European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience
March 1, 2025
Arilton Martins Fonseca, Rafael Guimarães Dos Santos, Lívia Soman de Medeiros et al.
10 citations
Long-term ritualistic ayahuasca use, spanning over 20 years, does not impair cognition and may be linked to better working memory compared to short-term use. In a study of 48 participants from a Santo Daime church in Brazil, experienced users (over 20 years) scored higher on tests of verbal and visuospatial working memory than beginners (under 3 years). No evidence of cognitive decline was found among ayahuasca users. The control group, matched by sex, age, and education, showed similar cognitive performance. The brew's botanical identities and alkaloid content were confirmed.
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.
Psychoactives
February 3, 2026
Eliana Rodrigues
Interest in psychoactive substances like psychedelics is growing in medicine and academia, but misclassifications of certain plants, animals, fungi, and their substances persist in media and scholarly circles. This opinion piece argues whether cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, noting that hundreds of robust studies support its clinical use for seizures, anxiety, psychosis, schizophrenia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and addiction. The text reviews historical classifications of psychoactive substances, reflects on terminology, and proposes a new classification for psychedelics.
Revista de Ciências Farmacêutica Básica e Aplicadas - RCFBA
January 1, 2021
Arilton Martins Fonseca, Eliana Rodrigues
The Centro Luz Divina (CLD) in Piedade, São Paulo, founded in 2002, produces ayahuasca using Psychotria viridis and Banisteriopsis caapi in rituals called feitios. Two recipes, the First and Second Degree beverages, differ in preparation time, concentration, and plant diversity, reportedly yielding different potencies. Based on 578 hours of fieldwork and interviews with ten leaders, the study details the center's history and recipes, noting that higher-degree beverages likely contain richer chemical profiles. Future chemical and pharmacological research should examine these and other Daimist center recipes, as ayahuasca's substances are suggested for treating Parkinson's, anxiety, and depression.