Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew, significantly impacts participants' mental health. In a sample of 150 individuals from diverse backgrounds, 75% reported improved well-being after sessions, while 60% experienced lasting reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. The internationalization of drug studies highlights the sociological implications of psychedelics, as these substances are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential. With effect sizes ranging from moderate to large, ayahuasca's role in mental health treatment is gaining traction, challenging traditional perceptions of drug use and therapy.
The article examines the post-1992 writings of Brazilian religious thinker Leonardo Boff. It outlines Boff's critique of the dominant global market paradigm, which he sees as guided by liberal capitalist values and in crisis. Boff draws on the 'new science' paradigm to offer fresh understandings of relations between the sacred, the self, and the universe. The article explores Boff's view of mystical experience as universal connectedness, informed by this paradigm and emerging from his 'trans-cultural phenomenological' reading of religious discourse and practice.