March 2026
Altered states of consciousness
What March 2026's 6 new studies found, synthesized from the papers below. All Altered states of consciousness research →
The synthesis
Synthesized from 6 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below
Found by searching the library for Altered states of consciousness, non-ordinary states, altered consciousness, ASC, then ranked by relevance.
Research in March 2026 indicates that ayahuasca use is associated with positive health and well-being outcomes, including better mental health, lifestyle behaviors, and cognitive improvements, though most evidence is observational and cross-sectional. A new questionnaire was developed to measure subjective effects of very low doses of psychedelics, addressing a gap in microdosing research. A theoretical paper explored phenomenological aspects of ayahuasca-induced altered consciousness. The main caveat is the lack of longitudinal and controlled studies to establish causality.
Confidence in the evidence
Low-Moderate- Two cross-sectional/observational studies (n=203 and n not fully reported) show positive associations but cannot establish causality.
- One systematic review (16 studies) supports cognitive benefits but notes limitations in study designs.
- One study developed a new measurement tool (m-DASC) for low-dose effects, but its validation is preliminary.
- One theoretical paper provides conceptual analysis without empirical data.
- No RCTs or meta-analyses were included in the provided studies.
How we rate confidence
Confidence reflects the strength of the underlying evidence, not whether the result is favorable. It weighs the number and size of studies, their design (randomized trials count for more than observational or single-case work), how consistently they point the same way, and their risk of bias.
Tiers run from Insufficient to High. High is rare in this field: small, early, or open-label studies land lower even when their direction is encouraging.
Evidence by study
Direction is each study's finding relative to your question: Supports, Opposes, No effect, Mixed, or Unclear.
| Study | Design | Sample size | Direction | Finding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca and Public Health III: Health Status of a Sample of Ayahuasca Ceremony Attenders in Portugal. 2026 | cross-sectional survey | 203 | Supports | Ayahuasca users reported better health status, lower chronic disease and obesity rates, higher physical activity, lower alcohol consumption, and enhanced psychological well-being compared to population norms. |
| LGBTQ+ Ayahuasca Retreat Experience is Associated with Benefits to Mental Health, Quality of Life, and Spiritual Well-Being: A Prospective, Naturalistic Study. 2026 | prospective naturalistic study | Supports | Significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and increases in spiritual well-being and quality of life were observed up to 2-3 months post-retreat, with minimal adverse effects. | |
| New psychoactive substances and altered consciousness: An emerging challenge for public health 2026 | theoretical/review | Unclear | The abstract is empty, so no finding can be extracted. | |
| Enchanted consciousness revisited – Ayahuasca visualizations and Sartre's ideas on hallucination 2026 | theoretical | Unclear | The paper complements Sartre's concept of enchanted consciousness using ayahuasca hallucinations and psychedelic double bookkeeping, but no empirical data are reported. | |
| Effects of ayahuasca on neuropsychological performance and social cognition: A systematic review. 2026 | systematic review | 16 | Mixed | Short-term improvements in working memory, cognitive flexibility, empathy, and emotion recognition were observed, but long-term studies found no neuropsychological deficits. |
| m-DASC: Measuring Subjective Effects of Very Low Doses of Psychedelic Drugs. 2026 | experimental (within-subjects) | 199 | Supports | The newly developed m-DASC questionnaire detected significant subjective effects at 13 and 26 µg doses, accounting for 44% of variance, and is shorter than existing scales. |
Ayahuasca users reported better health status, lower chronic disease and obesity rates, higher physical activity, lower alcohol consumption, and enhanced psychological well-being compared to population norms.
cross-sectional survey Sample size: 203
Significant reductions in depression and anxiety, and increases in spiritual well-being and quality of life were observed up to 2-3 months post-retreat, with minimal adverse effects.
prospective naturalistic study
The abstract is empty, so no finding can be extracted.
theoretical/review
The paper complements Sartre's concept of enchanted consciousness using ayahuasca hallucinations and psychedelic double bookkeeping, but no empirical data are reported.
theoretical
Short-term improvements in working memory, cognitive flexibility, empathy, and emotion recognition were observed, but long-term studies found no neuropsychological deficits.
systematic review Sample size: 16
The newly developed m-DASC questionnaire detected significant subjective effects at 13 and 26 µg doses, accounting for 44% of variance, and is shorter than existing scales.
experimental (within-subjects) Sample size: 199
Points of agreement
- Ayahuasca use is associated with positive mental health outcomes and well-being in observational studies.
- Cognitive effects of ayahuasca include short-term improvements in working memory and cognitive flexibility.
- Subjective effects of low-dose psychedelics can be measured with tailored instruments like the m-DASC.
Conflicts
- The systematic review found that experimental studies only observed reduced reaction times in social cognition, while observational studies reported increased empathy and emotion recognition.
- One study (28359) is cross-sectional and cannot determine causality, whereas another (28361) is prospective but naturalistic without a control group.
Gaps
- No longitudinal or controlled studies to establish causal links between ayahuasca use and health outcomes.
- Durability of effects beyond 2-3 months is not assessed.
- Blinding and placebo controls are absent in most studies.
- Diverse populations (e.g., clinical samples, different cultural contexts) are underrepresented.
- The theoretical paper (25098) lacks empirical validation.