A Study of Ayahuasca Use in North America

Eighty-one subjects who used ayahuasca at least once in North America answered a lengthy set of open-ended questions and completed the 81-item After the Spiritual Experience Questionnaire. An additional 50 ayahuasca users were interviewed in person. The data for this study represent ayahuasca experi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychoactive drugs 2012-07, Vol.44 (3), p.209-215
Main Authors: Harris, Rachel, Gurel, Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Affect - drug effects
ayahuasca
Banisteriopsis - chemistry
Behavior - drug effects
Discriminant analysis
Female
Herbal medicine
Humans
integration
Male
Middle Aged
North America
Plant Extracts - pharmacology
Psychotropic Drugs - pharmacology
Qualitative research
religious freedom
Retreats
Rites & ceremonies
spiritual
Spiritual Therapies - methods
Spirituality
Surveys and Questionnaires
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Summary:Eighty-one subjects who used ayahuasca at least once in North America answered a lengthy set of open-ended questions and completed the 81-item After the Spiritual Experience Questionnaire. An additional 50 ayahuasca users were interviewed in person. The data for this study represent ayahuasca experience based on more than 2,267 ceremonies. A comparison group of 46 people attending a Catholic spiritual retreat weekend also completed the After the Spiritual Experience Questionnaire. A factor analysis of this questionnaire yielded three factors: Joy in Life, Relationship to the Sacred and Toxic Feelings. Although the ayahuasca users had significantly higher scores on the first two factors, the two groups had modest mean differences indicating a similar response to two very different spiritual experiences. This key finding strongly supports the view that ayahuasca users are engaged in an authentic process as spiritual in nature as that of the retreatants. The qualitative data revealed that ayahuasca users reduced their alcohol intake, ate healthier diets, enjoyed improved mood and greater self-acceptance and felt more loving and compassionate in their relationships. Seventy-four percent of the ayahuasca users said they had a relationship with and received ongoing guidance and support from the spirit of ayahuasca.
ISSN:0279-1072
2159-9777
DOI:10.1080/02791072.2012.703100