Prevalence and therapeutic impact of adverse life event reexperiencing under ceremonial ayahuasca.
Brandon Weiss, Aleksandra Wingert, David Erritzøe, W Keith Campbell
Scientific reports June 9, 2023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36184-3 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAyahuasca ceremonies commonly trigger reexperiencing of adverse life events, with women more likely to reexperience sexual assault, veterans more likely to reexperience combat trauma, and individuals with PTSD showing higher prevalence of reexperiencing. Reexperiencing was associated with cognitive reappraisal, psychological flexibility, and discomfort during ceremonies. Participants who reexperienced adverse events showed greater reductions in trait neuroticism after ceremonies. The study tracked 33 military veterans and 306 non-veterans across three timepoints at ayahuasca centers in South and Central America.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 339 |
| Population | Military veterans and non-veterans attending ayahuasca healing and spiritual centers in South and Central America |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Duration | 3-month follow-up |
| Keywords | Ayahuasca therapy Trauma healing Psychedelic medicine Mental health research PTSD Treatment |
| Citations | 32 |
| Key finding | Reexperiencing adverse life events under ayahuasca was common and associated with cognitive reappraisal, psychological flexibility, and greater reductions in trait neuroticism. |
Abstract
The present study examined the safety and efficacy of the ceremonial use of ayahuasca in relation to reports of heightened life event reexperiencing under psychedelics. The study examined (1) the prevalence of specific types of adverse life event reexperiencing, (2) characteristics predictive of reexperiencing, (3) the psychological character of reexperiencing, and (4) the impact of reexperiencing on mental health. Participants were recruited from three ayahuasca healing and spiritual centers in South and Central America (N = 33 military veterans, 306 non-veterans) using self-report data at three timepoints (Pre-retreat, Post-retreat, 3-months post-retreat). Reexperiencing adverse life events under ayahuasca was common, with women showing particularly high probability of reexperiencing sexual assault, veterans reexperiencing combat-related trauma, and individuals with a self-reported lifetime diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder exhibiting a substantively higher prevalence of reexperiencing. Reexperiencing was associated with states of cognitive reappraisal, psychological flexibility, and discomfort during ceremonies, and participants who reexperienced adverse life events exhibited greater reductions in trait neuroticism following their ceremonies. Clinical implications of these results for the application of psychedelics to mood and stress disorders are discussed.