Psychopharmacology
August 13, 2018
Malin V. Uthaug, Kim van Oorsouw, Kim P. C. Kuypers et al.
213 citations
Ayahuasca, a psychotropic plant tea used ceremonially in South America, produces sub-acute and long-term improvements in affect and cognitive thinking style. In 57 ceremony attendees in the Netherlands and Colombia, ratings of depression and stress significantly decreased the day after the ceremony and these changes persisted for 4 weeks. Convergent thinking also improved post-ceremony and was maintained at 4 weeks. Satisfaction with life and several aspects of mindfulness increased the day after but were not significantly different from baseline at 4 weeks. Changes in affect, satisfaction with life, and mindfulness correlated with the degree of ego dissolution experienced during the ceremony, not with prior ayahuasca experience. These findings highlight ayahuasca's therapeutic potential for mental health disorders like depression.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
February 26, 2019
Natasha L. Mason, Elisabeth Mischler, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
176 citations
A single dose of psilocybin, given in a retreat setting, may boost creative thinking, empathy, and well-being for at least a week. The morning after use, divergent thinking and emotional empathy improved; seven days later, convergent thinking, certain types of emotional empathy, and life satisfaction remained enhanced. Changes in empathy were linked to changes in well-being. These sub-acute effects outlast acute intoxication and may help explain psilocybin's potential as a treatment for conditions like depression, where social interaction and well-being are impaired.
Psychopharmacology
March 10, 2021
Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason, Stefan W. Toennes et al.
116 citations
Ayahuasca, a plant mixture containing DMT and β-carboline alkaloids, has been linked to mental health improvements in naturalistic settings, but prior studies lacked placebo controls. In this observational study, 30 experienced participants at ayahuasca retreats in the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany were assessed before and after sessions; 14 consumed ayahuasca and 16 a placebo. Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress reduced over time in both groups, independent of treatment. However, ayahuasca specifically increased implicit emotional empathy to negative stimuli. The findings indicate that mental health improvements can arise from both placebo effects and pharmacological actions of ayahuasca, highlighting the need for placebo-controlled designs.
Psychopharmacology
December 10, 2019
Malin V. Uthaug, Rafael Lancelotta, Attila Szabo et al.
116 citations
Inhalation of vaporized synthetic 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine significantly increased cortisol levels and decreased IL-6 concentrations in saliva immediately after the session. These biomarker changes were not correlated with ratings of mental health or the psychedelic experience. Ratings of non-judgment increased and depression decreased from baseline to immediately post-session and at 7-day follow-up. Anxiety and stress ratings decreased from baseline to 7-day follow-up. Participant ratings of the psychedelic experience correlated negatively with affect ratings and positively with non-judgment ratings. The findings suggest that 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine produces changes in inflammatory markers and improves affect and non-judgment.
Journal of Neurochemistry
February 12, 2022
Johannes T. Reckweg, Malin V. Uthaug, Attila Szabo et al.
108 citations
5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a naturally occurring tryptamine that acts primarily as an agonist at 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, with highest affinity for the 5-HT1A subtype. Its subjective effects include distortions in auditory and time perception, amplification of emotional states, and feelings of ego dissolution that are usually short-lasting depending on route of administration. Individual dose escalation reliably induces a peak experience thought to be a core predictor of therapeutic efficacy. Observational studies and surveys suggest single exposure can cause rapid and sustained reductions in symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.
Frontiers in Pharmacology
October 1, 2021
Maggie Kiraga, Natasha L. Mason, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
83 citations
A single ayahuasca ceremony is associated with lasting improvements in cognitive empathy, satisfaction with life, and the ability to take a non-judgmental stance toward oneself (decentering), while decreasing neuroticism and divergent thinking. In a naturalistic study of 43 ceremony attendees, 20 completed the morning-after assessment and 19 completed the one-week follow-up. Compared to baseline, cognitive empathy, satisfaction with life, and decentering increased at both one day and one week post-ceremony; implicit emotional empathy increased only at one week; and trait neuroticism decreased. Divergent thinking (fluency corrected for originality) decreased. The findings suggest ayahuasca may enhance well-being and social cognition, but clinical trials are needed to confirm therapeutic potential.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
March 25, 2020
Malin V. Uthaug, Rafael Lancelotta, Ana María Ortiz Bernal et al.
25 citations
Among 27 respondents who used the psychedelic drug 5-MeO-DMT, those who received it by intramuscular injection (IM) reported a lower rate of reactivations (21%) compared to those who vaporized it (69%). The IM group also required fewer redoses, experienced release of physical tension more consistently, and had a slower onset of acute effects (1–6 minutes) versus the vaporization group (1–50 seconds). These findings suggest that the route of administration influences the frequency of reactivations, dosing patterns, physical sensations, and the timing of the drug's effects.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
July 7, 2022
Maggie Kiraga, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
24 citations
A single dose of psilocybin-containing truffles, taken in a supportive group setting, produced rapid and lasting reductions in both state and trait anxiety among self-reported healthy volunteers. Medium reductions in anxiety were observed the morning after the ceremony and persisted for at least one week. At one week, participants also showed increased non-judging mindfulness and decreased neuroticism. The acute experience of ego dissolution and changes in neuroticism were the strongest predictors of anxiety reduction. Average psilocin consumption was 27.1 mg. Results suggest potential anxiolytic effects for sub-clinical anxiety and support further research in clinical populations.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
August 26, 2021
Kim van Oorsouw, Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason et al.
16 citations
A single ayahuasca ceremony reduced self-reported stress, anxiety, and somatization, and increased non-judging awareness four weeks later in 73 ceremony attendants. Satisfaction with life and awareness improved the day after the ceremony but returned to baseline after four weeks. No reduction in depression was found, contrary to earlier work. The intensity of ego dissolution during the ceremony predicted sub-acute mental health improvements. Effects were similar for first-time and experienced users. The authors call for placebo-controlled trials to confirm ayahuasca's therapeutic potential.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
December 15, 2021
Malin V. Uthaug, Natasha L. Mason, Martha N. Havenith et al.
15 citations
A naturalistic observational study of 58 Czech-speaking adults found that a single session of Holotropic Breathwork (a breathing technique intended to produce altered states of consciousness) was associated with lasting improvements in non-judgment, satisfaction with life, and reductions in stress-related symptoms. Although participants reported only low levels of psychedelic-like experience (averaging 0–34% on a 100% scale), the increase in non-judgment appeared sub-acutely and persisted for four weeks. Satisfaction with life increased and stress symptoms decreased at the four-week follow-up.
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion
December 5, 2022
Arne Bohn, Michiel H. H. Kiggen, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
10 citations
San Pedro, a cactus containing mescaline and used for millennia, is now popular in European ceremonial retreats. In a study of 42 participants at such retreats in the Netherlands, questionnaires measured 11 dimensions of altered consciousness, ego-dissolution, mystical experiences, and challenging experiences. Results indicate San Pedro produces deviations from normal waking consciousness on all 11 subscales, moderate ego-dissolution, and a complete mystical experience in two-thirds of participants. Spiritual experiences are strongly expressed, while disembodiment, anxiety, impaired control, and transcendence of space are low; physical distress and grief can occur during challenging experiences. Network analysis revealed two separate networks of positive and negative altered states.
August 1, 2023
Guy W. Fincham, Amy Kartar, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
3 citations
preprint
High Ventilation Breathwork (HVB), which involves deliberate manipulation of breathing, has a long history of use for psychological distress. This review examines its potential as a treatment for psychiatric disorders by analyzing its phenomenological and neurophysiological effects. Clinical observations and neurophysiological data show HVB produces extraordinary changes in subjective experience and profoundly affects central and autonomic nervous system functions by modulating neurometabolic parameters and interoceptive sensory systems. These effects may guide understanding and harnessing of HVB's volitional perturbation of psychophysiological states. Reports of beneficial effects for trauma-related, affective, and somatic disorders warrant further mechanistic research and rigorous clinical testing.
medRxiv
March 2, 2022
Maggie Kiraga, Kim P. C. Kuypers, Malin V. Uthaug et al.
preprint
In a group of 52 healthy volunteers attending psilocybin ceremonies, consuming an average of 27.1 mg of psilocin led to medium to large reductions in both state and trait anxiety that persisted for at least one week. One week after the ceremony, participants showed increased non-judging mindfulness and decreased neuroticism. The strongest predictors of reduced trait anxiety were lower neuroticism, and for state anxiety, higher ego dissolution during the experience. The findings suggest rapid and lasting anxiolytic effects of psilocybin in a supportive setting, but further research is needed to confirm these effects in clinical populations.