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Newly-released research findings in the Psychoactive Drugs journal have brought to attention notable associations between ayahuasca use and improvements in mental health. The study leveraged data collected during an international survey that discovered that users of ayahuasca experience reduced mental distress and enjoy improved mental wellbeing.
The research team observed that the positive effects above appear to be subject to several factors, such as how intense the mystical experience users underwent, the insights that individuals gained after using the substance, and the sense of belonging users felt as part of a community while using the hallucinogen.
Ayahuasca has been used traditionally by the indigenous people found in the Amazon basin. They use it for healing and spiritual purposes. The brew is made by taking the vines of the Banisteriopsis caapi and mixing them with leaves taken from Psychotria viridis. This powerful combination contains DMT and carbolines that make DMT active even when it is ingested orally. Consuming this brew triggers a strong psychedelic experience characterized by a profound feeling of spiritual connection, vivid visual images, and emotional introspection.
Over the years, the consumption of this potent brew has spread beyond its traditional setting and has seen a more international and urban uptake. This rise in popularity has attracted the attention of the scientific and research community, especially given the anecdotal claims that the substance has beneficial mental health effects.
The team behind this latest study wanted to explore the risks and potential benefits of ayahuasca in real-world settings. Daniel Perkins and his team oversaw the largest-ever survey aimed at uncovering how ayahuasca influenced wellbeing and mental health. More than 10,800 respondents spread over 50 countries took the survey.
However, the study subjects were narrowed down to 7,576 respondents who underwent extensive mental health evaluations. The researchers made the survey questions accessible in half a dozen languages and they relied on online networks and communities linked to ayahuasca use to get respondents to the survey.
The team discovered that individuals who frequently used ayahuasca said they had better mental health. This conclusion was arrived at after analyzing the mental health questionnaires completed by the study subjects. This trend of frequent ayahuasca use being linked to better mental health was consistent regardless of whether a subject had or didn’t have a history of mental health issues.
The data also revealed that mystical experiences, social or community support and personal insights played a key role in the positive outcomes that survey respondents reported.
However, some respondents reported undergoing negative experiences, such as extreme panic or fear during ayahuasca consumption sessions, and these individuals reported lower mental health benefits. This highlights the need for caution during ayahuasca sessions.
Further research leveraging longitudinal study designs is needed to assess these findings obtained from survey data. Other companies like Seelos Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: SEEL) are also investigating other hallucinogenic substances and their findings could unveil a new paradigm in the treatment of mental health conditions.
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