Horizonte
March 31, 2026
Arilton Martins Fonseca, Eliana Rodrigues
A comparison of religiosity among experienced ayahuasca users (over 20 years of ritual use), beginners (less than 3 years), and non-users at a Santo Daime center in Piedade, SP, found that experienced users scored higher on religiosity than both beginners and non-users. The observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study included 48 participants: 16 experienced users, 16 beginners, and 16 controls matched by sex, age, and education. Religiosity was measured using the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (BMMRS-P). Statistical analysis used parametric tests (p<0.05), indicating higher religiosity scores in the experienced group.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
March 19, 2026
Pedro J Teixeira, Jorge Encantado, Helena D Amaro et al.
Portuguese adults who participate in ayahuasca ceremonies report good or very good health, with lower rates of chronic disease and obesity compared to the general population. They also report greater physical activity, lower alcohol consumption, and enhanced psychological well-being. Many attribute positive lifestyle changes, reduced substance use, and less reliance on prescription medication to their ayahuasca experiences. These findings align with prior research linking ayahuasca use to health and well-being, though causal pathways remain unclear.
Journal of psychoactive drugs
March 13, 2026
Matthew X Lowe, Quinn A Darby, Sasha Kalcheff-Korn et al.
Sexual and gender minority individuals face high rates of depression, anxiety, trauma, and discrimination but have been underrepresented in psychedelic research. A naturalistic study of a seven-day ayahuasca retreat for SGM participants found significant reductions in depression and anxiety scores and increases in spiritual well-being and quality of life, especially in the first month after the retreat. Participants described the experience as highly meaningful, with many ranking it among the most meaningful events of their lives. Positive behavioral changes included improved relationships and reduced substance use. Adverse effects were minimal and transient. The findings highlight the need for inclusive psychedelic spaces that support healing and identity affirmation for queer communities, reclaiming psychedelics from past misuse in conversion therapy.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
March 11, 2026
Katrin Brache, Mauricio Diazgranados
Neuropsychiatric disorders affect nearly one billion people worldwide, and existing treatments are limited by side effects and variable efficacy. This review of 42 Colombian plant species used in Indigenous and local health systems for conditions overlapping with mental and neurological disorders found that ayahuasca (yagé) was the most frequently reported preparation, while Nicotiana tabacum, Erythroxylum coca, and Aloysia citrodora were the most commonly cited species. Leaves (38%), stems (14%), and roots (13%) were the most used plant parts, prepared as decoctions (21%) and infusions (17%).
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 9, 2026
Lajos Horváth
This paper extends Sartre's concept of enchanted consciousness by integrating insights from psychedelic research. It first examines contradictions in Sartre's mescaline experiment and limits of his phenomenological analysis of hallucination. Then it argues that Benny Shanon's typology of ayahuasca hallucinations, grounded in phenomenological cognitive psychology, reveals aspects of enchanted consciousness Sartre missed. The phenomenon of double bookkeeping from phenomenological psychiatry illustrates delusional world characteristics. Comparing pathological double bookkeeping with psychedelic bookkeeping expands the idea of enchanted consciousness. Finally, Sartre's views on hallucination are updated, defining captivated consciousness through psychedelic double bookkeeping.
Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
March 9, 2026
Caio César De Paula, Anna Beatriz Vicentini, Lorena Terene Lopes Guerra et al.
A systematic review of 16 studies found that ayahuasca has distinct short- and long-term cognitive effects. In the short term, improvements in working memory and cognitive flexibility were observed, linked to neurochemical modulation of cortical networks. Observational studies reported increased empathy and emotion recognition, while experimental studies only found reduced reaction times in social cognition tasks. Long-term studies generally found no neuropsychological deficits, with some reporting improved memory and executive function. The review notes methodological limitations including small sample sizes, varied protocols, and potential learning effects, calling for more controlled, randomized studies.
March 2, 2026
Rebekah Senānāyaka
preprint
Ego-dissolution—a sense of losing one's usual self-boundaries—is considered important in psychedelic therapy, but existing scales may miss its complexity. A new 34-item measure, the Multidimensional Ego-Dissolution Assessment (MEDA), was tested on 207 people who had profound experiences with ayahuasca, DMT, LSD, or psilocybin. Factor analysis identified six distinct dimensions: dissolving of identity, experiences of eternity, dissolving of physical body, dissolving into environment, clarity about life and purpose, and pleasure. Ayahuasca and DMT produced higher dissolution scores than LSD and psilocybin on four factors, while all substances yielded similarly high scores on insight and pleasure. Dosage did not affect results. The findings suggest that different psychedelics may produce distinct ego-dissolution profiles, which could guide therapeutic choices.