Ayahuasca ceremonies: set and setting features across Italy and Colombia
Drugs Habits and Social Policy October 12, 2023 Federica Ambrosini, Laura Pariset, Roberta Biolcati 2 citations
Ayahuasca ceremonies in Colombia, where use is culturally entrenched, and Italy, where it has recently spread, show more similarities than differences. Participants in both countries reported similar ceremonial settings, preparation, quality of life, interpersonal dependence, and spiritual orientation. Slight differences emerged in motivations for use and religious beliefs. Italian participants reported greater use of other psychoactive substances and more drug-related problems. The findings suggest that cultural context influences some aspects of ayahuasca use and experience, particularly substance use patterns, but the ceremonial setting and many participant characteristics remain comparable across cultures.