The PCT task has previously been used in an observational ayahuasca study to show that the brew increases performance at the divergent, creative thinking assignment but decreases performance in convergent thinking assignments (Kuypers et al. 2016). In the latter study, PCT performance was assessed during the acute phase of the ayahuasca experience (i.e., 2 h after intake), whereas in the present study, PCT performance was assessed sub-acutely and a month after the ceremony. It is conceivable that divergent, flexible thinking will improve during the acute psychedelic, modified state of consciousness that ayahuasca produces but not thereafter. Convergent thinking may not prosper during a psychedelic experience but may improve afterwards because it relies on mindfulness capabilities such as acting with awareness that contribute to optimization of cognitive functioning (Lebudaa drinking because of boredom et al. 2015).
Psychological variables implied in the therapeutic effect of ayahuasca: a contextual approach
The ayahuasca brew in Colombia was taken in a secluded location in the rainforest on top of a mountain or in the courtyard of an eco-village. Participants arrived at the location in the evening and remained in a dimly-lit ceremonial building called maloca, used for ayahuaca ceremonies. The ceremonies were primarily arranged to facilitate personal healing and development while also being part of the culture in South America.
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Most of the participants held a scientific degree (88.9%), while others held a high school degree (11.1%). None of the participants were currently on any medication that could affect their ayahuasca intake. Nineteen participants (70.4%) reported having had experience with other entheogenic drugs in the past. It is concluded that what drugs was eminem addicted to ayahuasca produces sub-acute and long-term improvements in affect and cognitive thinking style in non-pathological users. One problem in characterizing the effects of ayahuasca is the variable composition of the brew.
However, by analyzing the experience of first-time users, this bias may be better controlled for and more accurate information about the overall effects of ayahuasca on novice users can be obtained. In sum, this study presents supporting evidence for sub-acute and long-term improvements in affect and cognitive thinking style in non-pathological participants of ayahuasca ceremonies. Moreover, it was shown that improvements in affect and mindfulness are larger in participants who experience strong levels of ego dissolution during the acute phase of ayahuasca exposure.
Experience with ayahuasca
- Four of these subjects (22.2%) presented fewer psychiatric diagnoses than at baseline.
- Most of the participants held a scientific degree (88.9%), while others held a high school degree (11.1%).
- Personal intakes were done by a naturopathic doctor that screened participants for their motivation, medicine use, and medical and psychological history.
This foods that contain alcohol may suggest that the long-term benefits of ayahuasca use depend on maintaining regular use. Since ayahuasca use is expanding both internationally and locally in the Spanish context, the aim of this study was to observe the effects of ayahuasca on psychological and health variables in naïve ayahuasca users. This will help medical practitioners to understand possible adverse effects as well as potential therapeutic uses. Thirty volunteers were included at several ayahuasca ceremonies in the Netherlands (40% males and 60% females). Most participants were from Europe (93.3%) while the rest of the participants were from Asia (3.3%) and North America (3.3%). Their motivation for ayahuasca use included “understanding myself” (73.3%), “solving issues” (20%), and “curiosity” (6.7%).
It is important to clarify that vomiting/nausea is considered a normal effect of ayahuasca for experienced users. In the case of traditional ayahuasca ceremonies and even in non-traditional ceremonies, not only is vomiting/nausea not considered an adverse effect, but it is even sought out for its purging and perceived spiritual cleansing benefits 46. We did not collect data regarding how long the reported physical adverse events lasted nor the degree of severity. For the subsample of those participants who had drunk ayahuasca only once, although the frequency of each adverse effect was lower, the pattern of the adverse effects’ frequency observed was quite similar to the observed in all the sample. However, 2.3% of participants reportedly required medical attention for the physical adverse effects experienced.
General mid-term adverse effects were not observed in this study, although some secondary acute reactions were observed in some individual cases (e.g. anxiety) and will be reported in a separate paper. Additionally, from a clinical point of view, there was a substantial decrease in psychiatric symptomatology after the first use of ayahuasca, which persisted until the 6-months follow-up. These improvements in depression found after performing clinical interviews were also demonstrated by the psychiatric rating scales. Better scores for depression were also observed among long-term users when compared with ayahuasca-naïve users at baseline. The results obtained in this study help to inform us about the effects of the ritualistic use of ayahuasca on mental health. These results suggest that the use of ayahuasca in controlled settings may offer therapeutic benefits.
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Moreover, in this study using a logistic regression analysis, a complex pattern of relationships between the study variables and the ayahuasca adverse effects is suggested. Thus, the study of the indirect effects and mediation structures between the studied variables could help us to improve our knowledge about the ayahuasca adverse effects and their relationships with context variables. Finally, it will be interesting to test how the studied variables are related to the improvement or aggravation of psychiatric disorders in the short or long-term.