A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression
Abstract Ayahuasca is a brew with psychoactive properties that has been used as an entheogen for centuries, with more recent studies suggesting it is a promising treatment for some clinical disorders. Although there is an emerging scientific literature on its effects, to the best of our knowledge no...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44193-5 |
| _version_ | 1797199415434280960 |
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| author | Lucas Cruz Bheatrix Bienemann Fernanda Palhano-Fontes Luís Fernando Tófoli Dráulio B. Araújo Daniel C. Mograbi |
| author_facet | Lucas Cruz Bheatrix Bienemann Fernanda Palhano-Fontes Luís Fernando Tófoli Dráulio B. Araújo Daniel C. Mograbi |
| author_sort | Lucas Cruz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Ayahuasca is a brew with psychoactive properties that has been used as an entheogen for centuries, with more recent studies suggesting it is a promising treatment for some clinical disorders. Although there is an emerging scientific literature on its effects, to the best of our knowledge no study has explored the self-reported experiences of first-time ayahuasca users with quantitative textual analysis tools. Accordingly, the current study aimed to analyze the subjective experience of naive individuals with depression and healthy controls after consuming ayahuasca. For this purpose, responses from a subsample of participants from a previous clinical trial to open-ended questions regarding their experience with ayahuasca underwent textual analysis. Data from nine patients with treatment-resistant depression and 20 healthy individuals were included, and quantitative textual analysis was performed using IRaMuTeQ 0.7 alpha 2 and R 3.1.2. The analysis identified five clusters: alterations in the state of consciousness, cognitive changes, somatic alterations, auditory experiences, and visual perceptual content. Additionally, findings suggest specific features of the experience of people with depression with ayahuasca, such as increased aversive bodily reactions. The results are consistent with previous findings indicating central axes of the psychedelic experience, and may inform therapeutic approaches using ayahuasca. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:04:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a620a946ad524073afa574afcb161a36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T07:15:23Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-a620a946ad524073afa574afcb161a362024-04-21T11:19:59ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-11-0113111110.1038/s41598-023-44193-5A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depressionLucas Cruz0Bheatrix Bienemann1Fernanda Palhano-Fontes2Luís Fernando Tófoli3Dráulio B. Araújo4Daniel C. Mograbi5Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)Interdisciplinary Cooperation for Ayahuasca Research and Outreach (ICARO), Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas (UNICAMP)Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN)Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)Abstract Ayahuasca is a brew with psychoactive properties that has been used as an entheogen for centuries, with more recent studies suggesting it is a promising treatment for some clinical disorders. Although there is an emerging scientific literature on its effects, to the best of our knowledge no study has explored the self-reported experiences of first-time ayahuasca users with quantitative textual analysis tools. Accordingly, the current study aimed to analyze the subjective experience of naive individuals with depression and healthy controls after consuming ayahuasca. For this purpose, responses from a subsample of participants from a previous clinical trial to open-ended questions regarding their experience with ayahuasca underwent textual analysis. Data from nine patients with treatment-resistant depression and 20 healthy individuals were included, and quantitative textual analysis was performed using IRaMuTeQ 0.7 alpha 2 and R 3.1.2. The analysis identified five clusters: alterations in the state of consciousness, cognitive changes, somatic alterations, auditory experiences, and visual perceptual content. Additionally, findings suggest specific features of the experience of people with depression with ayahuasca, such as increased aversive bodily reactions. The results are consistent with previous findings indicating central axes of the psychedelic experience, and may inform therapeutic approaches using ayahuasca.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44193-5 |
| spellingShingle | Lucas Cruz Bheatrix Bienemann Fernanda Palhano-Fontes Luís Fernando Tófoli Dráulio B. Araújo Daniel C. Mograbi A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression Scientific Reports |
| title | A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression |
| title_full | A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression |
| title_fullStr | A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression |
| title_full_unstemmed | A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression |
| title_short | A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naïve users with and without depression |
| title_sort | quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naive users with and without depression |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-44193-5 |
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