Traditional Use of Banisteriopsis caapi Alone and Its Application in a Context of Drug Addiction Therapy.
Journal of psychoactive drugs January 1, 2021 Matteo Politi, Fabio Friso, Gary Saucedo et al. 18 citations
A therapeutic community for substance use disorders combines traditional Amazonian medicine with modern psychotherapy. One plant medicine used is purgahuasca, a decoction of Banisteriopsis caapi vine traditionally used by Awajún people as an initiation rite. Clinical data from patients show that after ingestion, 359 (92.1%) reported mareación (dizziness), 299 (76.7%) experienced physical sensations, and 208 (53.3%) had visions. These effects relate to β-carboline alkaloids in B. caapi, which may contribute to patients' therapeutic process by helping them become aware of personal reasons behind addictive behaviors.