A qualitative study of long-term members of ayahuasca spiritual communities in the United States: Motivations, practices, experiences and beliefs
Joseph T. la Torre, Ariana Kam, Todd Youngs, J. Rapp, Nathan B Sackett
Journal of Psychedelic Studies November 18, 2025 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1556/2054.2025.00467 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Long-term participants in U.S. ayahuasca spiritual communities seek healing from trauma, addiction, and psychological distress, finding belonging and cultural identity. These communities blend Western biomedical understandings of psychedelics with entheogenic spiritual frameworks, creating a hybrid healing paradigm centered on ritual, music, and shared intention. Participants often move from self-oriented healing toward relational growth and altruistic action, becoming facilitators and stewards. They navigate interpersonal tensions that foster emotional growth, operate in a legal grey zone, and emphasize careful discernment when joining. This sociocultural context differs from individualized, clinician-led psychedelic treatment by stressing community, spirituality, and mutual transformation.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 11 |
| Population | long-term participants in ayahuasca spiritual communities in the United States |
| Key finding | U.S. ayahuasca spiritual communities represent a distinctive sociocultural context for entheogen use that emphasizes community, spirituality, and mutual transformation, diverging from individualized, clinician-led psychedelic treatment models. |
Abstract
This novel qualitative study examines the lived experiences of long-term participants in ayahuasca spiritual communities (ASCs) in the United States. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 11) were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis indicating that these communities (1) attract individuals seeking healing from trauma, addiction, and psychological distress, while offering a sense of belonging and cultural identity; (2) integrate Western biomedical understandings of psychedelics with entheogenic spiritual frameworks, forming a hybrid healing paradigm rooted in ritual, music, and shared intention; (3) foster a broad trajectory from self-oriented healing toward relational growth and altruistic action, often transforming participants into facilitators and community stewards; (4) encounter and navigate interpersonal and cultural tensions that arise within intimate communal life, which can serve as catalysts for emotional growth and reflection; (5) operate within a complex legal grey zone, requiring members to balance risks of practice, cultural identity, and legal protection; and (6) emphasize the importance of careful discernment when joining an ASC, encouraging alignment with one's values and awareness of group dynamics, accessibility, and safety. Overall, U.S. ASCs represent a distinctive sociocultural context for entheogen use, diverging from individualized, clinician-led psychedelic treatment models by emphasizing community, spirituality, and mutual transformation. These findings underscore the need for further research into the psychological, relational, and cultural dynamics of non-clinical psychedelic frameworks.