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"Getting to the Root": Ayahuasca Ceremony Leaders' Perspectives on Eating Disorders.

Meris Williams, Annie Kingston Miller, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Natasha Files, Adele Lafrance

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 2023 DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2022.2113484 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Sample size 15
Population Ayahuasca ceremony leaders
Intervention Ayahuasca
Topics Ayahuasca Psychedelic-assisted therapy
Keywords Eating disorders Plant medicine Qualitative research Traditional medicine Mental health research Indigenous healing
Citations 8
Key findings Ayahuasca ceremony leaders conceptualize eating disorders as symptomatic of underlying concerns and describe ayahuasca's potential mechanisms of action as facilitating energetic healing, identifying the root of the disorder, promoting holistic healing, and enhancing relationships.

Abstract

Given the mortality, chronicity, and treatment drop-out rates observed among individuals with eating disorders (EDs), innovative approaches are needed. Ayahuasca, a psychedelic plant medicine from the Amazon, is currently being investigated. This study expands on prior exploratory research by describing the perspectives of ayahuasca ceremony leaders regarding their conceptualizations of EDs and the potential therapeutic mechanisms of action of ayahuasca for individuals with EDs. Qualitative content analysis of interviews with 15 ayahuasca ceremony leaders produced two main categories, with relevant subcategories. The first category encompassed the leaders' theories of EDs from a shamanic perspective, including that EDs are symptomatic of an underlying concern, serve a function and affect health in multiple domains. The second category described leaders' perspectives on the potential mechanisms of action of ayahuasca for EDs, including that ayahuasca facilitates "energetic healing"; helps identify, process, and integrate the "root" of the ED; promotes holistic healing; and enhances and/or reorganizes relationships. From the perspectives of ceremony leaders and consistent with previous exploratory research, ceremonial ayahuasca use may offer a potentially useful, novel and complementary intervention for EDs.

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 8

and 3 more in the library

Cites 8

and 3 more in the library

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Ayahuasca Psychedelic-assisted therapy Shamanism