Ayahuasca as an Addiction Treatment in Catalonia: Cognitive and Cultural Perspectives

Ayahuasca and personality. A systematic review and meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies with long-term participants (Ayahuasca y personalidad. Revisión sistemática y metaanálisis de estudios transversales con participantes de larga trayectoria)

“…These differences may be due to both ayahuasca and belonging to a religious community, a central characteristic in most of the participants included in the meta-analysis. It is important to note that, in observational studies on the psychological effects of ayahuasca, factors related to the religions that take this concoction as a sacrament (e.g., community life, promotion of healthy habits) may play a significant role in the observed effect (Apud, 2020a; Bouso, 2012).…”

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

“…First, the anthropological literature has largely discussed placebo and other related effects potentially involved in ritualistic settings. In that regard, Apud (2020) pointed out how social contexts decrease the top-down executive control of the brain, depleting cognitive resources through causal opaqueness, stereotyping, formality, redundancy, and/or the presence of a charismatic authority. This process makes the ritual participant more suggestible, and therefore more permeable to collective memories, narratives, and ideas.…”

“…This is because such long-standing use might have involved the gradual development of the most appropriate ways of harvesting, drying, preparing, and administering the product. Thus, the ritual and ceremonies in which these psychoactive plants are commonly ingested play a vital role in terms of enhancing their benefits and reducing their risks (Apud, 2020; Talin & Sanabria, 2017). Notably, some recent studies regarding traditional Amazonian medicine report their effectiveness when it comes to the treatment of substance-use disorders (Berlowitz et al, 2019, 2020) and grief (González et al, 2020).…”

New Insights into the Chemical Composition of Ayahuasca

“… 8 − 10 Several reports highlight its potential therapeutic applications in clinical and nonclinical settings for the treatment of depression, 11 − 14 grief, 15 eating disorders, 16 and substance use disorders (SUDs). 17 − 22 In addition, preclinical studies have shown that DMT, β-carbolines, and ayahuasca preparations present antidepressant-like effects in animal models 23 − 25 and that administration of the beverage can block ethanol preference in an animal model of dependence. 26 …”

“…Almost four decades ago, ayahuasca traveled from its traditional uses in the Amazon basin to religious, therapeutic, and spiritual centers with a worldwide distribution. , Brazilian churches that use ayahuasca as part of their religious practices, such as the Santo Daime and União do Vegetal , as well as shamanic practices involving the ingestion of the beverage in group rituals, have expanded globally within the psychospiritual transnational networks. − Recently, ayahuasca has captured the attention of the scientific community as part of the “renaissance of psychedelic studies”. − Several reports highlight its potential therapeutic applications in clinical and nonclinical settings for the treatment of depression, − grief, eating disorders, and substance use disorders (SUDs). − In addition, preclinical studies have shown that DMT, β-carbolines, and ayahuasca preparations present antidepressant-like effects in animal models − and that administration of the beverage can block ethanol preference in an animal model of dependence …”