Primitive Group Treatment
Psychopathology January 1, 1978 DOI: 10.1159/000283720 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractHallucinogenic drugs, particularly ayahuasca containing the active agent harmine, are used by witch doctors in the Peruvian jungle for therapeutic purposes. Treatment occurs in groups of about 10 to 12 patients, who meet weekly at dawn for an average of 5 hours in the open air. The healer makes a magical diagnosis and provides a potion drunk by the witch doctor, assistant, and patients. Patients attend sessions until they feel well enough to leave, then pay a voluntary fee. The study focused on describing these group processes, which had not previously been documented.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Patients participating in ayahuasca treatment sessions in the Peruvian jungle |
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Harmine Witch Hallucinogen Psychology |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key finding | Ayahuasca-based healing sessions in the Peruvian jungle involve group processes with weekly meetings of about 10 to 12 patients, where the healer provides a potion and patients attend until they feel well enough to leave, paying a voluntary fee. |
Abstract
Although it has been known for many years that hallucinogenic drugs are used by witch doctors in the Peruvian jungles for therapeutic purposes, there have been no descriptions of their use. We studied one type of treatment carried out in groups of about 10 to 12 ‘patients’, where the healer makes a magical diagnosis and provides a potion, usually ayahuasca (active hallucinogenic agent: harmine) which is drunk by the witch doctor, his assistant and the patients. The groups meet once a week in the open air in the jungle, at dawn and for an average of 5 h. The patient attends the weekly sessions until he feels well enough to leave, and only then does he pay a voluntary fee. One of our main tasks was to study the group processes.