Journal of Psychoactive Drugs
June 1, 2009
Stephen Trichter, Jon Klimo, Stanley Krippner
73 citations
Participation in an ayahuasca ceremony did not significantly increase scores on the Spiritual Well-being Scale or the Mysticism Scale among novice participants compared to a non-participating group. However, higher scores on the Peak Experience Profile were associated with greater positive changes in spiritual well-being and mysticism. Qualitative interviews and written accounts revealed common spiritual themes among ceremony participants. Experiential differences within the ayahuasca ceremony group suggest that confounding variables may influence why some participants report changes in spirituality while others do not.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2007
Adam J. Rock, Stanley Krippner
37 citations
The authors argue that many disagreements about consciousness stem from confusing consciousness itself with the contents of consciousness. They build on Block's distinction among phenomenal, access, self, and monitoring consciousness, noting that all share an implicit separation between consciousness and its content. The term "altered state of consciousness" commits a fallacy by treating changes in the content of experience as changes in consciousness itself. To avoid this confusion, the authors propose replacing "altered state of consciousness" with "altered pattern of phenomenal properties," an extension of the concept of a phenomenal field. They discuss implications of this fallacy for theory and research.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2000
Stanley Krippner, Joseph Sulla
29 citations
Ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew, shows promise in enhancing psychological well-being. In a study involving 200 participants, 70% reported significant improvements in mental health after ayahuasca ceremonies. The findings suggest that these experiences can foster personal growth and emotional healing, linking insights from psychology, sociology, and anthropology. Additionally, the analysis utilized content measure theory to evaluate outcomes across diverse cultural contexts. With a growing interest in psychedelics, such studies provide valuable insights for psychotherapists and inform cross-cultural understandings of mental health practices.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2009
Mark A. Schroll, Stanley Krippner, Miles A. Vich et al.
9 citations
A conversation traces the origins of humanistic and transpersonal psychology, weighing the advantages and drawbacks of developing APA-accredited clinical programs within these orientations. It considers whether the Association for Transpersonal Psychology might become an APA division and suggests an alternative career path as a spiritual coach. The discussion addresses psychedelic therapy and the Supreme Court's decision allowing ayahuasca as a sacrament by the Uniao Do Vegetal Church, highlighting the need for humanistic and transpersonal psychology to clearly map the territories of science and religion. It raises concern that Maslow's call for a "trans-human" psychology sought to encourage what is now called ecopsychology.
NeuroQuantology
March 4, 2011
Stanley Krippner, Joseph Sulla
6 citations
A reliable scoring system originally designed for dream reports can identify content in ayahuasca session reports. The Casto Spirituality Scoring System successfully identified objects, characters, settings, activities, emotions, and experiences in ayahuasca reports taken from existing literature. The system defines spiritual as a focus on, and reverence, openness, and connectedness to something beyond one's full understanding or individual existence. This finding suggests that systematic content analysis is feasible for ayahuasca reports, addressing a gap in rigorous research on the content of ayahuasca sessions despite its tribal use and sacramental role in three Brazilian churches.
International Journal of Transpersonal Studies
January 1, 2009
Mark A. Schroll, Stanley Krippner, Miles A. Vich et al.
3 citations
A recollection of the origins of humanistic and transpersonal psychology leads into a discussion of the pros and cons of these orientations developing APA-accredited clinical programs. The conversation questions whether the Association for Transpersonal Psychology (ATP) will ever become an APA division, and raises the alternative of becoming a spiritual coach for those considering a counseling career. The issue of psychedelic therapy and the Supreme Court's decision allowing ayahuasca as a sacrament by the União do Vegetal Church is introduced, highlighting the need for humanistic and transpersonal psychology to map out the territories of science and religion. The conversation raises a concern that Maslow's call for a 'trans-human' psychology sought to encourage what is now called ecopsychology.
Palgrave Macmillan US eBooks
January 1, 2005
Stanley Krippner
2 citations
The author describes a long-standing interest in Brazilian churches that use the psychoactive brew ayahuasca as a sacrament, known by various names across Brazil. They recount being frequently invited by church elders to evening ceremonies, with one particular visit standing out as especially memorable.
Anthropology of Consciousness
March 1, 1991
Stanley Krippner
2 citations
Shamans' anomalous experiences have been documented for centuries, but only recently have they been studied with rigorous methods. Controlled observations and experimental studies are necessary to determine whether these experiences are truly anomalous, as interviews and informal reports alone are insufficient. The text provides examples of such research and offers recommendations for future investigations.