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Ethnographic Study: Ayahuasca’s Entwined Efficacy: An Ethnographic Study of Ritual Healing from “Addiction” 1

Piera Talin, Emilia Sanabria

Proposing Empirical Research August 21, 2019 DOI: 10.4324/9780429463013-71 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Qualitative study Peer reviewed
Population Participants with histories of substance misuse in ayahuasca communities
Intervention ayahuasca
Topics Addiction Ayahuasca
Key findings Interactive ritual contexts support healing from substance addiction within ayahuasca ceremonies.

Abstract

A range of studies has demonstrated the efficacy of the psychoactive Amazonian brew ayahuasca in addressing substance addiction. These have revealed that physiological and psychological mechanisms are deeply enmeshed. This study will focus on how interactive ritual contexts support the healing effort. This will be an ethnographically grounded, qualitative analysis of addiction-recovery experiences within ayahuasca rituals. It will draw on long-term fieldwork and participant observation in ayahuasca communities, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews of participants with histories of substance misuse.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca for addiction, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
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
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
A phenomenological analysis of the subjective experience elicited by ibogaine in the context of a drug dependence treatment Patients with substance-related disorders 2017 Qualitative study n = 22
Is Ayahuasca an Option for the Treatment of Crack Cocaine Dependence? Crack cocaine users in Brazil 2018 Qualitative study n = 40
Traditional Use of Banisteriopsis caapi Alone and Its Application in a Context of Drug Addiction Therapy. Patients with substance use disorders at Takiwasi therapeutic community 2021 Qualitative study with clinical data analysis n = 359

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