170538/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study with quantitative textual analysis |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Individuals with treatment-resistant depression and healthy controls |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Depression |
| Keywords | Depression economics Traditional medicine Anthropology |
| Key findings | First-time ayahuasca users with depression reported increased aversive bodily reactions compared to healthy controls, alongside common psychedelic experience clusters. |
Abstract
Abstract Ayahuasca is a brew with psychoactive properties that has been used as an entheogen for centuries, with more recent studies suggesting it is a promising treatment for some clinical disorders. Although there is an emerging scientific literature on its effects, to the best of our knowledge no study has explored the self-reported experiences of first-time ayahuasca users with quantitative textual analysis tools. Accordingly, the current study aimed to analyze the subjective experience of naive individuals with depression and healthy controls after consuming ayahuasca. For this purpose, responses from a subsample of participants from a previous clinical trial to open-ended questions regarding their experience with ayahuasca underwent textual analysis. Data from nine patients with treatment-resistant depression and 20 healthy individuals were included, and quantitative textual analysis was performed using IRaMuTeQ 0.7 alpha 2 and R 3.1.2. The analysis identified five clusters: alterations in the state of consciousness, cognitive changes, somatic alterations, auditory experiences, and visual perceptual content. Additionally, findings suggest specific features of the experience of people with depression with ayahuasca, such as increased aversive bodily reactions. The results are consistent with previous findings indicating central axes of the psychedelic experience, and may inform therapeutic approaches using ayahuasca.