Psychotherapeutic and neurobiological processes associated with ayahuasca: A proposed model and implications for therapeutic use
Daniel Perkins, Kimberley Day, Jerome Sarris, Simon Ruffell, Diego Pinzon Rubiano
Frontiers in Neuroscience January 31, 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.879221 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review with original qualitative data from a cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Ayahuasca drinkers |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Hallucinogen Psychotherapist Traditional medicine |
| Citations | 27 |
| Key findings | Five key psychotherapeutic processes—somatic effects, introspection and emotional processing, increased self-connection, increased spiritual connection, and gaining insights and new perspectives—are identified as central to the ayahuasca experience and linked to beneficial mental health and wellbeing outcomes. |
Abstract
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive Amazonian plant brew. It is usually made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine (Spruce ex Griseb. Morton, Malpighiaceae), which contains three primary harmala alkaloids, along with the leaves of Psychotria viridis (Ruiz et Pavon, Rubiaceae) in which the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is found. DMT-harmaloid concoctions have gained popularity in recent years, due to growing anecdotal and scientific reports of therapeutic benefits associated with their consumption. Ayahuasca is now ingested in a variety of different settings across the globe, from traditional ethnobotanical to so called “neo-shamanic” ceremonies. Furthermore, related preparations involving alternative sources of DMT and harmala alkaloids are becoming increasingly common as knowledge of ayahuasca continues to spread internationally. This article reviews the existing literature and draws on original qualitative data from a large cross-sectional study of ayahuasca drinkers, to propose a model of psychotherapeutic processes associated with the consumption of ayahuasca. We assert that it is these processes, facilitated by a range of neurobiological effects, that lead to beneficial mental health and wellbeing outcomes. Our proposed model identifies five key psychotherapeutic processes or effects inherent to the ayahuasca experience; somatic effects; introspection and emotional processing; increased Self-connection; increased spiritual connection, and finally the gaining of insights and new perspectives. We note some important differences in these processes compared with other classic psychedelics as well as the implications of the model for the therapeutic use of ayahuasca. Improved understanding of the psychotherapeutic processes involved with the ayahuasca experience will better equip practitioners to work with this potentially transformative concoction and enable the optimization of therapeutic treatment models for potential clinical use.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 25
- The Psychedelic Future of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Treatment Current Neuropharmacology January 5, 2024
- Ayahuasca: A review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports December 1, 2023
- Stimulant and hallucinogenic novel psychoactive substances; an update Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology November 2, 2023
- Life after Ayahuasca: A Qualitative Analysis of the Psychedelic Integration Experiences of 1630 Ayahuasca Drinkers from a Global Survey Psychoactives June 13, 2023
- Insights, Life Changes and Lifestyle Changes Reported by Individuals Consuming Ayahuasca in Naturalistic Settings: Nature, Frequency and Associations with Mental Health and Wellbeing Psychoactives October 3, 2023
and 20 more in the library
Cites 90
- Default Mode Network Activity and Connectivity in Psychopathology Annual Review of Clinical Psychology March 29, 2012
- Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression New England Journal of Medicine April 14, 2021
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology July 1, 2008
- REBUS and the Anarchic Brain: Toward a Unified Model of the Brain Action of Psychedelics Pharmacological Reviews June 20, 2019
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
and 85 more in the library