Intact neurophysiological markers of death denial in long-term ayahuasca users
Yair Dor‐ziderman, Jonathan David, Aviva Berkovich‐ohana
Psychopharmacology November 10, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06963-z via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPreliminary evidence suggests that ayahuasca can change how people think about and feel toward death at conscious levels, but automatic, unconscious perceptual processes that deny death remain unaffected.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Preliminary study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Ayahuasca |
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Unconscious mind Cognition Denial Hallucinogen |
| Key finding | Ayahuasca alters conceptual and affective processing of death but does not affect automatic perceptual unconscious death-denial processes. |
Abstract
These findings provide preliminary evidence that while ayahuasca may alter how humans interact with the theme of death on conceptual and affective levels of cognitive processing, on automatic, perceptual unconscious levels of self-specific processing, death-denial processes appear to remain intact.