"Vine of the Soul": The Potential of Ayahuasca for Reducing Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Ceremony Participants and the Role of Rumination
Banan Ramarushton
May 1, 2024 DOI: 10.12794/metadc2332656 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Participants in a North American ayahuasca ceremony |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca ceremony |
| Duration | Seven daily surveys before the ceremony and seven daily surveys after the ceremony |
| Topics | Anxiety Ayahuasca Depression |
| Keywords | Rumination Clinical psychology Depression economics Psychopathology Mediation Dass Cognition |
| Key findings | Participation in an ayahuasca ceremony was associated with significant and large reductions in rumination, depression, anxiety, and stress, maintained over the following week. |
Abstract
Rumination is a well-established risk factor for the onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety and has been identified as a transdiagnostic factor due to its association with multiple forms of psychopathology. A renaissance of psychedelic research shows promise in treating psychopathology with potential for acting on ruminative processes. Despite the growing interest and developments in legality, very few research studies have investigated the psychological consequences of participating in an ayahuasca ceremony in North America. The current study included 30 participants (Mage = 41.03, SD = 7.35; range = 30-59 years; 50.0% women; 76.7% White/Caucasian) who participated in an ayahuasca ceremony at a North American ayahuasca church. Participants were asked to complete seven daily surveys prior to their ceremony (Phase I) and seven daily surveys following their ceremony (Phase II). Multi-level models tested changes in rumination and depression, anxiety, and stress scores across both phases of the study. Significant and large reduction were evidenced in levels of rumination and depression, anxiety, and stress immediately following the ayahuasca ceremony. This effect was maintained during Phase II, with scores remaining lower than Phase I and relatively stable. Furthermore, path models did not support the mediating role of rumination in the negative link between ayahuasca ceremony effects (as indexed via ego-dissolution) and depression, anxiety, and stress scores (though evidence for mediation was found without bootstrapping samples). Findings of this study contribute to the emerging literature on the role that ceremonial ayahuasca use may have on reducing psychological distress.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on ayahuasca for depression, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report Patients with a depressive disorder | 2015 | Observational study | |
| Changes in mental health, wellbeing and personality following ayahuasca consumption: Results of a naturalistic longitudinal study. Ayahuasca-naive individuals attending facilitated ayahuasca ceremonies | 2022 | Longitudinal observational study | n = 53 |
| Long-Term Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Associated with Naturalistic Ayahuasca Consumption. Adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca participating in neo-shamanic ayahuasca... | 2025 | Prospective cohort study | n = 66 |
| The therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in depression, generalized anxiety, and substance use disorders: modulation of the depressive burden in a longitudinal study. Adults with depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, or substance use disorders treated... | 2026 | Longitudinal observational study | n = 280 |
Citations in the library
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