Ayahuasca and Modern Science

We welcome the growing interest that modern science has begun to show in ayahuasca, and we recognize the value of the studies being carried out. Scientific research has revealed many fascinating aspects of the medicine, the chemical interactions, the biological processes, and the ways it affects the human brain and body.

At the same time, we understand that science can only reach so far. By its very nature, the scientific method is limited to what can be measured, observed, and repeated. It cannot step into the spiritual domains where ayahuasca reveals its deepest mysteries and its true potential for healing and transformation.

For us, the studies are encouraging and useful, yet they are but a small reflection of the greater reality of this medicine, a reality that unfolds in the sacred space of ceremony, where spirit, song, and prayer guide the journey.

Study: Ayahuasca for general well being

In a recent study conducted in Spain (Ona et al., 2019), 380 regular participants of ayahuasca ceremonies were interviewed face-to-face using public health indicators, along with indicators of community ties, stress-coping strategies, values, and psychosocial well-being.

The results were compared with the normative data of the general Spanish population. Regular use of ayahuasca was associated with a greater positive perception of health and a healthy lifestyle, among other results.

Fifty-sex percent of the sample reported having reduced their use of prescription medications since they started participating in ayahuasca ceremonies.

Participants who had used ayahuasca more than 100 times scored higher on personal values indicators. The main conclusion of this study is that a respectful and controlled use of ayahuasca taken in community settings can be incorporated into modern society with benefits for public health.

This new approach, based on the use of public health indicators not previously used in ayahuasca studies, offers relevant information on the impact of long-term exposure to ayahuasca on public health.

Ayahuasca and Public Health: Health Status, Psychosocial Well-Being, Lifestyle, and Coping Strategies in a Large Sample of Ritual Ayahuasca Usershttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30732540/

Study: Ayahuasca stimulates neurogenesis in adults

Several studies have assessed in vitro the potential neuroprotective properties of ayahuasca compounds. In one of those studies, harmine showed proliferation of human neural progenitors (Dakic et al., 2016).

n yet another study, harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (the three main constituents of B. caapi) were found to stimulate adult neurogenesis (Morales-García et al., 2017).

The alkaloids of Banisteriopsis caapi, the plant source of the Amazonian hallucinogen Ayahuasca, stimulate adult neurogenesis in vitro

Study: Ayahuasca to overcome grief following the loss of a loved one

According to a study recently published in the journal Psychopharmacology, ayahuasca – also known as the “vine of the soul” within the Peruvian indigenous healing system – can help people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, significantly reducing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. Benefits lasted for up to a year following the retreat.

Therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in grief: a prospective, observational study

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