Beliefs in and experiences of sorcery, black magic and brujería among psychedelic users: a quantitative and qualitative survey
Jules Evans, Christian Jurlando, David Luke, Maja Kohek, Marta Majer, Kim van Oorsouw
June 19, 2026 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/kbqr3_v2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 895 |
| Population | Adults with personal, professional, or cultural involvement in psychedelics |
| Topics | Ayahuasca Psilocybin Shamanism |
| Keywords | Ethnography Indigenous Participant observation Facilitator Consciousness Ceremony Qualitative research Psychological intervention Harm reduction Trance Gender studies |
| Key findings | Beliefs in supernatural harm are prevalent among Western psychedelic users, and some participants interpret difficult experiences as shamanic attack, which may inhibit criticism of ceremonial leaders. |
Abstract
Sorcery, black magic, and supernatural harm are central to many Amazonian shamanic traditions, yet their role in contemporary Western psychedelic culture has received little systematic empirical attention. Ethnographic work suggests that Western participants in ayahuasca tourism often downplay indigenous sorcery frameworks in favour of psychological or therapeutic interpretations of difficult experiences. Yet, anecdotal reports indicate that some participants leave ceremonies convinced they have been subjected to shamanic attack or supernatural harm. No quantitative study has examined the prevalence of such beliefs and experiences, the conditions under which they arise, or their implications for participant welfare in ceremonial settings.This study addresses that gap through a cross-sectional, retrospective, anonymous online survey of adults with personal, professional, or cultural involvement in psychedelics. Participants were recruited through psychedelic community networks and harm reduction organisations, including ICEERS, Chacruna, the Challenging Psychedelic Experiences Project, and the Fireside Project. The final analytic sample comprised 895 participants with at least one lifetime psychedelic experience.We aim to estimate the prevalence of beliefs in supernatural harm among Western psychedelic users; examine whether psychedelic experiences and immersion in psychedelic culture are associated with shifts in such beliefs; characterise experiences interpreted as black magic or supernatural harm; assess whether facilitator authority and fear of magical retaliation inhibit criticism of ceremonial leaders; and compare these patterns between those who regularly participated in ayahuasca ceremonies and the rest of the sample. The findings aim to inform both research on psychedelic-induced belief change and harm reduction frameworks in ceremonial settings.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT Adults reporting a single most memorable God encounter experience, either nondrug or... | 2019 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 4,285 |
| Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey. Ayahuasca users from more than 50 countries who completed an online survey | 2022 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 10,836 |
| Ayahuasca in adolescence: a preliminary psychiatric assessment. Adolescents from a Brazilian ayahuasca sect and matched controls | 2005 | Controlled cross-sectional study | n = 80 |
| Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users. Regular hoasca users from a U.S. branch of União do Vegetal and matched non-user controls | 2016 | Cross-sectional study | n = 57 |
| Indoleamine Hallucinogens in Cluster Headache: Results of the Clusterbusters Medication Use Survey People with cluster headache | 2015 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 496 |