The path of healing, self-discovery, and tackling the existential questions as to why people use drugs is addressed in this chapter. The chapter outlines the healing concepts within the Quero tradition, as these peoples were direct descendants of the Inca from ancient Andean Peru. The cosmology and oral traditions through healing motifs are timeless irrespective of cultural and chronological...
Objective. This article aims to give an overview of the major American centers using traditional herbal medicine or their derivatives in the treatment of substance dependence. Methodology. For the purpose of this article we have considered a small number of plants hailing from South, Central and North America. The research has been based on scientific literature, information exchange with...
A vivid discussion revolves around the role of the human mind in the quantum measurement process. While some authors argue that conscious observation is a necessary element to achieve the transition from quantum to classical states during measurement (Wigner, 1963), some go even further and propose a more active influence of the human mind on the probabilities of quantum measurement outcomes...
Background: Ontological addiction theory (OAT) is a novel metaphysical model of psychopathology and posits that human beings are prone to forming implausible beliefs concerning the way they think they exist, and that these beliefs can become addictive leading to functional impairments and mental illness. The theoretical underpinnings of OAT derive from the Buddhist philosophical perspective...
This study examined the lived experience of individuals who underwent ibogaine treatment for an opioid use disorder. Semi-structured interview questions probed for potential changes in predetermined categories derived from a literature review. Participants' experiences with ibogaine were analyzed for commonalities and emergent themes. Categories that emerged revealed themes about subjective...
Background: Traditional treatment interventions for alcohol use disorders (AUD) have produced mixed outcomes and the global increase in AUDs demands novel and innovative approaches to addiction treatment.Psychedelic substances have been reintroduced into the Western medical community as a potential intervention to complement the treatment of AUDs.Objectives: This paper will discuss the...
This literature review examines eight peer reviewed studies reporting on the efficacy of mindfulness-based and self-compassion-based interventions for adults diagnosed with substance use disorders. Prevalence of substance use disorders is provided, and relevant definitions are discussed. The syndrome model of addiction is advanced as an etiological explanation, and the search methodology...
Contemporary advances in addiction neuroscience have paralleled increasing interest in the ancient mental training practice of mindfulness meditation as a potential therapy for addiction. In the past decade, mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been studied as a treatment for an array addictive behaviors, including drinking, smoking, opioid misuse, and use of illicit substances like...
The low efficacy of crack cocaine addiction treatment available in Brazil has led Brazilian users to find alternatives to reduce drug consumption or even to reach abstinence. One of them is the use of entheogenic substances, like ayahuasca, an infusion obtained from two native plant species from the Amazon. The present report aimed to understand how crack cocaine users recover from drug...
Maladaptive responses to stress are thought to play a role in addiction and relapse. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a popular meditation technique with promising clinical applications. This study sought to: (a) examine the feasibility of providing TM during AUD treatment; (b) compare outcomes for TM vs. treatment as usual (TAU); and (c) investigate the relationship between TM practice and...