Chaos Solitons & Fractals
May 30, 2026
Tales Ramos Monteiro Dos Santos, Dráulio B. Araújo, Helcio Felippe et al.
Psychedelic states can help researchers understand how the brain reorganizes at a large scale. In nine people scanned before and after taking ayahuasca, topological data analysis of resting-state fMRI connectivity showed a nominal decrease in persistent entropy of H2 features—a measure of higher-dimensional topological structure—that did not survive correction for multiple comparisons and was not reproduced with signed correlations. Exploratory analyses of signal complexity found descriptive but non-significant increases. These preliminary, hypothesis-generating results highlight persistent homology as a potential framework for studying psychedelic-related brain changes, but replication in larger placebo-controlled studies is needed.
Current Addiction Reports
February 21, 2026
Dráulio B. Araújo, Lucas O. Maia, Tiago Arruda-Sanchez et al.
Preclinical and clinical evidence suggests that ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian brew containing DMT and β-carbolines, may treat depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use, eating, and personality disorders. Preclinical studies indicate enhanced neuroplasticity, reduced inflammation, and oxidative stress. Human neuroimaging shows decreased default mode network activity, increased functional connectivity and brain entropy, suggesting a flexible neural state and modulation of pathways related to neuroplasticity, inflammation, and stress response. The evidence is mainly observational, with users reporting emotional breakthroughs, increased self-awareness, and mystical experiences tied to therapeutic outcomes. Ayahuasca appears to target core psychological and neurobiological processes across disorders but requires caution in psychotic or bipolar individuals and should be administered with support. Randomized trials are needed to confirm efficacy and safety.