Ayahuasca : a review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects

S. G. D. Ruffell; M. Crosland-Wood; R. Palmer; N. Netzband; W. Tsang; B. Weiss; S. Gandy; T. Cowley-Court; A. Halman; D. McHerron; A. Jong; T. Kennedy; E. White; D. Perkins; D. B. Terhune; Jerome Sarris

doi:10.1002/pcn5.146

Ayahuasca : a review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects

S. G. D. Ruffell, M. Crosland-Wood, R. Palmer, N. Netzband, W. Tsang, B. Weiss, S. Gandy, T. Cowley-Court, A. Halman, D. McHerron, A. Jong, T. Kennedy, E. White, D. Perkins, D. B. Terhune, Jerome Sarris

Western Sydney University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ayahuasca is a psychedelic plant brew originating from the Amazon rainforest. It is formed from two basic components, the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a plant containing the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT), usually Psychotria viridis. Here we review the history of ayahuasca and describe recent work on its pharmacology, phenomenological responses, and clinical applications. There has been a significant increase in interest in ayahuasca since the turn of the millennium. Anecdotal evidence varies significantly, ranging from evangelical accounts to horror stories involving physical and psychological harm. The effects of the brew on personality and mental health outcomes are discussed in this review. Furthermore, phenomenological analyses of the ayahuasca experience are explored. Ayahuasca is a promising psychedelic agent that warrants greater empirical attention regarding its basic neurochemical mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic application.

Original language	English
Article number	e146
Number of pages	20
Journal	Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports
Volume	2
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.146
Publication status	Published - Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.

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© 2023 The authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0), which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non?commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

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Ruffell, S. G. D., Crosland-Wood, M., Palmer, R., Netzband, N., Tsang, W., Weiss, B., Gandy, S., Cowley-Court, T., Halman, A., McHerron, D., Jong, A., Kennedy, T., White, E., Perkins, D., Terhune, D. B., & Sarris, J. (2023). Ayahuasca : a review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports, 2(4), Article e146. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.146

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abstract = "Ayahuasca is a psychedelic plant brew originating from the Amazon rainforest. It is formed from two basic components, the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and a plant containing the potent psychedelic dimethyltryptamine (DMT), usually Psychotria viridis. Here we review the history of ayahuasca and describe recent work on its pharmacology, phenomenological responses, and clinical applications. There has been a significant increase in interest in ayahuasca since the turn of the millennium. Anecdotal evidence varies significantly, ranging from evangelical accounts to horror stories involving physical and psychological harm. The effects of the brew on personality and mental health outcomes are discussed in this review. Furthermore, phenomenological analyses of the ayahuasca experience are explored. Ayahuasca is a promising psychedelic agent that warrants greater empirical attention regarding its basic neurochemical mechanisms of action and potential therapeutic application.",

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Ruffell, SGD, Crosland-Wood, M, Palmer, R, Netzband, N, Tsang, W, Weiss, B, Gandy, S, Cowley-Court, T, Halman, A, McHerron, D, Jong, A, Kennedy, T, White, E, Perkins, D, Terhune, DB & Sarris, J 2023, 'Ayahuasca : a review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects', Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences Reports, vol. 2, no. 4, e146. https://doi.org/10.1002/pcn5.146

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Ayahuasca : a review of historical, pharmacological, and therapeutic aspects

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Open Access - Access Right Statement

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