Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant beverage containing the serotonergic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine) that render it orally active. Ayahuasca ingestion is a central feature in several Brazilian syncretic churches that have expanded their activities to urban Brazil, Europe and North America. Members of these groups typically ingest ayahuasca at least twice per month. Prior research has shown that acute ayahuasca increases blood flow in prefrontal and temporal brain regions and that it elicits intense modifications in thought processes, perception and emotion. However, regular ayahuasca use does not seem to induce the pattern of addiction-related problems that characterize drugs of abuse. To study the impact of repeated ayahuasca use on general psychological well-being, mental health and cognition, here we assessed personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance in regular ayahuasca users (n = 127) and controls (n = 115) at baseline and 1 year later. Controls were actively participating in non-ayahuasca religions. Users showed higher Reward Dependence and Self-Transcendence and lower Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness. They scored significantly lower on all psychopathology measures, showed better performance on the Stroop test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Letter-Number Sequencing task from the WAIS-III, and better scores on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale. Analysis of life attitudes showed higher scores on the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Purpose in Life Test and the Psychosocial Well-Being test. Despite the lower number of participants available at follow-up, overall differences with controls were maintained one year later. In conclusion, we found no evidence of psychological maladjustment, mental health deterioration or cognitive impairment in the ayahuasca-using group.

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 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…”

Brazilian scientific articles on “Spirituality, Religion and Health”

“…Noteworthy, ayahuasca appeared as the second most cited in articles with central focus in R/S. Possible explanations are the increase interest for this issue throughout the world, particularly in Brazil, where the religions that use ayahuasca in rituals were developed, and the crescent demand to understand the users and the neuropsychiatric effects of this plant 23 . R/S scales were in the third position (revealing some efforts to provide safe measures for these constructs, as noted by a previous systematic review) 24 , followed by Health education in the forth place (showing an attempt to integrate R/S in higher education) 13 .…”

Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm

“…9 Observational research involving members of Brazilian religious groups who regularly drink ayahuasca sacramentally has shown that, compared with a matched control group, long-term regular drinkers of ayahuasca tend to have a lower prevalence of substance use, 10 structural brain changes that do not suggest evident pathology 11 and better neuropsychological performance and psychosocial adaptation. 12 Other studies involving similar populations of long-term drinkers of ayahuasca have shown lower rates of psychoactive substance use and psychopathology. 13,14 Canadian researchers are currently coordinating an international research study to investigate ayahuasca's potential as a treatment for addiction, with clinical sites in Brazil, Peru and Mexico.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] We will focus on two classes of psychedelics: classic psychedelics and "entactogens. "…”