La Luna del
Amazonas

Ayahuasca retreat outside
Iquitos, Peru

Ayahuasca & Science

Ayahuasca for general well being

In a recent study conducted in Spain (Ona et al., 2019), 380 regular participants of ayahuasca ceremonies were interviewed face-to-face using public health indicators, along with indicators of community ties, stress-coping strategies, values, and psychosocial well-being.

The results were compared with the normative data of the general Spanish population. Regular use of ayahuasca was associated with a greater positive perception of health and a healthy lifestyle, among other results.

Fifty-sex percent of the sample reported having reduced their use of prescription medications since they started participating in ayahuasca ceremonies.

Participants who had used ayahuasca more than 100 times scored higher on personal values indicators. The main conclusion of this study is that a respectful and controlled use of ayahuasca taken in community settings can be incorporated into modern society with benefits for public health.

This new approach, based on the use of public health indicators not previously used in ayahuasca studies, offers relevant information on the impact of long-term exposure to ayahuasca on public health.

Ayahuasca stimulates neurogenesis in adults

Several studies have assessed in vitro the potential neuroprotective properties of ayahuasca compounds. In one of those studies, harmine showed proliferation of human neural progenitors (Dakic et al., 2016).

In yet another study, harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine (the three main constituents of B. caapi) were found to stimulate adult neurogenesis (Morales-García et al., 2017).

Ayahuasca to overcome grief following the loss of a loved one

According to a study recently published in the journal Psychopharmacology, ayahuasca – also known as the “vine of the soul” within the Peruvian indigenous healing system – can help people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, significantly reducing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression. Benefits lasted for up to a year following the retreat.

Here are some interesting youtube videos, and further down you can find some articles and scientific studies

Studies

Articles