Increases in Aesthetic Experience Following Ayahuasca Use: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study
In a prospective naturalistic study of 54 retreat attendees, participants showed increased aesthetic experience at one week and one month after an ayahuasca ceremony compared with baseline. These increases were not predicted by acute drug effects (mystical-type experiences, awe, ego dissolution), though the open‑label design limits causal conclusions.
Authors
- Alan Davis
- Joshua Woolley
- Jordan Aday
Published
Abstract
Psychedelic drugs are currently being investigated for their potential to facilitate a variety of long-lasting psychological changes. One area that has yet to be systematically investigated in psychedelic research, however, regards changes in aesthetic experience (i.e., one’s attitudes, perceptions, and expression of art). This is surprising given the wealth of anecdotes directly noting increased appreciation of aesthetic experiences after psychedelic use and that psychedelics have facilitated their own distinctive aesthetic (i.e., “psychedelic art”). To address this gap in the literature, participants in the current study ( N = 54) completed a validated and multifaceted measure of aesthetic experience 1-week before, 1-week after, and 1-month after attending an ayahuasca retreat. We found that compared with baseline, participants exhibited increased levels of aesthetic experience at both the 1-week and 1-month follow-ups. Contrary to our hypotheses, measures of acute drug effects (e.g., mystical-type experiences, awe, and ego dissolution) did not predict changes in aesthetic experience. Although the study was limited by an open-label design, the results support anecdotal reports noting changes in aesthetic experience after psychedelic use. Further research is needed to address limitations related to the study design as well as to identify predictors and mechanisms of changes in aesthetic experience following psychedelic use.
Research Summary of 'Increases in Aesthetic Experience Following Ayahuasca Use: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study'
Introduction
Classic serotonergic psychedelic drugs such as ayahuasca are being revisited by researchers because of their potential to produce lasting psychological and personality changes when used in controlled contexts alongside therapeutic support. While prior work has documented clinical and prosocial outcomes (for example, reductions in depression and increases in openness to experience), comparatively little systematic research has focused on aesthetic experience despite strong anecdotal reports and the prominent role of music, lighting and visual art in psychedelic settings. Aday and colleagues designed a prospective, naturalistic study to address this gap by administering a validated, multifaceted measure of aesthetic experience before and after participation in an ayahuasca retreat. The investigators also measured acute subjective effects during participants' most intense ayahuasca session—mystical-type experience (MEQ30), awe (AWE-S), and ego dissolution (EDI)—to test whether these acute phenomena predicted longer-term changes in aesthetic engagement.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
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- APA Citation
Aday, J. S., Bloesch, E. K., Davis, A. K., Domoff, S. E., Scherr, K., Woolley, J. D., & Davoli, C. C. (2024). Increases in Aesthetic Experience Following Ayahuasca Use: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study. Journal of Humanistic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678241230609
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