This review (2016) examines the pharmacology and neuroscience of ayahuasca, and preliminary findings which indicate the psychological mechanisms associated with its therapeutic benefits are similar to those of mindfulness-based therapy. Ayahuasca appears to enhance self-acceptance and decentering, which converges on evidence from neuroimaging studies that show activation in areas associated with emotional processing and memory formation, thereby enabling individuals to review emotional events with increased vividness and a heightened sense of “reality”. This suggests potential to treat trauma-related conditions and other disorders like borderline personality disorder.
- Published
- Journal
- Brain Research Bulletin
- Authors
- Domínguez-Clavé, E., Soler, J., Elices, M., Pascual, J. C., Álvarez, E., De La Fuente Revenga, M., Friedlander, P., Feilding, A., Riba, J.