DMT Therapy

\,,/ Fellow Psychonauts,

I’ve been reading up on ayahuasca therapy for addiction and depression. People are flocking to the Amazon for “the cure”. Even the NIH is getting on board. Here’s a recent scientific article abstract:

Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada

Author(s): Gerald Thomas, Philippe Lucas, N. Rielle Capler, Kenneth W. Tupper and Gina Martin 
Pages 30-42 (13)

Abstract:

Introduction: This paper reports results from a preliminary observational study of ayahuasca-assisted treatment for problematic substance use and stress delivered in a rural First Nations community in British Columbia, Canada.

Methods: The “Working with Addiction and Stress” retreats combined four days of group counselling with two expert-led ayahuasca ceremonies. This study collected pre-treatment and six months follow-up data from 12 participants on several psychological and behavioral factors related to problematic substance use, and qualitative data assessing the personal experiences of the participants six months after the retreat.

Findings: Statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvements were demonstrated for scales assessing hopefulness, empowerment, mindfulness, and quality of life meaning and outlook subscales. Self-reported alcohol, tobacco and cocaine use declined, although cannabis and opiate use did not; reported reductions in problematic cocaine use were statistically significant. All study participants reported positive and lasting changes from participating in the retreats.

Conclusions: This form of ayahuasca-assisted therapy appears to be associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use among a rural aboriginal population. These findings suggest participants may have experienced positive psychological and behavioral changes in response to this therapeutic approach, and that more rigorous research of ayahuasca-assisted therapy for problematic substance use is warranted.

Excerpt: “The use of ayahuasca as a remedy to help overcome drug

addictions is a fundamental aspect of treatment programs at

Takiwasi, a therapeutic community based in Tarapoto, Peru

[15]. The Takiwasi approach incorporates various aspects of

traditional Amazonian folk medicine (including the use of

various medicinal jungle plants, in addition to ayahuasca),

communitarian residence and psychotherapy. Similarly, in

the state of Amazonas, Brazil, the Instituto de

Etnopsicología Amazónica Aplicada (or IDEAA) runs a

treatment program that combines the ritual use of ayahuasca

with complementary psycho-social rehabilitation methods

[16]. Although these programs claim improved health

outcomes for patients who complete them, neither has been

evaluated with sufficient scientific rigor to provide definitive

evidence of the success of their approaches. Nevertheless,

evidence from members of Brazilian ayahuasca churches, as

well as claims of treatment success from Takiwasi and

IDEAA, has led researchers to speculate on possible

neurochemical, psychological or transcendent mechanisms

of ayahuasca’s purported therapeutic action.”

The full .pdf report can be downloaded free from Bentham Science.

Peace!

BnT