Purging to Cleanse: A Qualitative Study of Ayahuasca Healing at a Drug Treatment Center in Peru.
Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs September 1, 2024 Svět Lustig Vijay, Magdalena Harris, Fabio Friso et al. 1 citation
Ayahuasca, a plant-based entheogen from the Amazon, is increasingly studied for treating substance dependence, but little research has examined the act of purging (mainly vomiting) considered central to healing in ayahuasca rituals. At the Takiwasi Center in Peru, interviews with 11 healers, plant preparers, and psychotherapists revealed that purging is understood as a fluid concept beyond vomiting. Their narratives fell into three themes: spiritual-oriented (purging aids spiritual development), Amazonian-oriented (purging expels embodied 'cargas' that cause sickness), and clinical-oriented (purging yields observable therapeutic benefits). All models emphasized purging's pivotal connection to healing during ayahuasca-assisted treatment for substance dependence.