Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca

Fábregas, Josep María; González, Débora; Fondevila, Sabela; Cutchet, Marta; Fernández, Xavier; Barbosa, Paulo César Ribeiro; Alcázar-Córcoles, Miguel Ángel; Barbanoj, Manel J.; Riba, Jordi; Bouso, José Carlos

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.03.024

Cited by 193 publications

(165 citation statements)

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“…The review of the literature showed that in the South American and Amazon cultures, psychoactive plant use, not only Ayahuasca but also others, was very common during religious rituals and other religious ceremonies for many centuries (Table-1A (Merlin, 2003), and other investigators have confirmed similar findings (Dobkin, 1984;Lewis-Williams 1988, 2008, 2005Metzner, 2002;Nichols, 2004;Ruck, 2006Ruck, , 2009Bravo, 1989;Akers, 2011 (Harner, 1973;Stafford, 1978;La Barre, 1979;Wasson, 1980;Dobkin, 1974Dobkin, , 1984Schultes, 1992;Davis, 1992;Desmarchelier, 1996;Metzner, 1998;Nichols, 2004;Blainey, 2005;Ruck, 2001Ruck, , 2006Ruck, , 2009Ruck, , 2013Rodrigues, 2006;Trichter, 2009;Fébregás, 2010;Krippner, 2011;Jean-Francois, 2012;Bouso, 2012;Miller, 2013). (Figures 1, 2; Table 1…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 69%

The Consumption of Psychoactive Plants in Ancient Global and Anatolian Cultures During Religious Rituals: The Roots of the Eruption of Mythological Figures and Common Symbols in Religions and Myths

Sayin

2014

Neuroquantology

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Psychoactive plants which contain hallucinogenic molecules that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (H-ASC) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries, while the consumption of these plants for spiritual and religious purposes is as old as human history. Some of those cultures were shaman and pagan subcultures; African native religions; Bwiti Cult; South American native religions; Amazon Cultures; Central American Cultures; Mexican subcultures; Aztec, Maya and Inca; Wiccan and witch subcultures; Satanists; American Indians; Greek and Hellenistic cultures; Sufis; Hassan Sabbah's Hashissins; Hindu, Indian and Tibetan cultures; some of the Nordic subcultures etc. Some of the psychoactive ingredients of the plants that were used during these religious rituals were; narcotic analgesics (opium), THC (cannabis), psilocybin (magic mushrooms), mescaline (peyote), ibogaine (Tabernanthe iboga), DMT (Ayahuasca and phalaris species), Peganum harmala, bufotenin, muscimol (Amanita muscaria), thujone (absinthe, Arthemisia absinthium), ephedra, mandragora, star lotus, Salvia divinorum etc. The main purposes of the practice of these plants were: spiritual healing; to contact with spirits; to contact with the souls of ancestors; to reach enlightenment (Nirvana or Satori); to become a master shaman, pagan or witch; to reach so-called-other realities, etc. Such "psychedelic-philosophical plant rituals" changed participating persons' psychology, philosophy and personality to a great degree. In these two successive articles, the consumption of psychedelic plants during religious rituals is reviewed and it is hypothesized that the images, figures, illusions and hallucinations experienced during these "plant trips" had a great impact on the formation and creation of many figures, characters, creatures, archetype images that exist not only in the mythology, but also in many religions, as well, such as angels, demons, Satan, mythological creatures, gods, goddesses etc. In the Middle East and Anatolia, within many hermetic and pagan religions, Greek and Hellenic cultures psychoactive plant use was a serious part of the religious rituals, such as Dionysian rituals or Witch's' Sabbaths. Although the impact of the "psychedelic experience and imagination" was enormous to the configuration of many religious and mythological characters, and archetypes, this fact has been underestimated and even unnoticed by many historians and anthropologists, because of the quasi-ethical trends of "anti-drug-brain-washed Western Societies".

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 69%

The Consumption of Psychoactive Plants in Ancient Global and Anatolian Cultures During Religious Rituals: The Roots of the Eruption of Mythological Figures and Common Symbols in Religions and Myths

Sayin

2014

Neuroquantology

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“…Existing data from scientific studies suggest that there are no persisting adverse effects on neuropsychological functioning [24], and that religious use of hoasca may have beneficial effects on substance abuse, and on psychological, spiritual, and physical wellbeing [25,26,27,28,4].…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users

Barbosa

Strassman

Silveira

et al. 2016

Comprehensive Psychiatry

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“…Psychological dependence appears to be rare, however research in this area is limited (Blacker et al, 1968). Thus psychedelics appear to have a low potential for abuse relative to other psychoactive drugs (Fabregas et al, 2010;Gable, 2007). Given the above and the fact that psilocybin would be delivered within a controlled healthcare setting rather than the community, the risk of diversion of drug supplies in the context of existing security measures for other controlled drugs used in healthcare settings appears to be low.…”

Section: Dependence and Diversionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future

2018

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a b s t r a c tThe classical psychedelic drugs, including psilocybin, lysergic acid diethylamide and mescaline, were used extensively in psychiatry before they were placed in Schedule I of the UN Convention on Drugs in 1967. Experimentation and clinical trials undertaken prior to legal sanction suggest that they are not helpful for those with established psychotic disorders and should be avoided in those liable to develop them. However, those with so-called 'psychoneurotic' disorders sometimes benefited considerably from their tendency to 'loosen' otherwise fixed, maladaptive patterns of cognition and behaviour, particularly when given in a supportive, therapeutic setting. Pre-prohibition studies in this area were sub-optimal, although a recent systematic review in unipolar mood disorder and a meta-analysis in alcoholism have both suggested efficacy. The incidence of serious adverse events appears to be low. Since 2006, there have been several pilot trials and randomised controlled trials using psychedelics (mostly psilocybin) in various non-psychotic psychiatric disorders. These have provided encouraging results that provide initial evidence of safety and efficacy, however the regulatory and legal hurdles to licensing psychedelics as medicines are formidable. This paper summarises clinical trials using psychedelics pre and post prohibition, discusses the methodological challenges of performing good quality trials in this area and considers a strategic approach to the legal and regulatory barriers to licensing psychedelics as a treatment in mainstream psychiatry.

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Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca

Cited by 193 publications

References 18 publications

The Consumption of Psychoactive Plants in Ancient Global and Anatolian Cultures During Religious Rituals: The Roots of the Eruption of Mythological Figures and Common Symbols in Religions and Myths

The Consumption of Psychoactive Plants in Ancient Global and Anatolian Cultures During Religious Rituals: The Roots of the Eruption of Mythological Figures and Common Symbols in Religions and Myths

Psychological and neuropsychological assessment of regular hoasca users

Psychiatry & the psychedelic drugs. Past, present & future

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