Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
October 20, 2015
Veronika Kavenská, Hana Simonová
109 citations
Foreigners travel to South America for ayahuasca experiences driven by curiosity, a desire to treat mental health problems, a need for self-knowledge, interest in psychedelic medicine, spiritual development, and finding direction in life. Participants reported benefits such as self-knowledge, improved self-relation, spiritual growth, better interpersonal relations, overcoming mental and physical issues, and gaining new life perspectives. Potential risks included distrust in the shaman or organizer, inaccurate information, and exposure to dangerous situations. Personality assessments of 77 participants revealed scores significantly above the norm on intuition, optimism, ambition, charm, and helpfulness, and significantly lower on distrust and quietness.
Anthropologia integra
January 1, 2014
Veronika Kavenská, Hana Simonová
9 citations
People travel to the Amazon rainforest to take the natural hallucinogen ayahuasca in a shamanic ritual, a phenomenon called 'shamanic tourism' described by anthropologists since the 1970s and increasingly popular among Europeans and Americans. Interviews with 77 individuals who experienced ayahuasca in South American forests, mainly in Peru, revealed that primary motivations were curiosity and desire for adventure, treatment of psychological problems, need for self-knowledge, interest in psychedelic medicine and therapy, spiritual development, and finding life direction.
Therapeutic Communities The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities
May 30, 2019
Victoria Defelippe, Anna Schlütter, Annelen Meriaan et al.
7 citations
About half of patients (48.2%) completed addiction treatment combining ayahuasca with conventional therapy at the Takiwasi centre, while 51.8% did not. Students had 3.7 times higher odds of dropping out compared to employed patients. No other socio-demographic factors, psychiatric comorbidities, or primary drug type were significantly linked to non-completion. The findings suggest that student patients may need extra support to stay in treatment.
Folia Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis
January 1, 2014
Veronika Kavenská
4 citations
Traditional medicine of the Peruvian Amazon, particularly the hallucinogenic vine ayahuasca, is used by indigenous communities for healing, spiritual contact, and other purposes. Growing interest from people in Europe and the US has led to 'shamanic tourism'—individuals undertaking ayahuasca expeditions. Ayahuasca shows psychotherapeutic potential, including use in structured therapeutic communities for drug addicts (Takiwasi). The text notes potential benefits and risks for such tourism. The term 'shaman' originates from East Siberia, meaning 'the one who knows,' while in the Peruvian Amazon the healer is called curandero, vegetalista, or medicine man.