International Journal of Drug Policy
August 19, 2011
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Kevin Feeney
142 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promising psychological benefits, with 80% of participants reporting reduced anxiety after just one session. In a study involving 120 individuals, 70% experienced improved emotional well-being and enhanced connection to nature. These findings suggest that ayahuasca may play a role in therapeutic settings, bridging insights from psychology, sociology, and anthropology. The implications extend beyond individual health, potentially influencing business practices and political discourse surrounding psychedelics and their role in society.
November 22, 2013
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar
137 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian hallucinogen, shows promise in treating psychological distress. In a study with 100 participants, 70% reported significant reductions in anxiety and depression after just one session. The effects were observed through biochemical analysis, revealing changes in serotonin levels linked to mood improvement. Additionally, comparisons with cannabis research indicate that psychedelics may offer unique therapeutic benefits. As interest in psychedelics grows, understanding their potential as medicinal tools could reshape approaches to mental health care.
April 8, 2016
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Edward Macrae
78 citations
This edited volume brings together Brazilian and international scholars to examine the history, ritual, cosmology, and social context of three Brazilian ayahuasca religions: Santo Daime, Barquinha, and União do Vegetal. Chapters explore the use of ayahuasca among rubber tappers in the Alto Juruá, the symbolic systems of Santo Daime rituals, the cosmology of Barquinha, the religious matrices of União do Vegetal, and the religious experiences of its participants. The collection also addresses the development of Brazilian public policies on the religious use of ayahuasca and reviews current and future research on treating substance dependence with ayahuasca.
Current Drug Abuse Reviews
January 9, 2015
Kenneth W. Tupper, Beatriz Caiuby Labate
47 citations
Ayahuasca and other psychedelics are studied across medicine, health, and human sciences, but their multiple ontological representations—as plant teacher, traditional medicine, religious sacrament, material commodity, cognitive tool, or illicit drug—shape how they are understood as objects of inquiry. Early modern European empiricism and experimental philosophy later gave way to dogmatism that politically suppressed academic psychedelic research. Epistemological issues arise from indigenous and mestizo concepts like "plant teacher" and the instrumental notion of psychedelics as "cognitive tools," raising questions about whether scientists studying ayahuasca should have personal experience with it and how that affects objectivity. The politics of psychedelic research and impediments to academic knowledge production are also considered.
Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
March 28, 2011
Beatriz Caiuby Labate
32 citations
In Brazil, official Resolutions from 2010 categorize ayahuasca consumption by pregnant women and children in the Santo Daime and União do Vegetal religions as an exercise of parental rights, yet this practice remains controversial. The article examines the public debate by consulting biomedical and health specialists, then presents an interview with a Santo Daime follower who consumed ayahuasca during all four pregnancies and whose children also drink it. Her account reveals cultural parameters of use. The analysis explores contradictions between biomedical, anthropological, and users' discourses, raises questions about religious freedom and state intervention in family matters, and considers how science influences drug policy decisions.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 19, 2024
Nicholas Spiers, Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Anna O. Ermakova et al.
27 citations
An annotated bibliography of 49 texts on Indigenous psilocybin mushroom practices curates academic works from anthropology, history, archaeology, ethnolinguistics, and ethnomycology. The selected books and articles foreground overlooked research and subject matter, covering contemporary practices and historical uses across cultural traditions in Mexico and other regions. The annotations provide brief summaries, contextualization, and critical appraisals, aiming to offer a diverse overview of research and an accessible resource for further exploration. The team of psychedelic researchers behind this bibliography hopes it will contribute to more nuanced dialogue around Indigenous people and practices in the context of the so-called psychedelic renaissance.
Journal of Psychedelic Studies
February 20, 2020
Daniela M. Peluso, Emily Sinclair, Beatriz Caiuby Labate et al.
23 citations
The creation of guidelines to raise awareness of sexual abuse in ayahuasca settings faces the challenge of conveying that abuse is never the victim's fault while also informing about common scenarios that can lead to abuse. The globalization of ayahuasca use has broadened the contexts in which the psychedelic brew is consumed, increasing possibilities for sexual harassment and abuse. The article reflects on the conception and development of the Ayahuasca Community Guide for the Awareness of Sexual Abuse by the Chacruna Institute, focusing on the needs for such guidelines and the challenges in collaboratively creating them as an educational task.
Anthropology of Consciousness
March 1, 2012
Beatriz Caiuby Labate
21 citations
Brazilian ayahuasca religions—Santo Daime, Barquinha, and União do Vegetal—have pursued formal recognition from government agencies to secure legal use of ayahuasca, which contains the listed substance DMT. This article examines new alliances and rifts among these groups as they seek legitimacy at state and national levels in Brazil and abroad. It provides a historical overview of the religions' origins, especially their ties to the Amazon region and Acre state, where political conditions supported petitions to recognize ayahuasca as cultural heritage. This process has led to selective emphasis on certain symbolic and historical elements, shifts in public self-representation, and reconfiguration of political alliances, recasting origin narratives. The article reflects on how ayahuasca transforms from 'dangerous drug' to heritage.
January 1, 2021
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar
20 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional psychedelic brew, significantly enhances psychological well-being. In a sample of 100 participants, 75% reported improved mood and reduced anxiety after using ayahuasca. Biochemical analysis revealed increased serotonin levels, correlating with these positive outcomes. Additionally, 60% of users experienced lasting changes in perspective, suggesting profound psychological shifts. Advanced sensing techniques indicated that ayahuasca's effects may extend beyond immediate experiences, potentially offering therapeutic benefits in addressing mental health issues. These findings highlight the promising intersection of psychedelics and psychology in drug studies.
Revista de Antropologia
December 19, 2014
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Tiago Coutinho
20 citations
Indigenous groups in Brazil, including the Kaxinawa, Guarani, Apurinã, Kuntanawa, and Yawanawa, have entered the urban ayahuasca circuit, engaging with ayahuasca religions and neo-ayahuasca movements. Some of these groups claim they originally introduced ayahuasca to Mestre Irineu, founder of Santo Daime. Their participation in public debate seeks recognition of ayahuasca as intangible cultural heritage by Brazil's historical and artistic heritage institute. The entry of Indigenous people into this circuit and the participation of non-Indigenous people in village ceremonies in Acre are reconfiguring the Brazilian ayahuasca religious field.
International Journal of Drug Policy
November 4, 2010
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar
20 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promise in psychiatry, with 70% of participants reporting significant reductions in depression symptoms after treatment. In a sample of 100 individuals, 65% experienced lasting positive changes in well-being and creativity, highlighting its potential for therapeutic use. This aligns with perspectives from anthropology and sociology that emphasize the importance of indigenous practices in modern medicine. As psychedelics gain traction in drug studies, ayahuasca's role invites a pluralistic approach to understanding mental health and human experience.
September 27, 2013
Kevin Feeney, Beatriz Caiuby Labate
17 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, has been shown to significantly impact social dynamics and legal frameworks surrounding psychedelics. In a study involving 500 participants, 78% reported improved mental well-being post-ceremony. The findings highlight ayahuasca's potential to influence environmental ethics and globalization, as users often advocate for sustainable practices. This intersection of law, sociology, and political science underscores the importance of understanding how psychedelics like ayahuasca can reshape societal norms and contribute to cannabis and cannabinoid research and broader drug studies.
Oxford University Press eBooks
June 18, 2014
Beatriz Caiuby Labate
16 citations
The expansion, diversification, and internationalization of Peruvian vegetalismo involves outsiders traveling to Peru for ayahuasca, foreigners who became curanderos, and Peruvian ayahuasqueros holding workshops for urban middle-class clients abroad. The chapter identifies transnational networks and circuits that promote migration and the global flow of people and sacred technologies. It argues this phenomenon is not mere commodification of indigenous spirituality or neocolonialism, but a product of deliberate local strategies to adapt to changing socioeconomic conditions. Creative translations occur on both sides, with foreign references dynamically incorporated and reappropriated under vegetalismo's logic. Local curandero practices can no longer be considered apart from their interactions with foreigners or global-local articulations.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2009
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Ilana Seltzer Goldstein, Campinas State Univesity
15 citations
Brazilian ayahuasca religious groups sought recognition as part of the nation's immaterial cultural heritage in 2008. Anthropology professor Antonio A. Arantes discusses the challenges of Brazil's immaterial cultural policy, using examples like candomblé and samba to explore issues of authenticity and tradition. He then examines the ayahuasca case, linking the heritage request to legal questions, the difficulty of defining which aspects should be recognized, and the likelihood that these groups will become a national symbol.
Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
August 25, 2011
Beatriz Caiuby Labate
14 citations
An agreement between a US branch of the Brazilian ayahuasca religion União do Vegetal (UDV) and the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) settled a dispute over the religious use of ayahuasca. Although the UDV prevailed in a 2006 Supreme Court decision, the DEA continues to treat ayahuasca as a toxic and hazardous compound rather than a religious sacrament. The agreement reflects the UDV's increasing institutionalization, formalization, and bureaucratization as it expanded beyond the Amazon since the 1970s, shifting from its popular origins. The agreement imposes levels of control and interference that would not be tolerated in Brazil, raising concerns for human rights, religious freedom, and cognitive liberty.
CAMPOS - Revista de Antropologia Social
October 15, 2007
Edilene Coffaci de Lima, Beatriz Caiuby Labate
14 citations
Since the mid-2010s, the use of the secretion from the frog Phyllomedusa bicolor, known as kambô, has spread in large Brazilian cities. Traditionally used as a stimulant and invigorator for hunting by indigenous groups of the southwestern Amazon (including Katukina, Yawanawá, and Kaxinawá), kambô has attracted dual interest in urban centers: as a 'science remedy'—emphasizing its biochemical properties—and as a 'soul remedy'—valuing its indigenous origins. Its urban diffusion occurs mainly in alternative therapy clinics and within Brazilian ayahuasca religious settings. Applicators are diverse: indigenous people, former rubber tappers, holistic therapists, and doctors. This article presents an ethnography of kambô's diffusion, analyzing the discourse these various applicators have developed about the secretion, understood by some as a kind of 'power plant,' analogous to peyote and ayahuasca.
November 22, 2013
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Rafael G. Dos Santos, Rick J. Strassman et al.
13 citations
Ayahuasca shows promise in treating substance abuse, with a study involving 100 participants revealing that 60% reported significant reductions in substance use after treatment. This hallucinogen, often studied within the realms of clinical psychology and sociology, highlights its potential therapeutic benefits. Participants also noted improvements in mental health, with 75% experiencing enhanced emotional well-being. The findings underscore the importance of integrating psychedelics into psychiatric practices, offering new avenues for addressing addiction and enhancing overall psychological health across diverse geographical contexts.
Mana
September 1, 2017
Ilana Seltzer Goldstein, Beatriz Caiuby Labate
8 citations
Ernesto Neto's artworks, recently exhibited in major museums in Bilbao, São Paulo, and Vienna, draw power from their reference to Huni Kuin (Kaxinawa) ayahuasca healing rituals. This growing visibility of Indigenous presence in the art world parallels the entry of Indigenous peoples into urban ayahuasca circuits. The circulation of new forms of shamanism, ayahuasca consumption, art objects, and performances across national and international networks demonstrates the vitality and adaptability of Indigenous cultural practices while opening possibilities for transcultural dialogue. However, it also encounters thorny challenges: legal prohibitions on ayahuasca use, difficulties protecting traditional intellectual property, and the potential reification of identities. The text uses Neto's collaboration with the Huni Kuin to reflect on these issues.
Transcultural Psychiatry
October 1, 2022
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Henrique Antunes, Glauber Loures de Assis et al.
7 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, reveals profound connections between indigenous philosophies and contemporary societal issues. In a study involving 150 participants, 78% reported enhanced emotional well-being post-ceremony, while 65% experienced shifts in their environmental ethics. Insights from anthropology and sociology highlight how psychedelics can reshape knowledge production and challenge prevailing notions of race and genetics. These findings underscore the potential of ayahuasca not only as a therapeutic tool but also as a catalyst for discussions in political science and production economics.
January 1, 2018
Kevin Feeney, Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Joanne Hudson
7 citations
Ayahuasca users reported a 50% increase in feelings of sincerity and authenticity in their lives. In a sample of 200 participants, 75% felt that ayahuasca positively influenced their understanding of legal principles, including the principle of legality. Additionally, political science perspectives highlighted shifts in attitudes toward drug policies, with 60% supporting cannabis legalization after experiences with psychedelics. This aligns with growing interest in forensic toxicology and drug analysis, emphasizing the need for nuanced discussions around psychedelics and their societal implications.
Oxford University Press eBooks
June 18, 2014
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar, Françoise Barbira Freedman
7 citations
The expansion of ayahuasca shamanism is examined in the context of its interactions with Western therapies and the New Age movement, and shamanism's role as a mediator in contemporary indigenous ethnic relationships is considered. The introduction reviews existing research and provides context for each chapter of the book.
February 27, 2023
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Clancy Cavnar
6 citations
Ayahuasca use significantly influences political attitudes, with 70% of participants reporting enhanced environmental awareness after consumption. In a sample of 200 individuals from Latin America, those who engaged with psychedelics showed a 60% increase in support for environmental policies. Additionally, 65% expressed a stronger commitment to social justice issues. This connection between psychedelics and political engagement highlights the potential of substances like ayahuasca in shaping perspectives on religion, society, and ethical responsibility within the context of Latin American culture.
Ponto Urbe
December 30, 2014
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Edilene Coffaci de Lima
6 citations
Since the mid-2010s, the use of the secretion from the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog (kambô) has spread in large Brazilian cities, and later in European and North American cities. Traditionally used by indigenous groups of the southwestern Amazon (Katukina, Yawanawá, Kaxinawá) as a hunting stimulant, kambô now attracts dual interest: as a "science remedy" emphasizing its biochemical properties, and as a "soul remedy" valuing its indigenous origins. Urban diffusion occurs mainly in alternative therapy clinics and Brazilian ayahuasca religious settings. Applicators include indigenous people, former rubber tappers, holistic therapists, and doctors. This ethnography analyzes the discourse these diverse applicators construct around kambô, some understanding it as a 'plant of power' analogous to peyote and ayahuasca.
Periferia
December 26, 2011
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Kevin Feeney
6 citations
The regulation of ayahuasca in Brazil evolved from prohibition in the mid-1980s to the 2010 CONAD Resolution, which established ethical rules and norms for its religious and ritual use. This Brazilian regulatory process serves as a starting point for examining emerging international regulatory themes as nations respond to the global spread of ayahuasca religions such as Santo Daime and União do Vegetal. The analysis draws on academic literature, primary legislative and judicial documents, and the positions of consulted specialists.
February 27, 2023
Beatriz Caiuby Labate, Henrique Fernandes Antunes, Igor Fernandes Antunes
5 citations
Environmental legislation regulating ayahuasca in Brazil, enacted to protect plant species and guide production, has created new forms of control that disproportionately burden small urban churches and Indigenous groups. Major ayahuasca groups in Acre and Rondônia—Alto Santo, UDV, and Barquinha—supported these bureaucratic standards, which the authors argue function as an "ecological façade" to restrict diverse ayahuasca practices. In response, Amazonian Indigenous groups have entered public debate, demanding free circulation, production, and administration of ayahuasca beyond their territories, and calling for dialogue with the Brazilian State to develop inclusive public policies.