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

Oña, Genís; Berrada, A; Bouso, José Carlos

doi:10.1177/13634615211038416

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 133 publications

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“…Since health is not an individual experience for traditional cultures, but rather a consequence of alignment between the individual, the community, the natural ecosystem, and the geographic territory, ayahuasca is actually a tool for achieving such an alignment [8]. Furthermore, ayahuasca and other psychoactive ethnobotanicals, like peyote (Lophophora williamsii) and iboga (Tabernanthe iboga), play an important role in traditional rituals as social enhancements, a crucial aspect for preserving mental health [9]. Both the alignment process and the strengthening of social ties are aspects that allow non-native users, when they attend ayahuasca ceremonies, to find better health as a result [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey

Bouso

Andión²,

Sarris

et al. 2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Introduction Ayahuasca is a plant-based decoction native to Amazonia, where it has a long history of use in traditional medicine. Contemporary ritual use of ayahuasca has been expanding throughout the world for mental health purposes, and for spiritual and personal growth. Although researchers have been conducting clinical trials and observational studies reporting medical and psychological benefits, most of these do not report ayahuasca’s immediate or medium-term adverse effects, so these are underrepresented in the literature. With the expansion of ayahuasca ceremonies from their traditional contexts to countries around the world, there is an important public health question regarding the risk/benefit balance of its use. Methods We used data from an online Global Ayahuasca Survey (n = 10,836) collected between 2017 and 2019 involving participants from more than 50 countries. Principal component analysis was performed to assess group effects. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test for adverse effects associated with history of ayahuasca use, clinical, context of use and spiritual effect variables. Results Acute physical health adverse effects (primarily vomiting) were reported by 69.9% of the sample, with 2.3% reporting the need for subsequent medical attention. Adverse mental health effects in the weeks or months following consumption were reported by 55.9% of the sample, however, around 88% considered such mental health effects as part of a positive process of growth or integration. Around 12% sought professional support for these effects. Physical adverse effects were related to older age at initial use of ayahuasca, having a physical health condition, higher lifetime and last year ayahuasca use, having a previous substance use disorder diagnosis, and taking ayahuasca in a non-supervised context. Mental health adverse effects were positively associated with anxiety disorders; physical health conditions; and the strength of the acute spiritual experience; and negatively associated with consumption in religious settings. Conclusions While there is a high rate of adverse physical effects and challenging psychological effects from using ayahuasca, they are not generally severe, and most ayahuasca ceremony attendees continue to attend ceremonies, suggesting they perceive the benefits as outweighing any adverse effects. Knowing what variables might predict eventual adverse effects may serve in screening of, or providing additional support for, vulnerable subjects. Improved understanding of the ayahuasca risk/benefit balance can also assist policy makers in decisions regarding potential regulation and public health responses.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey

Bouso

Andión²,

Sarris

et al. 2022

PLOS Glob Public Health

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“…To overcome isolation, Ona et al have proposed a focus on the social/community aspects, noting that the traditional use of psychoactive plants typically happens in groups, which promotes community engagement and participation (Ona et al, 2021). They accentuated the importance of bridging traditional psychedelic therapy practices and Western medicine in order to combine the knowledge that can be obtained from both sides.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study

Turkia¹

2023

Preprint

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In medicine, psychedelics were initially considered as a tool for clinicians to understand psychotic states. Based on the presented case data, a reversal of that concept is proposed: psychedelics could be conceptualized as a tool for people chronically anxious and depressed since early childhood to understand ordinary states of mind (e.g. calmness, hopefulness, relaxation, and joy). The case concerns a young man who suffered from early-onset complex trauma due to daily abuse by his comprehensive school teacher and other pupils, resulting in severe anxiety and depression. He refused anti-depressive medication. Supportive psychotherapy failed to alleviate the situation, and interaction with psychiatric personnel subjectively experienced as rejection escalated his symptoms. At the age of 19, he resorted to unsupervised self-treatment with psilocybin. Occasional high-dose psilocybin sessions alone did not produce permanent outcomes in a constantly retraumatizing environment. After becoming unemployed at the age of 25, he dedicated himself to working with psychedelics more intensively, with gradually declining doses. The essence of his method was to relive the originally overwhelming traumatic events, maintaining a conscious focus on somatic sensations and avoiding getting overwhelmed again. In his own estimation, by the age of 30, he had resolved most of his early trauma but had been sensitized to the prevalence of trauma and its consequences (e.g. violence, racism) in the society, and his exposure to these continued to cause him suffering. Regardless, he had gained 'a foundational feeling of peace or stability that could provide safety in the middle of all this'. The information for this case study was acquired in the course of semi-structured retrospective interviews 2.5 years apart. The case illustrates that chronic treatment-resistant depression together with an unsupportive social environment may present a challenge for psychedelic therapy. As with ketamine, chronic administration may be necessary in some cases.

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“…Schenberg and Gerber (2022a, 2022b) have sought to address these injustices—which in their view also entail epistemological errors , as a correct understanding of psychedelic therapies cannot divorce them from cultural context—by studying the effects of psychedelic substances in their local context, with the collaboration of local experts. As another potential compromise, some scholars have argued for the therapeutic mobilization of traditional psychedelic practices in the context of their respective medical systems, on the grounds of their demonstrated efficacy in randomized controlled trials (Ona et al, 2022). How to ethically implement such medical pluralism (or whether, where, and when medical pluralism is desirable) remains a thorny question.…”

Section: The Psychedelic Renaissance and The Question Of Epistemic Ju...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Culture, context, and ethics in the therapeutic use of hallucinogens: Psychedelics as active super-placebos?

Dupuis

Veissière

2022

Transcult Psychiatry

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Following decades of prohibition and widespread concern about their mind-altering properties, there is increasing public, scholarly, and clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances. Serotonergic substances in particular (DMT, psilocybin, and LSD) are now being tested as treatments for such ailments as depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. This thematic issue of Transcultural Psychiatry presents articles that investigate the cultural assumptions, political dimensions, and clinical and ethical implications that arise from this renewed interest. After reviewing ongoing debates on therapeutic mechanisms of action and the importance of context, we argue that psychedelics can be conceptualized as “active super-placebos”—that is, substances that enhance ritual, symbolic, and interpersonal therapeutic processes by increasing suggestibility and the influence of extra-pharmacological, “non-specific” factors. Rather than simply freeing up habitual constraints on perception, the articles in this issue support the claim that psychedelic encounters typically entail processes of sense-making, crystallization of meaning, and enculturation into contextually mediated assumptive worlds (or ideologies) and behaviours that necessarily install novel constraints with potentially maladaptive consequences. We highlight the importance of clinical and epistemic integrity in the framing of psychedelic therapies. The importance of structuring and providing oversight for the therapeutic context raises difficult questions about the search for appropriate forms of epistemic authority that are at once respectful of the plural cultural origins of psychedelic rituals and mindful of best practices and standards in clinical care.

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

Cited by 19 publications

References 133 publications

Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey

Adverse effects of ayahuasca: Results from the Global Ayahuasca Survey

Self-treatment of depression and complex post-traumatic stress disorder with psilocybin and LSD—A retrospective case study

Culture, context, and ethics in the therapeutic use of hallucinogens: Psychedelics as active super-placebos?

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