Human Psychopharmacology of Hoasca, A Plant Hallucinogen Used in Ritual Context in Brazil
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease February 1, 1996 Charles S. Grob, Dennis J. Mckenna, J. C. Callaway et al. 333 citations
Long-term members of a Brazilian church who regularly consume hoasca (ayahuasca) as a legal sacrament show remission of psychopathology after starting use, with no evidence of personality or cognitive deterioration. Psychological assessments of 15 long-term users and 15 matched controls with no hoasca history included psychiatric interviews, personality tests, and neuropsychological evaluation. Users reported high functional status. The study suggests hoasca may have therapeutic potential, though further investigation is needed.