A quantitative textual analysis of the subjective effects of ayahuasca in naive users with and without depression
Research Square (Research Square) August 23, 2023 Lucas Villar Magalhães da Cruz, Bheatrix Bienemann Favero, Fernanda Palhano-Fontes et al.
First-time ayahuasca users with treatment-resistant depression and healthy controls described their subjective experiences in open-ended questions. Textual analysis of responses from nine depressed and 20 healthy individuals revealed five clusters: altered consciousness, cognitive changes, somatic alterations, auditory experiences, and visual perceptual content. Depressed participants reported more aversive bodily reactions, suggesting specific experiential features in depression. The results align with prior psychedelic research and may guide therapeutic applications of ayahuasca.