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Ayahuasca research: what the evidence shows

A traditional Amazonian brew combining DMT with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, studied in both ceremonial and clinical contexts.

State of the evidence

Synthesized

Synthesized from 23 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for Ayahuasca, yage, hoasca, banisteriopsis, then ranked by relevance.

Ayahuasca has the strongest evidence as a rapid-acting antidepressant: a small double-blind placebo-controlled trial in treatment-resistant depression found large reductions in depression severity versus placebo that grew through day 7, and open-label and observational studies report similar fast-onset antidepressant and anxiolytic effects. Observational work in long-term ritual users finds better psychological well-being and cognition with no sign of deterioration, and reviews describe possible anti-addictive effects, but samples are small, many studies are open-label, and long-term durability and safety in vulnerable people remain uncertain.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study. All 25 matching studies were reviewed; the 23 that directly address the question are shown here.

What the directions mean
Supports:
the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:
it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:
no significant difference either way.
Mixed:
effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:
the abstract does not report a direction.
Study Design Sample size Direction Finding
Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: a randomized placebo-controlled trial 2018 RCT 29 Supports A single ayahuasca dose produced significantly greater reductions in depression severity than placebo at all time points over seven days, with effect sizes increasing from d=0.84 at day 1 to d=1.49 at day 7 and higher response rates at day 7 (64% vs 27%).
Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report 2015 observational Supports Reports that ayahuasca has fast-acting anxiolytic and antidepressant effects in patients with a depressive disorder.
Antidepressant Effects of a Single Dose of Ayahuasca in Patients With Recurrent Depression 2015 open-label trial 17 Supports A single oral ayahuasca dose was associated with significant decreases in depression rating scale scores from 80 minutes to day 21, alongside increased blood perfusion in mood-related brain regions.
The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network 2015 observational cohort 10 Supports Ayahuasca significantly decreased activity in default mode network hubs (PCC/precuneus and mPFC) and reduced functional connectivity within the PCC/precuneus, with no significant change in DMN-task-positive network orthogonality.
Monoamine oxidase inhibitors in South American hallucinogenic plants: Tryptamine and β-carboline constituents of Ayahuasca 1984 chemical analysis with in vitro assay Supports Ayahuasca samples were effective MAO inhibitors in vitro, with inhibition correlating with beta-carboline concentration, supporting the proposed mechanism by which beta-carbolines render DMT orally active.
Human Pharmacology of Ayahuasca: Subjective and Cardiovascular Effects, Monoamine Metabolite Excretion, and Pharmacokinetics 2003 double-blind placebo-controlled trial 18 Supports Ayahuasca produced significant dose-related subjective effects peaking at 1.5-2 hours coinciding with peak DMT plasma levels, with a significant diastolic blood pressure increase at the high dose and otherwise moderate cardiovascular changes.
Pharmacological and therapeutic effects of Peganum harmala and its main alkaloids 2013 review Supports Reviews traditional uses and pharmacological effects of Peganum harmala and its beta-carboline alkaloids, including harmine and harmaline, which are also present in Banisteriopsis caapi.
Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil 1996 observational cohort with matched controls 30 Supports Long-term hoasca users showed remission of psychopathology following initiation of use, no evidence of personality or cognitive deterioration, and high functional status.
Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada 2013 observational Supports Ayahuasca-assisted therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use.
Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study 2012 observational cohort 242 Supports Regular ayahuasca users scored lower on all psychopathology measures and performed better on several cognitive tests than active controls, with no evidence of maladjustment or impairment.
Antidepressive, anxiolytic, and antiaddictive effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD): a systematic review of clinical trials published in the last 25 years 2016 systematic review Supports Reviewed trials suggest beneficial effects of ayahuasca, psilocybin, and LSD for treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and depression in life-threatening illness, and tobacco and alcohol dependence, though all studies had small samples and half were open-label.
Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers 2001 single-blind crossover placebo-controlled trial 6 Supports Ayahuasca produced significant dose-dependent psychological effects that were generally well tolerated, with nausea and modified physical sensations the most common somatic effects and one intensely dysphoric reaction.
Clinical investigations of the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca: rationale and regulatory challenges. 2004 review Supports Argues that ayahuasca may have therapeutic applications for alcoholism and substance abuse, while clinical investigation faces regulatory and methodological challenges.
Survey of subjective "God encounter experiences": Comparisons among naturally occurring experiences and those occasioned by the classic psychedelics psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, or DMT 2019 cross-sectional survey 4285 Supports Ayahuasca-occasioned God encounter experiences were broadly similar to non-drug and other psychedelic experiences and were rated among the most personally meaningful and spiritually significant lifetime experiences.
Increased frontal and paralimbic activation following ayahuasca, the pan-amazonian inebriant 2006 RCT 15 Supports Ayahuasca increased regional cerebral blood flow in frontal and paralimbic regions including the anterior insula, anterior cingulate/frontomedial cortex, and left amygdala/parahippocampal gyrus.
Uso inadecuado de la ayahuasca y sus impactos en la salud: percepción de consumidores 2026 descriptive quantitative survey with document review Mixed Consumers reported physical risks (severe nausea/vomiting, raised blood pressure) and psychological risks (traumatic memories, post-ceremony depression, anxiety, psychosis) from use outside a safety framework, and favored prior information, medical evaluation, and regulation of commercial ceremonies.
Ayahuasca Impairs Fear Memory Reconsolidation and Promotes Rapid Structural Plasticity in the Hippocampus and Prelimbic Cortex. 2026 preclinical animal study Supports Ayahuasca administered around fear memory retrieval reduced freezing behavior and increased dendritic spine density in hippocampal and prelimbic cortex regions, without affecting adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
Intercultural pathways to indigenous mental health: the integration of ayahuasca in community care in the Yaqui intercultural medicine clinic in Sonora, Mexico 2026 community case study 130 Supports Describes the feasibility of an Indigenous-led, community-based program integrating ceremonial ayahuasca with psychotherapy and cultural practices, with psychometric outcomes reported for 37 patients.
Acute ayahuasca administration attenuates binge‐like eating and anxiety‐related behaviors in mice subjected to intermittent fasting 2026 preclinical animal study Supports A single oral ayahuasca dose attenuated binge-like eating and anxiety-related behaviors in mice subjected to intermittent fasting.
Ayahuasca treatment reduces 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations and modifies mesocorticolimbic monoamine neurochemistry in rats. 2026 RCT Mixed Ayahuasca reduced 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations and spontaneous locomotion and altered mesocorticolimbic monoamine levels, but did not reduce lisdexamfetamine-induced hyperlocomotion.
USO DE AYAHUASCA EM BAIXAS DOSES EM CONTEXTO COMUNITÁRIO: ESTUDO NATURALÍSTICO LONGITUDINAL DE 45 DIAS SOBRE AUTORREGISTRO EMOCIONAL, ADESÃO E PRÁTICAS REFLEXIVAS 2026 observational naturalistic longitudinal study 15 Mixed Records on ayahuasca ingestion days showed more satisfaction, patience, happiness, and clarity with similar anxiety levels, but the authors state the results do not allow causal inference and showed no conclusive intraindividual changes.
Psychosis associated with ayahuasca: A narrative review of traditional use, vulnerability, and case evidence 2026 narrative review Mixed Argues that ayahuasca is not a robust inducer of persistent psychosis in culturally embedded or clinically supervised use, but that psychotic or manic episodes can occur in vulnerable individuals, especially in unsupervised or adulterated settings.
Unveiling ayahuasca: Comprehensive Study of Botanical and Chemical Diversity. 2026 narrative review Unclear Argues that ayahuasca involves greater botanical diversity than commonly recognized, identifying historically confirmed, putative, and excluded ingredient species and calling for an evidence-based framework.

Points of agreement

  • Multiple designs (RCT, open-label, observational) report rapid antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after single ayahuasca doses.
  • Long-term ritual users show no evidence of cognitive or personality deterioration and score well on psychopathology measures.
  • Acute ayahuasca reliably produces dose-dependent subjective and perceptual effects with generally tolerable cardiovascular changes.
  • The MAO-inhibiting beta-carbolines in the brew are what make DMT orally active.
  • Reviews and case evidence suggest psychotic reactions are uncommon in screened, supervised settings and concentrate in vulnerable individuals.

Conflicts

  • Therapeutic enthusiasm in clinical and observational studies contrasts with consumer reports and case evidence of anxiety, post-ceremony depression, and psychosis in unsupervised or vulnerable users.
  • Microdose self-report data suggest emotional benefits but the authors themselves find no conclusive within-person change, undercutting causal claims.
  • Animal work shows reduced motivation-related vocalizations and locomotion, which could be read as either therapeutic or as nonspecific behavioral suppression.

Gaps

  • Durability of antidepressant effects beyond 7-21 days is largely unmeasured.
  • Most clinical samples are very small and several studies are open-label, limiting blinding and generalization.
  • Little controlled dosing data, including for microdosing and repeated use.
  • Safety in people with personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder is characterized mainly by case reports.
  • Effects in non-treatment-resistant depression, addiction, and eating disorders rest on preliminary or animal evidence.
  • Indigenous-led and community care models have minimal formal outcome data.
Browse these studies in the library

Common questions

What does the research agree on about ayahuasca?
  • Multiple designs (RCT, open-label, observational) report rapid antidepressant and anxiolytic effects after single ayahuasca doses.
  • Long-term ritual users show no evidence of cognitive or personality deterioration and score well on psychopathology measures.
  • Acute ayahuasca reliably produces dose-dependent subjective and perceptual effects with generally tolerable cardiovascular changes.
  • The MAO-inhibiting beta-carbolines in the brew are what make DMT orally active.
  • Reviews and case evidence suggest psychotic reactions are uncommon in screened, supervised settings and concentrate in vulnerable individuals.
Where do studies on ayahuasca conflict?
  • Therapeutic enthusiasm in clinical and observational studies contrasts with consumer reports and case evidence of anxiety, post-ceremony depression, and psychosis in unsupervised or vulnerable users.
  • Microdose self-report data suggest emotional benefits but the authors themselves find no conclusive within-person change, undercutting causal claims.
  • Animal work shows reduced motivation-related vocalizations and locomotion, which could be read as either therapeutic or as nonspecific behavioral suppression.
What is still unknown about ayahuasca?
  • Durability of antidepressant effects beyond 7-21 days is largely unmeasured.
  • Most clinical samples are very small and several studies are open-label, limiting blinding and generalization.
  • Little controlled dosing data, including for microdosing and repeated use.
  • Safety in people with personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder is characterized mainly by case reports.
  • Effects in non-treatment-resistant depression, addiction, and eating disorders rest on preliminary or animal evidence.
  • Indigenous-led and community care models have minimal formal outcome data.
How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is Ayahuasca, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when Ayahuasca or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

The full method, including what a person does and does not review, is on the methods page.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

Latest monthly recap: September 2026 →

1,661 articles · 384 from the last two years · 2,740,986 participants across 477 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 240 ethnography 66 qualitative study 109 systematic review 98 theoretical or philosophical paper 277

Ayahuasca research by condition

Data updated

Studies whose primary subject is both Ayahuasca and the condition, with reviews counted by the study design extracted from each abstract. Registered trials are from ClinicalTrials.gov. This maps how much research exists, not how well anything works.

Ayahuasca research by condition: studies, meta-analyses and systematic reviews, registered clinical trials, the highest trial phase, and studies from the last two years. Most studies first.
Condition Studies Meta-analyses and systematic reviews Registered trials Highest phase From the last two years
Anxiety 73 studies 7 meta-analyses and systematic reviews 0 registered trials 13 from the last two years
Addiction 59 studies 7 meta-analyses and systematic reviews 0 registered trials 11 from the last two years
Depression 46 studies 4 meta-analyses and systematic reviews 2 registered trials up to Phase 2 11 from the last two years

Research volume by year

Compare topics →

1,052 studies whose primary subject is ayahuasca since 2002

Studies about ayahuasca per year, 2002 to 2026, peaking at 111 in 2023 Bar chart: one bar per year, taller where more studies were published that year. 0 100 200 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
2026 is partial
Show the numbers
Studies about ayahuasca per year, 2002 to 2026, peaking at 111 in 2023
Year Studies
2002 7
2003 9
2004 7
2005 20
2006 7
2007 5
2008 14
2009 16
2010 11
2011 25
2012 23
2013 24
2014 33
2015 27
2016 52
2017 39
2018 57
2019 42
2020 71
2021 67
2022 95
2023 111
2024 95
2025 108
2026 87

Research

Synthesize the evidence → Search all →

Behavioral Shifts in Natural Speech, Language, and Facial Expression Following Ayahuasca Ceremonies

Psychedelic Medicine October 21, 2026 Michael D. Masucci, Alex S. Cohen, Christopher R. Cox et al.

Background: Within the last decade, ayahuasca, a brew containing a serotonin 2A receptor agonist (i.e., a classical psychedelic compound), has received increased attention as a possible intervention for posttraumatic stress disorder. Ayahuasca has demonstrated potential for long-term symptom reduction, but the biobehavioral changes caused by ayahuasca have not been defined quantitatively or...

DOI: 10.1177/28314425261484374 (opens in new tab)

Evaluation of the Effects of Different Doses of Ayahuasca on Intelligence and Verbal Memory in Healthy Volunteers

Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology October 19, 2026 Caio César De Paula, Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Lorena Terene Lopes Guerra et al.

Background: Observational studies with ritual ayahuasca users suggest that experienced users tend to have better cognitive performance, while novice users may experience transient impairments, particularly in working memory. However, no randomized clinical trials have systematically evaluated the cognitive effects of ayahuasca in healthy volunteers. Procedures: This double-blind, randomized,...

DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000002267 (opens in new tab)

Who seeks ayahuasca and why? Participant profiles and engagement patterns in a community-based practice (2014-2026)

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) October 16, 2026 Francisco Castellanos-Fernández, Francina Solé-Mauri preprint

Background: Community-based ayahuasca use has spread across Europe, often accompanied by public concern about intensive or escalating involvement. Yet who takes part, what brings them, and how long they stay are poorly documented. Describing these patterns is a prerequisite for proportionate harm reduction, benefit enhancement, and policy. Aims: To describe the demographics, motivations, and...

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.23540472 (opens in new tab)

Comparative chromosome-scale genomics of the ayahuasca liana Banisteriopsis caapi reveals paleopolyploid ancestry and recent tandem-gene expansions as candidate signatures of ethnovariety differentiation

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) October 16, 2026 Vitor Trinca, Francisco Prosdocimi, Pedro Côrtes et al. preprint

Background: Banisteriopsis caapi is the Amazonian liana that provides the β-carboline-rich vine component of ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian psychoactive preparation used in Indigenous and ceremonial contexts. The species encompasses culturally recognized ethnovarieties, some differing in stem architecture. Despite its cultural, ecological, and pharmacological importance, B. caapi remains...

DOI: 10.64898/2026.10.11.758337 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

Uso inadecuado de la ayahuasca y sus impactos en la salud: percepción de consumidores

Verdad y Derecho. Revista Arbitrada de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales. October 14, 2026 Azul Monserrathe Illicachi-Erazo, David Alejandro Toapanta-Amores

La ayahuasca, bebida ritual de los pueblos amazónicos, se consume hoy también en ceremonias comerciales y recreativas, a menudo sin control sanitario. El estudio analizó el uso inadecuado de la ayahuasca y sus efectos en la salud según la percepción de consumidores. Se utilizó un diseño cuantitativo descriptivo, con revisión documental y una encuesta a una muestra pequeña de consumidores en...

DOI: 10.62574/g9gn9z5t (opens in new tab)

Salud intercultural en Pastaza: regulación del uso de plantas medicinales y de la ayahuasca

Verdad y Derecho. Revista Arbitrada de Ciencias Jurídicas y Sociales. October 14, 2026 Janneth Ximena Iglesias-Quintana, José Milton Jiménez-Montenegro, Viviana del Rocío Marfetan-Marfetan et al.

Las plantas medicinales y la ayahuasca forman parte de la medicina ancestral amazónica, pero su uso fuera del contexto comunitario plantea riesgos para la salud y dudas sobre su regulación. El artículo analizó el marco jurídico y la evidencia científica sobre el uso de plantas medicinales y de ayahuasca en Pastaza, desde la salud intercultural. Se realizó una revisión documental de normas,...

DOI: 10.62574/n08gyqka (opens in new tab)

Ayahuasca Impairs Fear Memory Reconsolidation and Promotes Rapid Structural Plasticity in the Hippocampus and Prelimbic Cortex.

Molecular Neurobiology October 12, 2026 Daiane Momo Daneluz, Alana Sueli Dos Santos, Silvana Regina De Melo et al.

Psychedelic drugs promote rapid neuroplasticity in brain regions affected by trauma exposure, such as the prelimbic (PL) cortex and the dorsal hippocampus (DH), being investigated as potential treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. Ayahuasca (Aya) contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine, a classic psychedelic. Our previous work showed that Aya reduces fear expression by impairing fear memory...

DOI: 10.1007/s12035-026-06264-2 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) DMT Neuroplasticity Dendritic spines Fear conditioning +1

Intercultural pathways to indigenous mental health: the integration of ayahuasca in community care in the Yaqui intercultural medicine clinic in Sonora, Mexico

Frontiers in Public Health October 9, 2026 Cecile Giovannetti, Anja Loizaga-Velder, Brian Rush et al.

Background Indigenous peoples experience substantial mental health and substance use disparities while remaining underserved by conventional healthcare systems. Despite growing evidence for psychedelic-assisted therapies, Indigenous knowledge systems and Indigenous-led models of psychedelic care remain underrepresented. This paper describes the establishment and implementation of the Yaqui...

DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1918846 (opens in new tab)

Acute ayahuasca administration attenuates binge‐like eating and anxiety‐related behaviors in mice subjected to intermittent fasting

Journal of Neuroendocrinology October 1, 2026 Cristian Ferreira Corona, Felipe Alves Alencar Lima, Jessica Sabrina Canedo da Silva Sumensse et al.

Abstract Human binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption accompanied by loss of control and is strongly associated with alterations in reward processing and emotional regulation. Ayahuasca, a psychoactive botanical preparation traditionally used in Amazonian medicine, has been shown to modulate serotonergic signaling and reward‐related behaviors...

DOI: 10.1111/jne.70290 (opens in new tab)

Ayahuasca treatment reduces 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations and modifies mesocorticolimbic monoamine neurochemistry in rats.

Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior September 30, 2026 Camila Pasquini De Souza, Vinicius Theiss De Rosso, Daiane Momo Daneluz et al.

Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), a widely used measure of drug-induced motivational and affective effects and dopaminergic activity. Although psychedelic drugs are promising for addiction treatment, the effects of ayahuasca (AYA) on 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) remain unclear. We investigated whether acute AYA treatment attenuates lisdexamfetamine (LDX)-induced USVs,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2026.174274 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Addiction Serotonin Amphetamine Dopamine +4

Clinical trials

All Ayahuasca trials →