Primitive Group Treatment
Psychopathology January 1, 1978 Moises Lemlij 2 citations
Hallucinogenic drugs, particularly ayahuasca containing the active agent harmine, are used by witch doctors in the Peruvian jungle for therapeutic purposes. Treatment occurs in groups of about 10 to 12 patients, who meet weekly at dawn for an average of 5 hours in the open air. The healer makes a magical diagnosis and provides a potion drunk by the witch doctor, assistant, and patients. Patients attend sessions until they feel well enough to leave, then pay a voluntary fee. The study focused on describing these group processes, which had not previously been documented.