Ayahuasca-induced personal death experiences: prevalence, characteristics, and impact on attitudes toward death, life, and the environment
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.