Anxiety DisordersAyahuasca

Effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in Santo Daime members

This double-blind placebo-controlled study (2007; n=9) investigated state and trait anxiety, hopelessness, and panic under the acute influence of ayahuasca in long-term users. Results show decreases in hopelessness and panic, but no change in anxiety.

Authors

  • Rafael dos Santos
  • Rick Strassman

Published

Journal of Ethnopharmacology
individual Study

Abstract

The use of the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca, obtained from infusing the shredded stalk of the malpighiaceous plant Banisteriopsis caapi with the leaves of other plants such as Psychotria viridis, is growing in urban centers of Europe, South and North America in the last several decades. Despite this diffusion, little is known about its effects on emotional states. The present study investigated the effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in members of the Santo Daime, an ayahuasca-using religion. Standard questionnaires were used to evaluate state-anxiety (STAI-state), trait-anxiety (STAI-trait), panic-like (ASI-R) and hopelessness (BHS) in participants that ingested ayahuasca for at least 10 consecutive years. The study was done in the Santo Daime church, where the questionnaires were administered 1 h after the ingestion of the brew, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled procedure. While under the acute effects of ayahuasca, participants scored lower on the scales for panic and hopelessness related states. Ayahuasca ingestion did not modify state- or trait-anxiety. The results are discussed in terms of the possible use of ayahuasca in alleviating signs of hopelessness and panic-like related symptoms.

Available with Blossom Pro

Research Summary of 'Effects of ayahuasca on psychometric measures of anxiety, panic-like and hopelessness in Santo Daime members'

Introduction

Ayahuasca is a traditional psychoactive brew prepared from Banisteriopsis vines combined with leaves containing N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT); indigenous and syncretic religious groups in South America, notably Santo Daime, Barquinha and União do Vegetal, use it as a sacrament and healing tool. The brew contains beta-carbolines such as harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine (THH) that inhibit monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) and can also affect serotonin reuptake, thereby allowing orally administered DMT to reach the central nervous system. Previous biomedical observations in long-term users have reported apparent improvements in mood, social functioning and peripheral serotonergic markers, but there remain few studies that apply rigorous experimental methods to test acute psychological effects. This study set out to examine whether acute ayahuasca ingestion modifies psychometric measures related to anxiety, panic-like symptoms and hopelessness in long-term members of a Santo Daime community. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover protocol, the investigators assessed state- and trait-anxiety (STAI), panic-like sensitivity (ASI-R) and hopelessness (Beck Hopelessness Scale) in volunteers with at least ten years’ use of ayahuasca within the church context, testing the hypothesis that the brew’s pharmacology might attenuate these affective measures.

Expert Research Summaries

Go Pro to access AI-powered section-by-section summaries, editorial takes, and the full research toolkit.

See Pro PlansAlready have an account? Sign in

Full Text PDF

Full Paper PDF

Create a free account to open full-text PDFs.

Create Free AccountAlready have an account? Sign in

Study Details

References (4)

Papers cited by this study that are also in Blossom

Pharmacokinetics of Hoasca alkaloids in healthy humans

Callaway, J. C., Mckenna, D. J., Grob, C. S. et al. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology (1999)

285 cited
Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers

Riba, J., Urbano, G., Morte, A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2001)

Human pharmacology of ayahuasca: subjective and cardiovascular effects, monoamine metabolite excretion, and pharmacokinetics

Riba, J., Valle, M., Urbano, G. et al. · Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2003)

Adverse Reactions to Psychedelic Drugs - A Review of the Literature

Strassman, R. J. · Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease (1984)

273 cited

Cited By (49)

Papers in Blossom that reference this study

Long-term ayahuasca use is associated with preserved global cognitive function and improved memory: a cross-sectional study with ritual users

Fonseca, A. M., Dos Santos, R. G., Santos, F. P. et al. · European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience (2024)

A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naive users with and without depression

Cruz, L., Tófoli, L.F., Araújo, D. B. et al. · Scientific Reports (2023)

4 cited
Ayahuasca ceremony leaders' perspectives on special considerations for eating disorders

Williams, M., Miller, A. K., Lafrance, A. · Eating Disorders - The Journal of Treatment & Prevention (2023)

4 cited
N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)-Occasioned Familiarity and the Sense of Familiarity Questionnaire (SOF-Q)

Lawrence, D. W., Timmermann, C. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2023)

Interactive Effects of Ayahuasca and Cannabidiol in Social Cognition in Healthy Volunteers: A Pilot, Proof-of-Concept, Feasibility, Randomized-Controlled Trial

Rossi, G. N., Rocha, J. M., Osório, F. L. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2023)

Psychotherapeutic and neurobiological processes associated with ayahuasca: A proposed model and implications for therapeutic use

Perkins, D., Ruffell, S. G. D., day, K. et al. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2023)

Phenomenology and Content of the Inhaled N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (N, N-DMT) Experience

Lawrence, D. W., Carhart-Harris, R. L., Griffiths, R. R. et al. · Research Square (2022)

Therapeutic effect of an ayahuasca analogue in clinically depressed patients: a longitudinal observational study

Ramaekers, J. G. · Psychopharmacology (2022)

44 cited
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic beverage, modulates neuroplasticity induced by ethanol in mice

Almeida, C. A. F., Pereira, B. P., Pereira Junior, A. A. et al. · Behavioural Brain Research (2022)

Communalistic use of psychoactive plants as a bridge between traditional healing practices and Western medicine: A new path for the Global Mental Health movement

Ona, G., Berrada, A., Bouso, J. C. · Transcultural Psychiatry (2021)

Show all 49 papers
Increases in Psychological Flexibility Mediate Relationship Between Acute Psychedelic Effects and Decreases in Racial Trauma Symptoms Among People of Color

Davis, A. K., Xin, Y., Sepeda, N. D. et al. · Chronic Stress (2021)

Ayahuasca Improves Self-perception of Speech Performance in Subjects With Social Anxiety Disorder: A Pilot, Proof-of-Concept, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Dos Santos, R. G., Osório, F. L., Rocha, J. M. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2021)

58 cited
Ceremonial Ayahuasca in Amazonian Retreats-Mental Health and Epigenetic Outcomes From a Six-Month Naturalistic Study

Ruffell, S. G. D., Netzband, N., Tsang, W. et al. · Frontiers in Psychiatry (2021)

56 cited
A Qualitative Study of Intention and Impact of Ayahuasca Use by Westerners

Bathje, G. J., Fenton, J., Pillersdorf, D. et al. · Journal of Humanistic Psychology (2021)

18 cited
Hallucinogenic/psychedelic 5HT2A receptor agonists as rapid antidepressant therapeutics: Evidence and mechanisms of action

Dos Santos, R. G., Hallak, J. E., Baker, G. et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2021)

A placebo-controlled study of the effects of ayahuasca, set and setting on mental health of participants in ayahuasca group retreats

Uthaug, M. V., Mason, N. L., Toennes, S. W. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2021)

Predicting Reactions to Psychedelic Drugs: A Systematic Review of States and Traits Related to Acute Drug Effects

Aday, J. S., Davis, A. K., Mitzkovitz, C. M. et al. · ACS Pharmacology and Translational Science (2021)

Anti-inflammatory activity of ayahuasca and its implications for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric diseases

da Silva, M. G., Daros, G. C., de Bitencourt, R. M. · Behavioural Brain Research (2021)

15 cited
Classic serotonergic psychedelics for mood and depressive symptoms: a meta-analysis of mood disorder patients and healthy participants

Galvão-Coelho, N. L., Marx, W., Sinclair, J. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2021)

Modulatory effects of ayahuasca on personality structure in a traditional framework

Netzband, N., Ruffell, S., Linton, &. S. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2020)

Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality of life in naïve users: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study combination

Jiménez-Garrido, D. F., Gómez-Sousa, M., Ona, G. et al. · Scientific Reports (2020)

Natural Psychoplastogens As Antidepressant Agents

Benko, J., Vranková, S. · Molecules (2020)

Psychological flexibility mediates the relations between acute psychedelic effects and subjective decreases in depression and anxiety

Davis, A. K., Barrett, F. S., Griffiths, R. R. · Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science (2020)

The Impact of Ayahuasca on Suicidality: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Araújo, D. B., Zeifman, R. J., Palhano-Fontes, F. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2019)

96 cited
Cessation and reduction in alcohol consumption and misuse after psychedelic use

Garcia-Romeu, A., Davis, A. K., Fire Erowid et al. · Journal of Psychopharmacology (2019)

211 cited
Effect of Ritualistic Consumption of Ayahuasca on Hepatic Function in Chronic Users

Mello, S. M., Soubhia, P. C., Silveira, G. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2018)

Possible Interactions Between 5-HT2A Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System in Humans: Preliminary Evidence of Interactive Effects of Ayahuasca and Endocannabinoids in a Healthy Human Subject

Dos Santos, R. G., Crippa, J. A., Osório, F. L. et al. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2018)

9 cited
Ayahuasca improves emotion dysregulation in a community sample and in individuals with borderline-like traits

Domínguez-Clavé, E., Soler, J., Pascual, J. C. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2018)

67 cited
N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an Endogenous Hallucinogen: Past, Present, and Future Research to Determine Its Role and Function

Barker, S. · Frontiers in Neuroscience (2018)

Dark Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

Cameron, L. P. · ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2018)

Psychedelics promote structural and functional neural plasticity

Ly, C., Greb, A. C., Cameron, L. P. et al. · Cell Reports (2018)

Four weekly ayahuasca sessions lead to increases in “acceptance” capacities: a comparison study with a standard 8-week mindfulness training program

Elices, M., Soler, J., Domínguez-Clavé, E. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)

Neuroendocrine Associations Underlying the Persistent Therapeutic Effects of Classic Serotonergic Psychedelics

Schindler, E. A. D., Wallace, R. M., Sloshower, J. A. et al. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2018)

A Single Dose Of Ayahuasca Modulates Salivary Cortisol In Treatment-Resistant Depression

Adams, T. · Biorxiv (2018)

Potential Use of Ayahuasca in Grief Therapy

González, D., Carvalho, M., Aixalá, M. et al. · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying (2017)

Ayahuasca: pharmacology, neuroscience and therapeutic potential

Domínguez-Clavé, E., Soler, J., Elices, M. et al. · Brain Research Bulletin (2016)

Clinical Applications of Hallucinogens: A Review

Garcia-Romeu, A., Kersgaard, B., Addy, P. H. · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (2016)

174 cited
Effects of Ayahuasca and its Alkaloids on Drug Dependence: A Systematic Literature Review of Quantitative Studies in Animals and Humans

Nunes, A. A., Dos Santos, R. G., Osório, F. L. et al. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2016)

80 cited
The therapeutic potentials of ayahuasca: possible effects against various diseases of civilization

Frecska, E., Bokor, P., Winkelman, M. J. · Frontiers in Pharmacology (2016)

Exploring the therapeutic potential of Ayahuasca: acute intake increases mindfulness-related capacities

Soler, J., Elices, M., Franquesa, A. et al. · Psychopharmacology (2015)

Antidepressant effects of a single dose of ayahuasca in patients with recurrent depression: a preliminary report

Osório, F. L., Sanches, R. F., Macedo, L. et al. · brazilian Journal of Psychiatry (2015)

420 cited
Peak experiences and the afterglow phenomenon: when and how do therapeutic effects of hallucinogens depend on psychedelic experiences

Majic, T., Schmidt, T. T., Gallinat, J. · Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology (2015)

Ayahuasca-assisted therapy for addiction: results from a preliminary observational study in Canada

Thomas, G., Lucas, P., Rielle Capler, N. et al. · Current Drug Abuse Reviews (2013)

Safety and Side Effects of Ayahuasca in Humans-An Overview Focusing on Developmental Toxicology

Dos Santos, R. G. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2013)

Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study

Bouso, J. C., González, D., Fondevila, S. et al. · PLOS ONE (2012)

Health status of ayahuasca users

Barbosa, P., Mizumoto, S., Bogenschutz, M. P. et al. · Drug Testing and Analysis (2012)

Seeing with the eyes shut: Neural basis of enhanced imagery following ayahuasca ingestion

De Araujo, D. B., Ribeiro, S., Cecchi, G. A. et al. · Human Brain Mapping (2011)

Consumption of Ayahuasca by Children and Pregnant Women: Medical Controversies and Religious Perspectives

Labate, B. C. · Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2011)

32 cited
Evidence of health and safety in American members of a religion who use a hallucinogenic sacrament

Halpern, J. H., Sherwood, A. R., Passie, T. et al. · Medical Science Monitor (2008)

Your Personal Research Library

Go Pro to save papers, add notes, rate studies, and organize your research into custom shelves.

See Pro PlansSign in