The first sentence in the Limitations section of the abstract for “Psychedelic Therapy: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians - N,N-Dimethyltryptamine and Ayahuasca” stated:“There has only been a single published double-blind randomized controlled trial on ayahuasca and 2 on DMT.” The end of this sentence is incorrect. There are no published, double-blind randomized controlled trials on DMT as...
Ayahuasca is a brew traditionally prepared with a mixture of Psychotria viridis leaves and Banisteriopsis caapi vine and has demonstrated therapeutic properties for depression. Knowledge of the brew composition is important to improve the therapeutic potential and decrease side effects if ayahuasca becomes an option for refractory depression treatment. Ultra-high performance liquid...
Ayahuasca has been proposed as a treatment for substance use disorders. However, because of its hallucinogenic properties, studies investigating its abuse potential are needed. The aim of the present study was to investigate voluntary ayahuasca drinking in male mice using a two-bottle choice procedure. Male mice were exposed to two bottles, one of water and one of ayahuasca (0.01, 0.03 or 0.1...
Revista NeurociênciasOctober 16, 2024Vitória Pereira de Menezes, Luis Felipe Batista, Vicente Meneguzzo et al.
Introdução. Os transtornos mentais apresentam alta incidência na população, mas as opções terapêuticas são limitadas por efeitos colaterais e baixa eficácia. Nesse cenário, a Ayahuasca, utilizada por povos indígenas há milênios, surge como alternativa para tratar condições como ansiedade e depressão. Objetivo. Avaliar as mudanças psicológicas em participantes iniciantes de cerimônias com...
Despite increasing interest in psychedelics and their potential therapeutic effects, research on inhaled N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) remains limited. Inhaled DMT has a reputation for rapid, dramatic onset and a brief duration, but correlates of use frequency remain poorly understood. A sample recruited from relevant internet sites, including nearly 400 people who had inhaled DMT, reported...
Background In the early twentieth century, ayahuasca gained popularity in northern Brazil, causing political tension due to moral hostility. However, over the course of the century, despite the proscription of DMT and the intensification of the ‘War on Drugs’, three phases of cumulative political gains eventually led to the full regulation of ayahuasca, in 2010. How was this achieved?Methods...
Shamans, neo-shamans, atheists, and others describe gaining special knowledge from drinking ayahuasca, supporting the cross-cultural idea of ayahuasca as a plant teacher. While secular enthusiasts interpret this metaphorically, animists and others take it literally. This article examines ontological collisions at a healing retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, considering Shipibo shamans and their...
Harmine is a component of the hallucinogenic brew, Ayahuasca, which also contains the psychoactive compound, N, N-dimethyltryptamine. Whether pharmaceutical-grade harmine hydrochloride (HCl) has psychoactive effects, the doses at which these might occur, and the dose-response relationship to side effects and safety in humans are unknown. We conducted a Phase 1, open-label single ascending dose...
Background: In recent years, both meditation and psychedelics have attracted rapidly increasing scientific interest. While the current state of evidence suggests the promising potential of psychedelics, such as psilocybin, to enhance meditative training, it remains equivocal whether these effects are specifically bound to psilocybin or if other classical psychedelics might show synergistic...
Threatening events and stressful experiences can lead to maladaptive memories and related behaviors. Existing treatments often fail to address these issues linked to anxiety/stress-related disorders effectively. This review identifies dose ranges associated with specific actions across various psychedelics. We examined psilocybin/psilocin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD),...
Neuropathic pain (NP), a debilitating and chronic condition often accompanied by comorbid depression, presents significant therapeutic challenges. While conventional pharmacological treatments, though valuable, usually fall short in addressing their multifaceted nature, the pursuit of innovative solutions has led to the exploration of ayahuasca , a psychedelic brew originating from Amazonian...
The potent hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) has garnered significant interest in recent years due to its profound effects on consciousness and its therapeutic psychopotential. DMT is an integral (but not exclusive) psychoactive alkaloid in the Amazonian plant-based brew ayahuasca, in which admixture of several β-carboline monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) inhibitors potentiate the activity...
This article focuses on the outcomes at 1 year post-treatment of a naturalistic evaluation of services provided through the Takiwasi Centre, an accredited Peruvian therapeutic community offering an ayahuasca-assisted, integrative treatment program for addiction rehabilitation. Participants (n = 52) completed structured interviews and a battery of validated instruments. Outcome measures included...
Ayahuasca, an entheogen from the Amazon rainforest, has garnered growing interest for treating substance dependence. To date, there is little research concerning the act of ayahuasca-related purging (mainly vomiting), which is considered to be central to healing during ayahuasca rituals. This study explored practitioner perspectives on purging during ayahuasca rituals at the Takiwasi Center in...
Psychedelics have emerged as promising therapeutics for several psychiatric disorders. Hypotheses around their mechanisms have revolved around their partial agonism at the serotonin 2 A receptor, leading to enhanced neuroplasticity and brain connectivity changes that underlie positive mindset shifts. However, these accounts fail to recognise that the gut microbiota, acting via the gut-brain...
Abstract Objective To evaluate the comparative effectiveness and acceptability of oral monotherapy using psychedelics and escitalopram in patients with depressive symptoms, considering the potential for overestimated effectiveness due to unsuccessful blinding. Design Systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis. Data sources Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials,...
Christ Returns from the Jungle is an anthropological inquiry into the recent expansion from South America to Europe of the ayahuasca-based Santo Daime New Religious Movement (NRM).In it, the author addresses important research questions that could be used as a model for the study of all globalizing NRM's.These include the following: Who are the Europeans that choose to join this movement and...
BMJ Case ReportsAugust 14, 2024Morven Rosemary Baker, Christopher Iain O'Shea1 citation
Ayahuasca is a plant-based psychoactive decoction, traditionally used by indigenous Amazonian peoples, which commonly contains the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). There is now growing interest across the Western world in psychedelics including Ayahuasca.This case describes a previously well male with no risk factors for adverse psychiatric outcomes or forensic history. Following...
The COVID-19 pandemic spurred the growth of online wellness influencers who promote products and treatments to address spiritual distress by incorporating conspiracy theories into their messaging. In this article we investigate the rise of the “conspiritual life coach,” a subset of wellness influencers that emerged during the pandemic. We analyze their pedagogical approaches, illustrating how...
A hallucinogenic brew called ayahuasca has increasingly played a role in drawing people from around the world to the Peruvian Amazon. They come seeking healing and spiritual encounters. As ayahuasca tourism has grown, it has exceeded its designation as mere tourism. Some of the foreigners (mostly Westerners) who come to the jungle for ayahuasca engage in long-term shamanic training with local...