Ayahuasca is a brew containing the psychedelic compound N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and β-carbolines, traditionally consumed in indigenous rituals. Recent studies suggest its potential to reduce depression and anxiety and as an alternative for treating ethanol and tobacco use disorders. However, research on its impact on cocaine use disorder remains limited. To analyze the rewarding effects of...
El tema de este artículo es la patrimonialización de la ayahuasca en Perú, con especial atención a los aspectos legales de este proceso y la reconstrucción del debate que lo acompaña. Basándose en la bibliografía científica existente, se presenta una descrip-ción general de la ayahuasca y su uso por parte de los pueblos indígenas de América del Sur. A partir del análisis de actos jurídicos y...
Global Ayahuasca: Wondrous Visions and Modern Worlds. By Alex K. Gearin. Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press, 2024. 296pp. $30 (paperback or e- book), $120 (hardcover).
Background Ayahuasca, a traditional hallucinogenic brew, is a rare but emerging cause of rhabdomyolysis- induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Unlike more common etiologies of rhabdomyolysis, such as cocaine use or statin therapy, these patients may present without positive toxicology or relevant medication history. This case provides clinical insight into how individualized fluid and diuretic...
Similar to what happens with other psychedelics, there is an ongoing debate on subjective experience contribution to overall therapeutic mechanisms, which can depend on the targeted conditions. There are very few evidences from controlled studies, limiting the conclusions on safety and efficacy. On top of that, ayahuasca highly variable composition posits another challenge, and studies using...
Ayahuasca is a traditional hallucinogenic concoction utilised by indigenous populations in the Amazon Basin for ages in spiritual and therapeutic rituals. The increasing global popularity is attributed to its alleged medicinal and consciousness-expanding properties. The infusion is primarily composed of two key components: the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the leaves of Psychotria viridis,...
ABSTRACT This essay explores the conceptual and philosophical complexities surrounding ayahuasca use, focusing on its ability to reveal ghosts through the lens of hauntology. Ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew traditionally used in shamanic rituals, is known to evoke profound experiences involving spirits, mystical entities, and transformative states of consciousness. The brew's active compound,...
Brain DisordersSeptember 23, 2025Matthew Halma, R. Levy, Joseph Varón2 citations
Clinicians and researchers are showing increased interest in psychedelic-assisted therapy for patients who don't show improvement from using conventional antidepressants. This updated review integrates recent developments, including data on lesser-studied compounds like DMT and 5-MeO-DMT, findings from large clinical trials, and evolving regulatory landscapes. In treatment-resistant depression,...
Den 27. november 2024 disputerte Silje Trym Mathiassen for ph.d.-graden ved Universitetet i Stavanger. Et hovedmål i avhandlingen er å kartlegge rituell praksis med ayahuasca i Norge, et planteavkok som gir hallusinasjoner. Trym Mathiassen spør videre hva som karakteriserer deltakernes rituelle praksis og åndelige erfaringer, og på hvilke måter erfarte transformasjoner og meningskonstruksjoner...
CureusSeptember 17, 2025Arya Kermanshah, Margo Stapleton, Christine M Mauriello et al.1 citation
Ayahuasca, a brew containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) with monoamine oxidase-inhibiting β-carbolines, has expanded from traditional use to global retreats. Reported adverse effects include vomiting, agitation, serotonin toxicity-like syndromes, and cardiovascular events. Rhabdomyolysis has been described with other classic hallucinogens (e.g., lysergic acid diethylamide and psilocybin),...
SacrilegensSeptember 6, 2025Herta Maria de Açucena Do Nascimento Soeiro, Matheus Pangracio Italiano
Este estudo investiga as narrativas discursivas sobre o Santo Daime, com foco em sua historicidade e nos processos de memória e esquecimento que envolvem a doutrina e o uso da Ayahuasca. A pesquisa foi realizada na Hemeroteca Digital, a partir da análise de periódicos da Região Norte entre 1980 e 1990. A partir dos conceitos de arquivo (Pêcheux, Farge, Barbosa Filho), memória discursiva e...
Abstract Background and aims Research on classical psychedelics like ayahuasca is increasingly focused on treating mental disorders and enhancing well-being. Ayahuasca has shown promise in improving cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, and sleep, though findings are mixed and further research is needed. This study tracked participants over three months, assessing cognitive flexibility,...
This systematic review investigates the effects of the ayahuasca beverage (Aya) in various animal models. Using the PRISMA protocol and adhering to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews, a comprehensive selection of 2,359 documents was identified from the Web of Science, Medline, and Scopus databases between 2012 and 2022. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were...
Psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) is an emerging intervention in psychiatry, for which there is preliminary evidence for effectiveness in eating disorders (EDs). The subjective psychedelic experience is considered an important driver of positive outcomes following PAT; however, conventional study design approaches often overlook many of the nuances inherent to the experience. Consequently,...
Preliminary evidence suggests that ayahuasca may alleviate severe grief symptoms. This three-arm, sequentially allocated, open-label study examines the therapeutic changes associated with ayahuasca-assisted meaning reconstruction therapy (A-MR) compared to meaning reconstruction therapy alone (MR) and a no-treatment control (NT). A total of 84 adults experiencing severe grief within 12 months...
INTERdisciplinaAugust 30, 2025Genlizzie Elizabeth Garibay Munguía
This article aims to understand how contemporary psychedelic capitalism, through medicalization, regulation, and commodification of ancestral psychoactive substances (such as psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, ayahuasca and others), reproduces dynamics of biopiracy and bioappropriation that exploit the territories, knowledge, and practices of indigenous communities. From a critical perspective...
Las ceremonias de ayahuasca en Pucallpa atraen a turistas nacionales e internacionales que buscan experiencias espirituales y de sanación guiados por chamanes en centros espirituales (CE). Actualmente, no se cuenta con información sobre la calidad de los servicios ni la seguridad que estos ofrecen a los participantes. Ello genera que la experiencia de toma de ayahuasca en estos lugares sea...
O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar os efeitos terapêuticos da ayahuasca na saúde mental por meio de uma revisão integrativa. Para isso, foram levantados artigos publicados nos últimos dez anos nas bases de dados PubMed, Scopus e Google Acadêmico, utilizando os descritores “ayahuasca”, “depressão”, “ansiedade” e “saúde mental”. Após o exame dos 96 trabalhos capturados, 18 estudos...
Background: While psychedelics are often claimed to enhance creativity, their precise effects on distinct stages of creative cognition remain poorly understood. This study investigated the acute effects of an ayahuasca-inspired formulation combining N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine (DMT/HAR), as well as harmine alone (HAR), on micro-level (divergent/convergent thinking) and macro-level...
While psychedelics are often claimed to enhance creativity, their precise effects on distinct stages of creative cognition remain poorly understood. This study investigated the acute effects of an ayahuasca-inspired formulation combining N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and harmine (DMT/HAR), as well as harmine alone (HAR), on micro-level (divergent/convergent thinking) and macro-level (creative...