Hallucinogens and redemption.
Journal of psychoactive drugs January 1, 2002 Marlene Dobkin De Rios, Charles S Grob, John R Baker 58 citations
Drug substitution using hallucinogens such as ayahuasca, ibogaine, peyote, and LSD can help people recover from addiction to substances like alcohol and opiates. A redemptive model, drawing on data from the U.S., Brazil, Peru, and West Africa, proposes that using one psychoactive substance in a spiritual or clinical setting frees individuals from addiction and restores them as functioning community members. Two mechanisms are proposed: psychological suggestibility aids in achieving abstinence, and neurophysiological and neurochemical changes support substitution efficacy. Research with the Uñaio do Vegetal Church in Brazil illustrates this model.