Effects of ayahuasca on gratitude and relationships with nature: An open-label, naturalistic study

Introduction

Classic serotonergic psychedelics, including DMT which is the primary psychoactive component in the ayahuasca brew, have attracted renewed scientific and public interest because clinical trials pairing these drugs with psychotherapeutic support have reported therapeutic and prosocial effects. While earlier work has documented clinical improvements (for example in depression and substance use) and personality shifts such as increased openness and feelings of connection, several social and personality domains reported anecdotally after psychedelic use—specifically gratitude and relationships with nature—have been comparatively understudied. Aday and colleagues designed a naturalistic, open‑label, within‑subjects study to address this gap by measuring changes in gratitude, nature relatedness, and a related construct termed nature appreciation before and after attendance at an ayahuasca retreat. The investigators also tested whether acute subjective experiences during the most intense ayahuasca session—mystical‑type experience, awe, and ego dissolution—predicted post‑acute changes, and examined baseline predictors such as age and prior psychedelic use.