Four Weekly Ayahuasca Sessions Lead to Increases in “Acceptance” Capacities: A Comparison Study With a Standard 8-Week Mindfulness Training Program
Frontiers in Pharmacology March 20, 2018 Joaquim Soler, Matilde Elices, Elisabet Domínguez‐clavé et al. 104 citations
A single weekend of four ayahuasca sessions improved the capacity for non-judgmental acceptance as much as an eight-week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course, though MBSR produced larger overall gains in mindfulness. Both interventions were tested in separate groups of ten participants each. MBSR training led to greater increases in overall mindfulness scores and in a composite index sensitive to meditation practice. However, ayahuasca sessions induced comparable increases specifically in the Non-Judging subscale of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, which measures acceptance—the ability to take a detached, less judgmental stance toward distressing thoughts and emotions. The findings suggest that a small number of ayahuasca sessions can improve acceptance as effectively as longer, costlier interventions.