Ayahuasca is a natural Amazonian concoction composed of two plants (the caapi vine and the chacruna or chalitenga leaf) that, when cooked for many hours, results in an ancient natural medicine that is traveling around the world, offering the possibility to many people to access an experience of connection with the Essence that allows them to understand what they need at this moment in their life. It is a bitter and sweet liquid that you drink, the experience is progressive, you access it as you allow yourself to feel everything that arises with confidence and dedication.
As its name indicates, it is an experience of expansion of consciousness, that is, you are more aware than in everyday life and with greater clarity and openness to be able to see your life and your past from the eyes of innocence and love, you agree to experience what happened to you and what happens to you from a much deeper and more comprehensive consciousness that allows you to integrate what happened and undo internal conflicts. Ayahuasca is just a catalyst that expands your own healing and understanding capacity, therefore it is not necessary to take a lifetime to learn to locate that place of mastery and rest within you. It shows us our potential and what our lives can become if we follow our heart.
Hallucinations do not occur because it is not a hallucinogen, it is an entheogen ("en theos genos" means "return to the divine origin" and is the same etymological root of "enthusiasm" (being in the divine). With eyes closed You can have visions that lead you to see significant moments in your life, future possibilities that your life can become or access the real reality that is beyond all perception and that is lived as a love that fills us with confidence. fullness in life, gratitude and a deep embrace towards ourselves where feelings of guilt are diluted by accessing the understanding that we are innocent and do not deserve any type of punishment and that our value is intrinsic to us from birth and we cannot lose it so we can allow ourselves to receive the infinite love that we deserve at every moment and stop attacking ourselves to access an inner peace as a result of feeling safe in the radical decision to lovingly accompany ourselves. It is a revealing experience that involves a before and after in life when one surrenders to it.
During the process, vomiting may occur as a result of a body detoxification that occurs. This vomiting has a different quality than when one is drunk or sick, it is a liberating vomiting that usually occurs when a realization arises or when we let go of a perception that was hurting us. Although it is not the vomiting that releases, it does sometimes arise as a consequence of a release. Vomiting does not occur at any time randomly but can occur when we understand something or connect with some emotion that we have been keeping or swallowing or some attitude that has been harmful to ourselves, then the physical consequences of having retained that expression come out. emotion as well as the cortisol accumulated in the body if it has been suffering continuous stress (distress)
Ayahuasca is not a drug because a drug is something that serves to escape from reality and disconnect from feelings while ayahuasca is used for the opposite, that is, to take responsibility for your life as your experiential creation. It leads you to embrace your emotions as if they were babies that you don't rush to stop crying and thus create an atmosphere of softness and kindness within you that ends up becoming a safe home where you feel safe with yourself.
Ayahuasca does not generate physical tolerance like drugs with which you have to take more and more doses, with ayahuasca it is necessary to take less and less. It also does not generate withdrawal syndrome or addiction, in fact with it you can delve into the deep causes that generate addictions and develop an attitude towards them that allows them not to destroy our life and relationships. If you are an alcoholic, you will not control your drinking by taking ayahuasca, but it is possible that you will make the decision to never have a drink again, which, together with the group support of organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous, will lead you to stay sober and fall in love with it. sobriety that is a journey of joyful discoveries.
The scientific studies of Dr. Jordi Riba at the Sant Pau hospital (chosen by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in science of the XNUMXst century) demonstrated that ayahuasca does not cause harm to health as it is not toxic, This has been confirmed in clinical trials by a multitude of doctors in other countries such as the Brazilian neurologist Draulio Araujo:
Ayahuasca, far from killing neurons, stimulates areas of the brain that produce neurogenesis such as the hippocampus and ventricle, which allow the creation of new neurons, which is why its use is being studied in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, the latter proven. by Dr. Morales at the Complutense University of Madrid. On the other hand, ayahuasca facilitates neuroplasticity, which refers to the brain's ability to establish new neural pathways that favor relearning and the understandings that one acquires while taking ayahuasca so that these are integrated into daily life. Of course, the day after taking ayahuasca we meet in the integration to help consolidate and establish those new ways of treating oneself and relating to life and to other people that arise from the transformative and liberating impact. of this experience.
A diet is not necessary to live this experience, nor are there contraindications if the person takes antidepressants or anxiolytics as long as the person stops taking them two days before. Many people after this experience establish another relationship with their feeling where they embrace it instead of fighting with it and it is no longer necessary for them to take medication to anesthetize it.
Ayahuasca does not cause chronic psychoses and people "do not go crazy from taking it." If it is connected with some type of "madness" it is that which, as Guillermo Borja said, "cures everything." Brain entropy is a movement of the established order and has been defined by psychiatrist Carhart Harris as the most potentially healing quality of psychedelics that allows us to reorganize our internal order so that it is no longer governed by abuse and becomes under sovereignty. of self-love.
It can't kill you either. The few cases of death that there are are because it was mixed with other plants, doses were given that elephantinely exceeded the standard dose or because the person had taken drugs before and did not say so. There is no autopsy where it is stated that ayahuasca was the direct cause of death.
It is not advisable to be under the influence of smoked marijuana when taking ayahuasca either because it can cause a drop in tension or block the opening of sensitivity.
The sessions are always carried out with a previous opening workshop so that each one connects with their heart from the beginning and an integration the next morning to bring everything understood to daily life.
Ayahuasca is not illegal in most countries. In Spain. Uruguay or Switzerland is not audited. One of its active ingredients, DMT, is prohibited in its synthetic and chemical form, but it is not prohibited when found in plants or vegetable preparations such as ayahuasca. In addition, DMT is found within the human body and works as a neuromodulator.
SUGGESTIONS TO NAVIGATE IN THE EXPERIENCE WITH AYAHUASCA:
In our retreats, prior to taking ayahuasca, a preparation workshop is held that lasts 2 hours so that people can first connect with their feelings and also become aware of the blockages that could interfere during the experience and that they are the same. that interfere with your life.
This workshop is rather unprepared, as some people read a lot about the experience in order to be alert during the trip and "know" what is going to happen and how they should behave. This type of preparation therefore reinforces the control and this is precisely the block that we intend to deactivate.
Expectations express the person's faith in manipulating experience. In the expectation there is violence, it is a substitute for the demand. However, we have to enter this experience with total innocence and dedication. Open to any experience and from an act of humility to recognize that we know nothing, not even about our past because this is a distorted memory of a partial interpretation of some events that occurred.
The expectations correspond to an attitude of waiting and arrogance ("I already know the answer before they give it to me", "I already know what must happen to free me before it happens") this is something funny because if you already knew what you need to know you would not come to the retreat and you would not waste time and money on said experience.
The three main suggestions I make are these, which are related to each other and as you can see are perfectly applicable to life itself:
1. Free your feeling, do not judge what you feel, your feeling is the common thread towards your Being. Do not start thinking that what you feel does not correspond to what you expected, if at any time during the night you feel any strong emotion, calm down because you are not going to get stuck there, you are simply crossing a threshold into a deep and liberating understanding that leads to Love. If you feel fear, remember that what is important is not fear but your attitude towards it.
2. Trust, that is, open yourself to receive everything that comes without judging it, even if at some point you feel that “nothing is happening”, receive it too. Adopt an attitude of unconditionality before the experience. What you are going to see is your life and now you have the opportunity to fully open yourself to it even if it is only for one night. Let that "Trust" be the silent mantra that permeates your heart and do not seek or ask or demand, let go of the wheel and embrace yourself in silence so that Love guides you.
3. Breathe what you feel: If at any time you find it difficult to navigate any emotion during the experience, breathe it in deeply and let it spread throughout your body, become it and let it possess you, because you will be living the liberation of the Love of the tight prison of belief in which he was trapped.
Do not adopt stereotyped postures, when you take the shamanic medicine try to be seated for the first half hour and then let yourself go and lie down if you want. Do not try anything because trying means "in tension" and that makes the spectrum of your consciousness close.
Also, don't force yourself to relax by telling yourself to relax! well that's an order and it would only make you harder. Do not try to control your thoughts, they do not have the power to interfere with you unless you give it to them and they are also invited to the party.
Do not focus on the visions because they are secondary, sometimes they appear and sometimes they do not and if they appear it is to take you towards feeling. The visions appear with the eyes closed and are emotionally charged lucid images of one's life and also work to relax the person when they are geometric. Some people spend all night waiting for the visions to appear to know "if the journey has already begun" when in reality they do not always appear because the experience with ayahuasca is a state of expansion of consciousness in which your consciousness mainly expands and your sensitivity opens connecting you with the Superior Intelligence of Love.
You can vomit during the night but you can also not and this does not mean that you have not healed. The fact that natural medicines remain in the body can be very useful in the following days; sometimes the body wants to keep that energy inside in order to make the most of it. Understanding happens through becoming aware and vomiting is a natural and symbolic consequence of the act of letting go of a belief that happens just at that precise moment. The ideal way to facilitate vomiting is to place yourself in a position "on all fours" and thus favor peristaltic movements, vomiting occurs on its own and it is not necessary to provoke or force it.
We suggest living the whole experience with your eyes closed. This way you won't get distracted. Nor can you talk to others so as not to interfere with their processes. The session is in a group, but the experience is individual, each one lives it on their mat, and if at any time help or support is needed, they ask the responsible facilitator for it.
You cannot smoke during the experience as it is a form of escape and neither can you take any other substance.
Just because you drink more or less ayahuasca does not mean that your experience will be deeper or more intense. Simply put aside all hard-and-fast relationships of cause and effect and all assumptions, and surrender to the happening.
In short: OPEN TO FEEL AND TRUST!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AYAHUASCA ANSWERED BY DOCTORS:
-IS AYAHUASCA TOXIC?
«That ayahuasca is a psychoactive substance does not imply that the doses usually ingested in rituals are doses that produce organic or brain toxicity. In this sense, and in accordance with toxicological science, a minimum psychoactive dose should not be equated with a toxic dose, if we understand toxicity as the ability of a substance to, upon coming into contact with the body, produce an effect through its chemical action. harmful (Baños and Farré, 2002). In relation to the effects of ayahuasca on the body, studies
carried out with volunteers, both in laboratory conditions (Riba, 2003; dos Santos, 2011) and in natural contexts (McKenna, 2004), show that ayahuasca is, physiologically, quite safe. The impact of ayahuasca on the cardiovascular system is minimal, producing slight increases in blood pressure and blood pressure without clinical implications.
heart rate (Riba et al., 2001, 2003; dos Santos et al., 2012).
It has also been seen that
transiently increases the concentrations of the hormones prolactin, cortisol, and hormone
growth (dos Santos et al., 2011, 2012) and, in terms of the immune system, it decreases in a time-dependent manner the subpopulations of CD4 and CD3 lymphocytes and increases those of
NK or natural killers (dos Santos et al., 2011, 2012). These transient physiological modifications do not seem to trigger negative effects: in studies in which general blood tests have been performed before and after the volunteers' participation in the
Clinical trials have not found any alterations in hematological functions.
and biochemical (Riba et al., 2001; Riba and Barbanoj, 2005). In a recent study that evaluated liver function in regular ayahuasca users (twice a month or more,
for at least one year) no alterations in liver function or markers were found
(Mello et al., 2019).
- IS AYAHUASCA ADDICTIVE?
«Regarding its potential for abuse, in neuroimaging studies with healthy volunteers it has been observed that ayahuasca does not activate brain areas related to the brain's reward systems, which are the brain centers that activate drugs with abuse potential.
abuse such as methamphetamine, cocaine or alcohol. Furthermore, in this sense, existing evidence indicates that ayahuasca can represent a useful tool in the treatment of addictions (Bouso and Riba, 2014).
- CAN IT CAUSE OVERDOSE?
«It has also been shown in clinical trials that ayahuasca does not produce tolerance (dos Santos et al., 2012), so it is not necessary to increase the doses to achieve the desired effects, something that, added, as has already been said, to the emetic effects (vomiting), it protects users from suffering from overdose."
- ARE THERE DETOXICATION AND ADDICTION TREATMENT CLINICS THAT USE AYAHUASCA AS MEDICINE?
«In fact, there are several clinics in South America specialized in the treatment of drug addictions using ayahuasca, the best known of which is Takiwasi, in Peru (Mabit,2007).
In a recent study carried out with patients with major depression, it has been found that ayahuasca activates a brain area involved in reward mechanisms called the nucleus accumbens (Sanches et al., 2016), an effect that, according to the authors of the study, is exclusive for patients with depression and contributes to explaining the antidepressant effect of ayahuasca in patients with major depression. One of the first studies carried out on humans showed how many participants in ritual ayahuasca sessions of the Unión del Vegetal (UDV) church had abandoned the
consumption of alcohol and other drugs, such as cocaine, as a consequence of their participation in rituals (Grob et al., 1996). This finding has been found again in subsequent studies
with members of the Santo Daime church of Oregon, USA (Halpern et al., 2008). A study with a very large sample, in which 127 ayahuasca users were evaluated in traditional contexts, comparing them with 115 controls, found no evidence of addiction criteria according to the biopsychosocial indicators evaluated with the ASI scale (addiction severity index).
addiction; the standard scale for assessing drug addiction), nor did it find that the continued use of ayahuasca was associated with the harmful biopsychosocial effects caused by the
drugs of abuse. What's more, the groups of ayahuasca users consumed less alcohol and other drugs than the control subjects and these better scores in the biopsychosocial indicators
of addiction were replicated a year later, confirming the consistency of the results (Fábregas et al., 2010).
In recent years, several studies have been published, both biomedical and ethnographic, evaluating the anti-addictive properties of ayahuasca. One study evaluated the effectiveness of a
program in Peru that uses traditional Amazonian medicine, including ayahuasca, with patients dependent on multiple substances (mainly cannabis, alcohol and cocaine), and
found a significant decrease in indicators of addiction severity and an increase in quality of life (Berlowitz et al., 2019). Another study found a lower incidence
of alcohol and tobacco abuse disorders among religious ayahuasca users compared to the general population (Barbosa et al., 2018). In an international survey of
In which 96.901 users of different drugs responded, ayahuasca users (500 people) consumed less alcohol than users of other psychedelics (such as LSD or
psilocybin) and reported having the best quality of life of the entire sample (Lawn et al., 2017). Other recent studies showed evidence of effectiveness in the treatment of drug dependence in
different cultural populations and treatment environments (Fernández et al., 2015; Loizaga Velder and Verres, 2014; Thomas et al., 2013). Two recent ethnographic studies focused on
studying the anti-addictive properties of ayahuasca also found recovery processes in subjects as a consequence of participating in ayahuasca ceremonies (Talin and Sanabria, 2017; Apud and Romaní, 2017).»
- DOES AYAHUASCA SERVE AS A PREVENTION OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADDICTIONS IN ADULT LIFE?
«A study, carried out with adolescents belonging to the Brazilian ayahuasca church Unión del Vegetal (UDV), also found that they consumed significantly less alcohol than control subjects, concluding that ayahuasca, far from producing abuse or dependence, for these adolescents constituted a protection factor against alcohol consumption
(Doering-Silveira et al., 2005a)»
- WHY CAN AYAHUASCA EXPERIENCES OPTIMIZE OUR MENTAL HEALTH? CAN IT BE USED AS A SELF-CARE TOOL LIKE DOING SPORTS OR PRACTICING MEDITATION?
«The therapeutic properties of ayahuasca are probably due to a combination of its psychoactive effect – and the associated subjective experiences – with its pharmacological actions. Activates brain areas related to memory about events
personal (called episodic memory) and with the awareness of emotions and internal sensations (Riba et al., 2006; de Araujo et al., 2011). From a psychological perspective, several recent studies showed that the psychotherapeutic potentials of ayahuasca could be related to its ability to increase what in clinical psychology is called "decentering" (Franquesa et al., 2018; Soler et al., 2016), or the ability to observe thoughts and emotions as transient events of the mind without becoming trapped by them,
as well as enhancing mindfulness and cognitive flexibility capabilities (Murphy-Beiner and Soar,
2020; Sampedro et al., 2017; Soler et al., 2018). These processes are considered important in clinical psychology, since it is estimated that they are responsible for—and therefore explain—the
psychotherapeutic results.
If ayahuasca has no recreational potential or potential for abuse, there must be other reasons why people use it. Personality studies carried out with populations
Brazilian and Spanish ayahuasca users have not found that they achieve higher scores on a scale known as "novelty seeking" (Grob et al., 1996;
Bouso et al., 2012; Bouso et al., 2015), which is a personality trait in which users of drugs of abuse usually score high. However, users do get higher scores.
higher than the non-user population in another personality trait called “self-transcendence” (Bouso et al., 2012; Bouso et al., 2015), which is the tendency to harbor a
transcendent concept of life, not necessarily linked to any religious affiliation. These personality studies have found, as a whole, that people who use
They do ayahuasca for reasons that have to do with personal development, the search for psychological well-being and a better adaptation to the world. In fact, these studies have found that they are people who are perfectly adapted and integrated into their social environments,
work and family, who use ayahuasca as a tool for personal and spiritual improvement, yielding results similar to those of people who practice meditation or other healing techniques.
personal development and well-being (Soler et al., 2016; Palhano-Fontes, 2015).
-WHAT PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
AND MENTAL ILLNESSES
CAN YOU HELP HEAL?
«There are some studies that have explored the psychotherapeutic potential of ayahuasca in clinical populations. The strongest evidence is shown in patients with major depression
resistant to treatment. A recent study reported antidepressant effects of ayahuasca in patients with major depression, effects that were maintained for 21 days after the administration of a single dose (Osório et al., 2015; Sanches et al., 2016). This therapeutic effect was associated with brain changes measured with neuroimaging techniques, thus providing an objective demonstration of therapeutic change (Sanches et al., 2016). Other
More recent study confirmed the antidepressant effect of a single dose of ayahuasca in a placebo-controlled clinical trial (Palhano-Fontes et al., 2017). That clinical trial also found a decrease in suicidal ideation in the ayahuasca group compared to the placebo group (Zeifman et al., 2019), a result that has also been found in another open study (Zeifman et al., 2020). Cortisol was also evaluated—which
can be considered a biological marker for the reduction of depression and suicidal ideation—showing levels similar to those of normal subjects after treatment with ayahuasca.
(Galvão et al., 2018). Ayahuasca also increases the levels of neurotrophic factors (mainly brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF), which are associated with
neuroplasticity and antidepressant effects, among others (de Almeida et al., 2019).
The psychotherapeutic potential of ayahuasca has also been investigated for the treatment of other psychological disorders. Two studies have shown consistently positive results when
evaluate the use of ayahuasca in grief therapy (González et al., 2019, 2020). Furthermore, one of them showed that these beneficial effects were maintained after a year of follow-up.
(González et al., 2020). Likewise, positive results have been found in two preliminary studies in patients with eating disorders (Lafrance et al., 2017; Renelli et al., 2018).
Although research on the therapeutic effects of ayahuasca is still an incipient phenomenon, several authors propose that this concoction could also be useful.
for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Nielson and Megler, 2013) and personality disorders (Domínguez-Clavé et al., 2019), as well as for the treatment of
antisocial behavior, among other disorders typical of our civilization (Frecksa et al., 2016), including the improvement of symptoms in some serious physical conditions, such as
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (ALSUntangled Group, 2017).»
DOES IT HAVE SIDE EFFECTS?
The main side effect induced by ayahuasca is nausea and vomiting (Callaway et al., 1999; Riba et al., 2001; Riba, 2003; Riba and Barbanoj, 2005; dos Santos, 2011; dos Santos et al., 2012) .
The action of ayahuasca on vomiting is due, first, to the particular organoleptic properties of the drink and, secondly, to its serotonergic action (Callaway et al.,
1999). In any case, it is not an adverse reaction considered important by the participants in the sessions, but rather it is considered as a potential effect.
therapeutic called “the purge” in traditional Amazonian medicines (Luna, 1986, 2011), or “cleansing” in the context of Brazilian ayahuasca religions (Labate, 2004).
The "purge", in contexts of traditional use, is understood as a physical cleansing
and psychological of the internal conflicts that may afflict the participant and is considered an essential part of the therapeutic benefits (Luna, 1986, 2011). The emetic effects of ayahuasca, in fact, constitute one of the main reasons why ayahuasca does not have potential recreational use.
Finally, two recently published studies have evaluated the adverse effects profile of ayahuasca in naturalistic contexts. First, Durante et al. (2020) reported that
The most frequent adverse effects in a sample of 614 people consisted of gastrointestinal symptoms, as noted above. However, despite being considered adverse events from a medical point of view, these effects are actually desired by users, who consider this process as a necessary purge.
Surprisingly, using prescription medication or having a history of a psychiatric diagnosis were not associated with more adverse events. There was also recorded a
greater frequency of adverse effects such as tachycardia, dizziness or tremors in the subsample (of fifty people) that had some psychiatric diagnosis (mainly,
depression and anxiety).
The study published by Gómez-Sousa et al. (2021), focused on acute adverse reactions recorded in a ceremonial context and in people taking
ayahuasca for the first time, found a total of seven cases in a sample of forty people (17,5%). Four of the seven subjects met psychiatric diagnostic criteria before
to go to take ayahuasca. The authors highlighted the fact that, even after suffering acute adverse events, the subjects did not develop psychiatric symptoms or
experienced long-term consequences. On the contrary, positive effects were recorded, such as a reduction in criteria for the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders (Gómez-Sousa et al.,
2021). Studies of medium and long-term effects have also been carried out in which no neuropsychological or psychopathological alterations derived from continued consumption of ayahuasca have been evidenced. A prospective study conducted with people who took the concoction for the first time found improvements in measures of mental health and reduction in physical pain six months
after starting the ritual consumption of ayahuasca (Barbosa et al., 2005, 2009).
Other studies have found lower rates of psychopathology and greater psychosocial well-being in users
habitual ayahuasca (Bouso et al., 2012; Halpern et al., 2008) and three other studies have not found neuropsychological alterations, evaluated through cognitive performance tests
in regular ayahuasca users (Grob et al., 1996; Barbosa et al., 2016; Bouso et al., 2012; Bouso et al., 2015). One of these studies evaluated 127 ayahuasca users with a history
of consumption for a minimum of fifteen years and compared them with 115 controls, finding better
scores on psychopathological tests and on some of the neuropsychological tests,
results that were consistent in each of the two evaluations, separated by one year, that were carried out on the subjects (Bouso et al., 2012). Studies with Brazilian adolescents
Members of the UDV church have not found neuropsychological alterations or
psychiatric disorders associated with the ritual consumption of ayahuasca (da Silveira et al., 2005; Doering-Silveira et al., 2005b).
Finally, a recent neuroimaging study with Spanish ayahuasca users belonging to the Santo Daime church, with a minimum consumption of ayahuasca fifty times in the last two years, found differences in the thickness of the cerebral cortex of the
ayahuasca users compared to controls. These differences in cortical thickness only correlated with the personality variable called "self-transcendence", indicating that it is
It is possible that ayahuasca produces changes in the brain that manifest themselves in a greater spiritual inclination (Bouso et al., 2015). The ayahuasca users in this study
scored the same as their non-user controls in psychopathological and neuropsychological performance tests, which proves that this structural change in the brain as a consequence
The probability of ritual consumption of ayahuasca is not related to brain toxicity, but rather translates into changes in personality that may simply be reflecting a way of being.
"different", not necessarily pathological, as numerous previously cited studies have also shown (Grob et al., 1996; Barbosa et al., 2009, 2016; Bouso et al., 2012; da Silveira
et al., 2005; Doering-Silveira et al., 2005b; Halpern et al., 2008).
Brain modifications
They also occur after training and practicing numerous activities, such as learning music, a normal phenomenon that occurs in our brain continuously over time.
throughout life and is known as brain plasticity.
- CAN THERE BE PSYCHOTIC OUTBREAKS? ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO HAVE “STAYED ON THE JOURNEY”, “TOUCHED” OR CRAZY FOREVER AFTER ONE SHOT?
«Psychotic outbreaks sometimes function as defense mechanisms against real anguish that ayahuasca can lead you to go through, for example, from some childhood episode. They are unusual but they are not due to the fact that ayahuasca has a psychosystogenic component but rather as part of a mechanism of escape from the psyche that must be accompanied by reversal so that the person goes through it, embracing it and integrating a new way of living what affects them. It is important to take care of the person so that they do not harm themselves or others at these times. These cases subside within a few hours. There are no reported cases of chronic psychosis due to ayahuasca.
Some side effects have been described after the administration of ayahuasca in laboratory contexts, although they have always been specific and isolated cases, which have resolved without the need for any intervention (Riba and Barbanoj, 2005).
Some cases of the appearance of psychiatric effects in contexts of ritual use have also been documented, although their occurrence is rare (Lima and Tófoli, 2011; dos Santos and Strassman, 2011) and is below the prevalence of the appearance of psychiatric problems. for the general population.
In any case, this suggests that ayahuasca is, in principle, contraindicated for people with psychiatric disorders, especially those individuals prone to psychosis.
- DOES AYAHUASCA DESTROY NEURONS
OR ON THE CONTRARY DOES IT PRODUCE NEUROGENESIS, NEUROPROTECTION AND BRAIN NEUROPLASTICITY?
«In that sense, there have been
several studies evaluating in vitro the potential neuroprotective properties of ayahuasca components. In one of those studies, harmine induced proliferation in human neural stem cells (Dakic et al., 2016) and in another study harmine, harmaline and
tetrahydroharmine, the three main constituents of B. caapi, were shown to stimulate
adult neurogenesis (Morales-García et al., 2017). In fact, at the end of the 1920s, both Louis Lewin and Kurt Beringer already reported the promising effects of harmine for the
treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) and the potential role of B. caapi in the treatment of PD and other neurodegenerative diseases has recently been reviewed.
(Djamshidian et al., 2015; Fisher et al., 2018). On the other hand, two independent studies have also shown that DMT produces neurogenesis and neuroprotection both in cell cultures (Berthoux et al., 2019) and in animals (Morales-García et al., 2020).
In short, ayahuasca
"It is showing promising results not only to treat psychological conditions, but also to act as a neuroprotectant and to promote neurogenesis."
- HAVE PEOPLE DIED BECAUSE OF TAKING AYAHUASCA?
«Based on the published information, and on some occasions completing with
interviews and unpublished documents, acceptable hypotheses can be formulated in the majority of the 58 cases found. It is worth emphasizing that to date no toxicological analysis or forensic examination has determined that the consumption of ayahuasca caused death due to acute intoxication. «
(Carlos Suárez Álvarez, 2023)
Full report: https://www.iceers.org/es/examinando-muertes-ayahuasca/)
IS AYAHUASCA A DANGER TO PUBLIC HEALTH OR CAN ITS MEDICAL AND NON-MEDICAL USES BE INTEGRATED INTO OUR WESTERN SOCIETIES?
«In a recent study conducted in Spain (Oña et al., 2019), 380 regular attendees of ayahuasca ceremonies were interviewed face-to-face using public health indicators, along with indicators of community ties, stress coping strategies, values. and psychosocial well-being. The results were compared with normative data from the general Spanish population. Regular ayahuasca use was associated with greater positive health perception and a healthy lifestyle, among other outcomes. 56% of the sample reported reducing their use of prescription medications since becoming involved in ayahuasca ceremonies. Participants who had used ayahuasca more than one hundred times scored higher on measures of personal values. The main conclusion of this study suggests that a respectful and controlled use of ayahuasca
taken in community settings can be incorporated into modern society with public health benefits.
"This new approach, based on the use of health indicators that were not used in previous ayahuasca studies, offers relevant information on the impact of long-term exposure to ayahuasca on public health."
-Information obtained from the ICEERS technical report published in 2021 and signed by 12 doctors and supported by a robust medical and scientific bibliography:
https://www.iceers.org/es/informe-tecnico-sobre-ayahuasca/perfil-seguridad-ayahuasca/
EFFECTIVENESS OF AYAHUASCA IN ANXIETY DISORDERS, DEPRESSION, ANOREXIA AND BULIMIA, BPD, PROLONGED GRIEF AND ADDICTIONS. CLINICAL AND SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE PUBLISHED IN MEDICAL ARTICLES: COMPLETE COMPILATION
1. Therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in anxiety and depression disorders
This review includes 16 works on possible applications of ayahuasca
for treat mood and anxiety disorders. The
Greater scientific evidence has been developed for depressive disorder, being the
the only one for which there are two randomized clinical trials (RCTs). The first RCT
with ayahuasca was carried out with 9 volunteers and was published by Dos Santos et al. in
2007. It included measures of anxiety, panic and hopelessness both before and after
hour and a half of a single intake of ayahuasca. The volunteers were members of the
Santo Daime, religion that includes the taking of ayahuasca as a central element of
their rites, and they made the shot in a ceremonial context. Although the do-
sis, chemical analyzes were carried out that showed the presence of beta-carbolines
and DMT. No significant differences were observed in anxiety measures,
but the results showed a significant reduction in panic symptoms
and hopelessness. The second RCT was carried out with 29 volunteers in a context
clinical and was published in 2018. It included measurements of depressive symptomatology with
different standardized tests and other variables related to possible mechanisms
nisms of action. The main result observed was a reduction in symptoms
depressive disorder and suicidal ideation, significantly higher in the group of
ayahuasca compared to the control, sustained after seven days, with a single dose of
1 ml/kg of ayahuasca containing 0,36 mg/ml of DMT, 1,86 mg/ml of harmine,
0,24 mg/ml of harmaline, and 1,20 mg/ml of tetrahydroharmine (Palhano-Fontes et al,
2018; Galvão et al, 2018; Zeifman et al, 2019; de Almeida et al, 2019 and Galvão-
Coelho et al 2020).
In other studies, a decrease in symptomatology has been observed
pressive that has been sustained even for weeks. Thus, in open trials
Osorio et al (2015) and Sanches et al (2016) observed reductions in the
depression coves that were maintained after 21 days. This last test carried out
carried out with 17 volunteers included an emission computed tomography study
single photon (SPECT) that reported an increase in blood flow in the ac-
left cumbens, right insula, and left subgenual area (cerebral regions).
brains involved in the regulation of mood and emotions) after the
gestation of an ayahuasca dose of 120-200 mL (2,2 mL/kg body weight) in
individual experimental session. The mixture contained 0,8 mg/mL of DMT and 0,21
mg/mL harmine. Zeifman et al (2020b) later published the item study
that measured suicidal ideation in the trial whose reduction was still significant
21 days after ingestion. A follow-up call was made to the volunteers of this
study at five years and the majority considered that the experience had an im-
positive pact in his life, although it was short-lived (weeks) and found
ranks among the ten most important experiences of their lives (Sanches et al,
2018).
Several prospective observational studies have reported similar data.
tes. In one with 57 volunteers, Uthaug et al (2018) again observed decreases
on subjective measures of stress and depression sustained at four weeks.
nas with increases in the life satisfaction and mindfulness scales. The stu-
did not specify doses but did indicate that the analysis of samples yielded amounts
very variable amounts of DMT, harmine and harmaline in the different analyzed samples.
zadas. In another, Jiménez-Garrido et al (2020) took data from two samples: the first
group of 40 volunteers who took ayahuasca for the first time and the second time of 23
volunteers who had taken more than 30 times. In this case, the researchers do not
They did not provide the ayahuasca nor did they carry out chemical analysis, so the doses
They are unknown. In the first sample more than 80% of the subjects showed
clinical improvements that persisted 6 months after ingesting ayahuasca. Beef-
Regarding the second sample, lower scores were observed in depression, and higher scores in self-transcendence and quality of life, compared to those in the first.
mere In the study by Ruffel et al (2021), improvements were found in the measures
of anxiety and depression that were maintained after six months. The participants in
The study took ayahuasca in ceremonial contexts, but the doses were not specified.
they specify. In the study by Gilbert et al (2021), surveys were used, the researchers
The teachers did not provide the ayahuasca or analyze it. An analysis of co-
relationships with survey data to observe the effect of ayahuasca
about different symptoms of depression. The results showed a greater correlation
tion of ayahuasca intake with the affective symptoms of depression such as
hope, depressed mood, happiness and fear. The correlation was more
low with symptoms such as sleep problems, loneliness and concentration. For his
On the other hand, Van Oorsouw et al (2022) have obtained data in ceremonies in which
used analogues of ayahuasca (mixtures of different plants in which it exists at
just as in ayahuasca one source of MAOI and another source of DMT) with results
two reductions in anxiety and depression the next day and in the follow-ups at
month and year.
Finally, the study by Dos Santos et al (2021) is reviewed, which is an RCT.
with 17 volunteers diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. The session of
ayahuasca was done in an experimental context and volunteers were asked to perform
They were given the task of making a short speech in front of a camera to observe the effects.
cough from its ingestion when carrying it out. The researchers did not find
a statistically significant reduction in subjective anxiety symptoms
in the subjects who took ayahuasca compared to those who ingested the pla-
bait, but they did find that ayahuasca significantly improved self-perception.
perception of performance when speaking in public.
2. Therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in substance addiction disorders
There are several studies that compare the ayahuasca consumer population
with matched controls that have suggested an anti-addictive potential of it.
Doering-Silveira et al. (2005) found in adolescents from a religious group
Brazilians who regularly took ayahuasca significantly reduced alcohol consumption compared to their comparison group. These results were pos-
subsequently replicated in studies with adults by Barbosa et al (2016) and Fábregas
et al (2010). In this last study, the severity index of addiction was compared
tion (ASI) of two populations of regular ayahuasca consumers (one rural and
an urban one) with separate control groups and a follow-up was done after one year. In
group of ayahuasca consumers in the jungle showed a higher frequency of
previous use of illegal substances that had decreased at the time of
evaluation, except in the case of cannabis. At the one-year follow-up, abstinence
in the consumption of illicit drugs had remained in both groups of users
of ayahuasca with the exception of cannabis. The authors of the study concluded that the
ritual use of ayahuasca, evaluated with the ASI, does not seem to be associated with the
Psychosocial disorder typically caused by other drugs of abuse. Perkins et al.
(2022) have recently published a study on associations between the con-
ayahuasca sumo and current alcohol and drug consumption in natural contexts
after having analyzed the data from online surveys carried out by 8629 subjects who
They have consumed ayahuasca in more than 40 countries. They observed that the number of ve-
ces that ayahuasca had been consumed was strongly related to the
ment of the probabilities of never or rarely drinking alcohol, of not incurring
never or rarely in "risky use" and not having used other drugs
gas in the last month.
There is also evidence of the possible anti-addictive effect of ayahuasca pro-
author of animal studies (Nunes et al, 2016). On the other hand, there are centers
who have been implementing addiction treatment programs for years with the use
of ayahuasca. However, no controlled studies of its effectiveness have been found.
Inc. The 9 works included in this review evaluate this type of intervention.
tions in centers where they are carried out or are survey studies with participants
people who have taken ayahuasca to treat an addiction. They are all observational
and the majority qualitative (table 2, see Annex II).
The study by Thomas et al (2014) is based on the psychological evaluation of 12
volunteers before and after participating in a retreat with two sessions of
ayahuasca in Canada. It recorded statistically significant improvements in the
those of hope, empowerment, mindfulness and quality of life. He reported a decrease
tions on the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cocaine, with no effect on the consumption of cannabis and opiates. All study participants reported changes
positive and lasting results after participating in the retreats. Argento et al (2019) leads
They carried out the qualitative analysis of the interviews of the same sample. All the
Participants believed that the retreats had a positive impact not only on
substance use, but also in other areas of their lives and in their relationships.
personal purposes. Many participants said that the experience had helped them
to face your emotions with acceptance and patience.
The quantitative studies of Berlowitz et al (2019) and Giovanetti et al (2020)
share the same sample of subjects and show very positive results after comparing
stop psychological variables before and after a long intervention in a center
located in Peru. They found significant improvements in addiction severity,
drug use, anxiety, depressive symptoms, general psychiatric condition
ral, social/family relationships and quality of life. Decreases were also observed
significant tions of “craving” and emotional distress. The intervention that eva-
This work lasts several months and of the 53 participants who
Only 36 started treatment and completed it as part of the study. Rate
abandonment rate is similar to that of other programs with similar characteristics,
but it represents an added limitation to that of the absence of a control group. Giovanetti
et al (2020) published the data on depression and anxiety of this sample and su-
suggest that improvements in the comorbidities of addiction, as well as in the quality
of life, can be important indicators of treatment success.
Loizaga-Velder et al (2014) published a qualitative study based on information
training they obtained from seven therapeutic projects located in South America
Sur including interviews with therapists, experts and participants in healing ceremonies
ayahuasca to treat addictions. More than half of the participants in the ceremonies
monias reported that they experienced a reduction in craving. All ter-
The teachers interviewed and the participants in the rituals indicated that the treatment
assisted with ayahuasca is only useful for some participants in the rituals, and only
in certain circumstances, and pointed out different factors that determine their
effectiveness. These factors are summarized in three: 1) the composition of ayahuasca (can-
ity of MAOIs with respect to DMT), 2) the expectations and psychological preparation of
the subjects and 3) the form of support in the experience and the environment in which it occurs. The work of Talin et al (2017) uses a similar methodology with parti-
cipants and experts in Santo Daime ceremonies to treat addictions. Check the
potential of structured ceremonies to provide support, calling the
attention to the shared meaning that is constructed through participation
collective ritual tion. One of the experts remarked that while ayahuasca
can – pharmacologically speaking – facilitate changes, these become effective after
long term within certain contexts and collective structures that allow a re-
shaping the understanding of oneself and the understanding of one's own
addictive thunders. Regarding the testimonies of the participants, it is relevant that
I understand that the description of physical and emotional experiences is done in terms of
symbolic mines. For example, the term "cleansing" or "purge" refers to the act of
vomiting during the ceremony, are expressed as a process of expulsion of appe-
negative thoughts, behaviors or emotions. These observations are replicated in
the study by Cruz et al (2018) in which the interviews carried out with 40
people who had taken ayahuasca to treat a cocaine dependence
in the form of crack. The participants considered that ayahuasca acted disin-
toxicizing the body, not only on a physical level but also on a mental level, eliminating
toxins and anxiety, this process being very relevant to reduce craving.
The majority considered belonging to the community as an important factor in the
therapeutic process. Another qualitative study exposes and analyzes four cases including
going fragments of the stories of the experiences with ayahuasca while doing
his treatment for an addictive disorder at the Institute of Amazonian Ethnopsychology
Applied (IDEAA) in Brazil. The most relevant and recurring topic is the reviews
biographical stories followed by psychological insights and life experiences.
emotional character. Death experiences also appear, experiences with
nature and transcendental experiences. Another recurring theme is the recognition
empathic understanding about the harm caused to others and to oneself, and the possibility
ability to construct a new narrative, reconciling the image of the self with the con-
together with the actors within a personal social fabric (Apud, 2019).
The study by Daldegan-Bueno et al (2022) is based on interviews conducted
given to 441 volunteers who had stopped or reduced tobacco consumption after
ber participated in ayahuasca ceremonies. In the regression analysis the experience
mystical experience was a significant predictor of smoking cessation when
They controlled for demographic, smoking, and ayahuasca consumption characteristics. The group of those who had stopped smoking was the group that had
participated in more ayahuasca rituals compared to the reduction group
tion/relapse. Eight themes were identified among participants' reports: 1)
Awareness-understanding in relation to tobacco, 2) sensory experiences through
knot of aversion to tobacco, 3) purging, experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, as experienced
cleansing/detoxification experience, 4) experiences related to spirituality
ity, 5) something nonspecific that happens as part of introducing healthier habits
bles, 6) decreased desire to smoke and repulsion to cigarettes, 7) that the reduction
tion of tobacco consumption seems “a natural process” and not forced, and to-
ment of motivation to quit.
There are two more studies that were published by Springer in 2014 in the
book “The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca”. The first is the study by Fernández and
Fábregas (2014) in which they analyze the testimonies of 20 people (4 women), carrying out
ced during the integration meetings at the IDEAA. From the thematic analysis we draw
There were six repetitive themes in the interviews: 1) bibliographic review, 2) “insights”
psychological, 3) experiences of an emotional nature, 4) experiences of death and re-
birth, 5) experiences with nature and 6) transcendental experiences. He
second work, by Fernández et al. (2014), is an observational study on
psychological changes in a sample of 13 individuals also treated in the
IDEAA, 9 of them due to dependency problems. Ayahuasca treatment
It lasted between three and nine months and included fortnightly ceremonies. Evacuations were carried out
psychological situations before and after treatment. Despite the important
limitations, the study provides preliminary evidence suggesting therapeutic effects
peutics in dimensions related to dependence on substances such as
They are impulsivity, anticipatory worry, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction.
cultivated
Liester and Prickett (2012) have suggested four hypotheses to explain the potential
anti-addictive effect of ayahuasca: 1) it could reduce dopamine levels in the
mesolimbic through the interaction of its components with serum receptors
tonergic, reducing the levels of reward when consuming the addictive substance.
tive, 2) could reduce dopamine levels in the mesolimbic pathway by interfering
with synaptic plasticity associated with the development and maintenance of addiction, 3) it could help resolve traumas related to substance and drug use.
improve decision making, fostering a better understanding of the consequences
cies of the same and 4) could facilitate transcendent experiences that motivate the
users to abandon the consumption of harmful substances (the authors give the
example of Bill Wilson, founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, who had an experience
of this type at the time of overcoming his addiction to alcohol).
3. Therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in other psychopathological disorders
This review includes three articles on the use of ayahuasca in disorders
personality or in relevant aspects of personality in psychotherapy, in
specifically the neuroticism factor (table 3, see Annex III). The first of them is the study
observational study by Domínguez-Clavé et al (2019) carried out with 45 participants
people divided into two groups based on their score on a score scale.
ning of borderline personality disorder (BPD). After a single session with two doses
of consecutive ayahuasca, significant improvements were observed in different scales.
those of mindfulness, decentering and emotional difficulties in the general sample.
ral. The subgroup of 12 volunteers with subclinical BPD also showed significant improvements.
effective in emotional difficulties, but not in mindfulness. The authors recognize
They highlight the limitations of the study and suggest that it is worth further research,
Although the use of ayahuasca in BPD is somewhat controversial due mainly to
mind to the dissociative symptoms commonly present in this disorder. Zeif
man & Wagner (2020) also justify increasing the effort to investigate
the use of psychedelics for interventions in BPD based on existing evidence.
about improvements in emotional and behavioral regulation problems that consist of
They constitute cornerstone elements of this disorder. Among the evidence they provide is
The clinical trial by Palhano-Fontes et al (2018) found that although it measured effects
antidepressants in people with recurrent depression, included 5 people with BPD
comorbid (Zeifman & Wagner, 2020). The second work (Netzband et al, 2020),
also observational but with a comparison group, it was carried out with 24 volunteers.
participants participating in a 12-day retreat with 6 ayahuasca ceremonies in
a center linked to the “Mutlidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies” (MAPS)
in Peru. The control group was made up of 24 other volunteers who were
They work doing tourism in Peru. Significant increases in the agreeableness factor were observed before and after the administration of ayahuasca and significant reductions
nificant in the neuroticism factor with respect to the baseline and with respect to the group
of comparison. Both changes were maintained at 6 months. It was also observed
There is also a certain tendency to increase openness to experience. The data also
showed that participants who experienced a “mystical experience” with
greater intensity had more notable reductions in the neuroticism factor. The ter-
This article presents results of two randomized clinical trials carried out
carried out in Brazil (Mendes Rocha et al, 2021). The first study compares 10 participants
pants who took ayahuasca with a control group of 10 other subjects. He se-
Second study compares 9 participants who took ayahuasca with cannabidiol
(CBD) with a group that took ayahuasca with placebo. They did not observe significant effects
ficacious in the scores of neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness and agreeableness.
ity in neither of the two studies. The only significant results are observed
ron in openness to experience in the second study (increase in the group of
placebo plus ayahuasca). The results of these studies are preliminary and
even contradictory, but further investigation would be justified by the
following reasons: personality factors are closely related to symptoms
matology of various disorders and there is evidence that psychedelics can
modify long-term brain structures, as well as personality factors
(Aixalá et al, 2018).
There is only one qualitative article with a small sample (7 subjects) that
addresses the use of ayahuasca to intervene in cases of trauma (Espinoza, 2014).
Krediet et al (2020) did not even include it in their review of the potential of
psychedelics to treat PTSD and suggest that the relative unpredictability of
classic psychedelics make them worse candidates than other substances such as
MDMA in the development of interventions for this disorder. Other authors do consider
They say it has potential that deserves investigation and suggest that the
Ayahuasca could be indicated to treat emotional blockages and experiences
traumatic biographies because it offers the possibility of reliving the emotions associated with
given to the traumatic situation, allowing their reprocessing (Fer-
nández et al 2014). When classifying the applications of ayahuasca in this review it is
has used the DSM-V criterion that separates anxiety disorders from relationships.
tioned with traumatic and stressful events. The study could also be approached from a transdiagnostic prism, seeking those elements of the interventions
tions with psychedelics that work on anxious symptomatology to apply it to
this disorder. Anxious symptomatology has received more attention in research
tion with ayahuasca.
Regarding the use of ayahuasca in eating disorders, the
evidence is also very preliminary. Two studies have been found that make a
qualitative analysis of the interviews of a sample of 16 subjects (14 women) pre-
previously diagnosed with an eating disorder who had taken
ayahuasca at least once. Most participants reported the re-
duction of the thoughts associated with their disorder, they considered that they had
degree a positive change in your understanding or experience of your body and
They highlighted the importance of the ceremonial context and leadership that provides them
Nara security. In general, the participants, when comparing the intervention with
ayahuasca compared to previous conventional interventions, they considered that
ayahuasca (1) was more effective, (2) allowed a “deeper” change, (3) allowed
tioned the processing of intense emotions and/or memories, (4) provided learning
zations of love, self-love, and self-care, and (5) added a spiritual component to
intervention process. Furthermore, half of the participants recommended that the
ceremonial consumption of ayahuasca should (1) include access to psychotherapeutic support
conventional approach, and/or (2) incorporate the strengths of conventional approaches.
treatment options. There is no quantitative study on ayahuasca for
eating disorders, but there is a study on psychedelics
(including ayahuasca). This is an observational study with a sample of
27 subjects with eating disorder and their main results are
improvements in subjective well-being and reduction in depressive symptoms (Spriggs et al,
2021).
The use of ayahuasca for intervention in grieving processes has been evaluated.
lued by González et al (2019, 2020) in the two publications that have been included
in this review. Both analyze the data obtained from a sample of 60 volunteers.
people who were going through complicated grief separated into two groups: 30
in the intervention group with ayahuasca and 30 in the comparison group that
They participated in support groups. The results are very promising, although the authors themselves recognize the limitations of the study, which is retrospective and
more, with important differences between the groups (the comparison group includes more
people grieving due to non-natural causes of death other than ayahuasca). Consi-
Given these limitations, it is worth commenting on the main results both
qualitative as well as quantitative. The ayahuasca group presented a significant improvement
subjective pain, psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in all sec-
guidelines (15 days, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months). From the qualitative analysis of the
The participants' reports highlight the following themes: emotional release, re-
biographical sanity, contact with the deceased, positive feelings, forgiveness and wisdom
family nation, reorganization of identity and sense of self, changes in re-
internal presentation of the deceased, changes in global beliefs and growth
staff. Surprisingly, more than half of the participants (15/23) said
having experienced direct contact with the presence, essence, soul or
energy of the deceased, having been able to establish some form of communication with
he. 92,3% of the sample reported that the experiences with ayahuasca had
had a positive effect on their grief, for 5,1% it had no influence and 2,6% ex-
experienced a negative effect on his grieving process. The two shifting mechanisms
proposed bios, experiential avoidance and “decentering” (ability to observe
own thoughts with an attitude of detachment) showed significant improvements.
ways whose relationship with the reduction of the severity of grief was also significant.
tive.
Following the results of his qualitative study with people who had
“self-medicating” with ayahuasca, Schmid et al (2010) suggested that it could be
usefulness in intervention in the treatment of serious physical illnesses by
indirect canisms, such as increasing the subjective quality of life and strategies of
coping. The study included in this review by Maia et al (2021) ex-
explore this possibility. This is a qualitative work in which the re-
reports of 14 volunteers affected by some serious physical illness (SFD) who
They had participated in ayahuasca ceremonies. A thematic analysis was made of the
semi-structured interviews designed to explore how the ritual use of
ayahuasca during EFG treatment can influence the way people
They understand and relate to their illness. The participants considered
that the experience with ayahuasca acted on the understanding of his illness through multiple psychological mechanisms, including introspection, self-
analysis, emotional processing and catharsis, the recall of autobio-memories
graphics subjectively related to the origin of the disease, the resignifica-
tion of the illness and changes in perspective. The authors propose that the
Ritual use of ayahuasca can promote a state of introspection in which
facilitates the processing of psychoemotional content.
Finally, a single case study published by Frecsa is presented in the
2008, which suggests the possibility that ayahuasca intervention reduces
violent behavior. This is the case of a 43-year-old man, with a history of
psychological trauma, who had been convicted twice of murder in the United States
Joined. His experiences with ayahuasca elicited feelings and thoughts
of redemption with moral content. The author draws attention to the potential
prosocial effect of ayahuasca that in this case was useful in the intervention.
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2Roberto Gerardo Castorena Zanella and Jose Seldeñe Berruespo
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