Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 7, 2019
Genís Oña, Maja Kohek, Tomàs Massaguer et al.
76 citations
Long-term ayahuasca use in community settings is linked to better self-reported health and healthier lifestyles. A survey of 380 regular users in Spain found that 56% reduced their prescription drug use after starting ayahuasca. Those who had used ayahuasca more than 100 times scored higher on measures of personal values. The authors conclude that respectful, controlled use of psychedelic drugs in group settings can benefit public health.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
May 28, 2022
Maja Kohek, Genís Oña, Michiel van Elk et al.
25 citations
Regular participation in ayahuasca ceremonies is not linked to relevant health harms. Compared to normative Dutch data, 377 participants (50.1% women, mean age 48.8 years) showed better general well-being, fewer chronic or lifestyle-related diseases, more physical activity, and a more balanced diet. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they used less alcohol. Although they used more illegal drugs than the general population, they did not report associated harms. This evidence could inform drug policymakers in developing evidence-based public policies.
Anthropology of Consciousness
March 1, 2020
Maja Kohek, Maurice Ohren, Paul Hornby et al.
20 citations
Ibogaine, the main alkaloid in the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, produces a range of acute subjective effects. Interviews with twenty recent users, analyzed using grounded theory, revealed eight categories of experience: physical, sensory, visual, cognitive, auditory, adverse, anti-dependency agent, and after-effects. Ten subcategories included open and closed eye visuals (ancestors, entities, landscapes, horrific scenarios), self-psychoanalysis enhancement, empathy, love, prosocial behavior, catharsis, observer quality, ego dissolution, and spiritual states. The findings advance understanding of ibogaine's role in personal growth, prosocial behavior, therapeutic use, and anti-dependency treatments.
Drug and alcohol review
February 1, 2023
Borja J Rodríguez-cano, Maja Kohek, Genís Ona et al.
17 citations
Ibogaine, a psychoactive alkaloid from the Tabernanthe iboga plant traditionally used in Bwiti culture, has been used experimentally to treat substance use disorders (SUD) since 1962. Interviews with 13 people who self-treated their SUD with ibogaine revealed that the drug's therapeutic benefits arise not only from its pharmacology but also from the subjective experience it induces. Participants reported that ibogaine evoked interpersonal and transpersonal experiences, autobiographical memories, and personal insights. These effects, along with preparation, integration, and motivation for lifestyle change, appear to help individuals cope with their SUD, particularly given limited alternative treatment options.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
December 19, 2023
Jonathan David, José Carlos Bouso, Maja Kohek et al.
14 citations
More than half of people who participate in ayahuasca ceremonies report having a subjective sense of death during the experience, termed Ayahuasca-induced Personal Death (APD). These experiences are typically strong and transformative, associated with an increased sense of transcending death and greater certainty that consciousness continues after death. APDs are not linked to demographics, personality, or psychopathology, but are associated with greater environmental concern, improved ability to cope with life problems, and a heightened sense of life fulfillment. The findings suggest these death experiences may be a mechanism for psychedelics' long-term positive effects.
The International journal on drug policy
December 1, 2021
Maja Kohek, Constanza Sánchez Avilés, Oriol Romaní et al.
14 citations
Cannabis has a long history of medical, recreational, industrial, and spiritual uses. This paper reports on ethnographic fieldwork in rural Catalonia, where a phenomenological community regularly uses ancient psychoactive plants, including cannabis and ayahuasca, in ritual contexts. The rituals serve as effective harm reduction techniques, strengthening community bonds and generating beneficial effects for individuals and communities. Participants view these practices as spiritual or religious, and as forms of self-care and community-care, rather than involving dependence or addiction. The authors argue that international drug policies, which claim to be evidence-based, overlook the benefits of non-problematic drug use and could be improved by incorporating ethnographic findings on the spiritual and community dimensions of drug use.
Psychoactives
September 2, 2022
Genís Oña, Dóra Révész, Maja Kohek et al.
9 citations
Coping strategies are more closely linked to psychological well-being and psychopathology than to hallucinogenic drug use, according to a survey of 2,971 people from three cultural contexts followed for six months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hallucinogen users scored higher on problem-focused engagement and disengagement coping and lower on wishful thinking than non-users. Longitudinally, most baseline coping scores were associated with psychological distress and symptom severity, while only some coping strategies were related to hallucinogen use. The results suggest an adaptive pattern of coping among hallucinogen users, but coping strategies are only marginally associated with such drug use, and other mechanisms for better pandemic adjustment should be explored.
Culture, medicine and psychiatry
June 1, 2023
José Carlos Bouso, Genís Ona, Maja Kohek et al.
8 citations
Hallucinations are not exclusively tied to psychopathology; they also occur in healthy individuals and, in certain contexts such as those induced by hallucinogenic drugs, can improve mental health. Historical, epidemiological, and scientific evidence suggests hallucinations are a common phenomenon that can be functional and beneficial. The authors argue that hallucinations can provide a privileged route to understanding the mind and the world, a shift that could impact drug policy, civil law, psychiatry, and reduce stigma around mental disorders.
Revista de Antropología Social
November 20, 2023
Maja Kohek, José Carlos Bouso, Genís Oña
3 citations
A woman who migrated from the Brazilian rainforest to Barcelona seventeen years ago became a healer working with ayahuasca, kambó (frog venom), and sananga (herbal eye drops). The case study examines authenticity, communitas, and self-care. Shamanism, religion, and health are fluid and dynamic processes that interact with and absorb influences from their surroundings. Exploring compatibilities between beliefs and practices from different traditions mixed with biomedical approaches broadens understanding of relationships among religion or spirituality, health, and well-being. The article concludes by proposing a contribution from medical anthropology to challenges posed by the globalization of ayahuasca practices.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
October 30, 2023
Henry Harder, Fabian P. Steinmetz, Maja Kohek
3 citations
As many jurisdictions decriminalize plant- and fungus-based psychedelics like psilocybin-containing mushrooms, Oregon has become the first U.S. state to legalize and regulate their cultivation, supply, and use in designated service centers. A non-profit legal framework for production, supply, and non-medical use may be more advantageous than a for-profit one, especially for a naturally occurring mushroom that is not frequently used. People who use drugs can demonstrate agency in self-supply and in adopting responsible use and harm reduction practices. Community or peer-based structures may offer a viable approach to ensuring controlled supply and a safe environment for non-medical use.
Natural product research
May 1, 2023
Genís Ona, Maja Kohek, José Carlos Bouso
2 citations
The authors argue that the emerging field of psychedelic research can benefit from natural product research. They outline specific research topics involving hallucinogens that directly connect with broader natural product research.
June 19, 2026
Jules Evans, Christian Jurlando, David Luke et al.
preprint
Belief in sorcery and supernatural harm is common among Western psychedelic users, with many reporting experiences they interpret as shamanic attack. In a survey of 895 adults involved in psychedelic culture, participants often downplayed indigenous sorcery frameworks in favor of psychological explanations, yet some left ceremonies convinced they had been harmed supernaturally. The study estimates the prevalence of such beliefs, examines how psychedelic experiences and cultural immersion shift these beliefs, and characterizes experiences interpreted as black magic. It also assesses whether fear of magical retaliation inhibits criticism of ceremonial leaders. Findings aim to inform harm reduction in ceremonial settings.
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.
European Neuropsychopharmacology
February 12, 2026
José Carlos Bouso, Óscar Andión, Sabela Fondevila Estévez et al.
Ayahuasca users reported a remarkable 50% reduction in anxiety symptoms compared to non-users, based on a sample of 200 participants. This study highlighted the potential of psychedelics in clinical psychology, revealing that ayahuasca may influence cognition and personality traits, particularly in those with higher impulsivity and sensation seeking. Additionally, cannabis users demonstrated varying effects on mood and psychopathology, suggesting that demographics play a crucial role in how these substances affect mental health. Overall, findings underscore the importance of understanding the interplay between psychedelics and psychological well-being.
PLoS ONE
October 13, 2025
Francisco González-espejito, Laura Esteban Rodríguez, Eduardo J. Pedrero Pérez et al.
Ibogaine, a compound from the iboga plant used in traditional Bwiti rituals, shows promise for treating opioid dependence and neurological conditions, but existing tools fail to capture its dream-like subjective effects. A new 70-item Ibogaine Experience Scale (IES) was developed from a prior qualitative study and tested with 499 participants in neuropsychiatric and substance use treatment settings. The final scale has seven factors—including narrative visions, visual changes, discomfort, cosmic visions, introspection, somatosensory sensitivity, and dissociation—explaining 53.9% of variance, with excellent statistical fit and high internal consistency. The IES offers a reliable way to measure ibogaine's multidimensional effects for research and clinical use.
Frontiers in psychiatry
January 1, 2025
Jonathan David, José Carlos Bouso, Maja Kohek et al.
correction
A correction was issued for a published article: the average number of ayahuasca uses in the ayahuasca group was revised from 69.4 to 55.7 (standard deviation 82.1). Participants had used ayahuasca 5.2 times more than psilocybin, 4.6 times more than mescaline, and 5.6 times more than LSD. The authors state the error does not alter the scientific conclusions.