Therapeutic effects of ritual ayahuasca use in the treatment of substance dependence: qualitative results
This interview study (n=29) provides qualitative evidence for the efficacy of ritualized ayahuasca use in the treatment of substance dependence. It also discusses several factors that can influence therapeutic outcome.
Authors
- Anja Loizaga-Velder
Published
Abstract
This qualitative empirical study explores the ritual use of ayahuasca in the treatment of addictions. Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychedelic plant compound created from an admixture of the vine Banisteriopsis caapi and the bush Psychotria viridis. The study included interviews with 13 therapists who apply ayahuasca professionally in the treatment of addictions (four indigenous healers and nine Western mental health professionals with university degrees), two expert researchers, and 14 individuals who had undergone ayahuasca-assisted therapy for addictions in diverse contexts in South America. The study provides empirically based hypotheses on therapeutic mechanisms of ayahuasca in substance dependence treatment. Findings indicate that ayahuasca can serve as a valuable therapeutic tool that, in carefully structured settings, can catalyze neurobiological and psychological processes that support recovery from substance dependencies and the prevention of relapse. Treatment outcomes, however, can be influenced by a number of variables that are explained in this study. In addition, issues related to ritual transfer and strategies for minimizing undesired side-effects are discussed.
Research Summary of 'Therapeutic effects of ritual ayahuasca use in the treatment of substance dependence: qualitative results'
Introduction
Earlier research and anecdotal reports have suggested that psychedelic compounds, including ayahuasca, may have therapeutic potential for substance dependence, but legal restrictions and methodological shortcomings have limited systematic investigation. Ayahuasca is an Amazonian plant brew combining Banisteriopsis caapi (MAO-inhibiting beta-carbolines) and DMT-containing admixture plants, and it is used in indigenous, syncretic religious, neoshamanic, and psychotherapeutic contexts. While some observational work and religious-community studies report no long-term toxicity and possible reductions in other substance use among regular ritual participants, important questions remain about mechanisms of action, safety, contextual influences, and how traditional rituals translate across cultures and into structured treatment programmes. Loizaga-Velder and colleagues designed an exploratory qualitative study to broaden understanding of how ritual ayahuasca use may assist recovery from substance dependence. The paper aims to describe therapeutically relevant mechanisms from the perspectives of therapists and ritual participants, identify variables that influence outcomes, and examine risks and issues related to intercultural transfer and integration into psychotherapeutic settings. The study is presented as hypothesis-generating rather than as a clinical efficacy trial and is positioned to inform further empirical work, including the need for randomised controlled designs.
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Study Details
- Study Typeindividual
- Journal
- Compound
- Topics
- Author
- APA Citation
Loizaga-Velder, A., & Verres, R. (2014). Therapeutic effects of ritual ayahuasca use in the treatment of substance dependence: qualitative results. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 46(1), 63-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2013.873157
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