Sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on affect and cognitive thinking style and their association with ego dissolution.
Open accessAbstract
RATIONALE: Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant tea from South America used for religious purposes by indigenous people of the Amazon. Increasing evidence indicates that ayahuasca may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of mental health disorders and can enhance mindfulness-related capacities. Most research so far has focused on acute and sub-acute effects of ayahuasca on mental health-related parameters and less on long-term effects. OBJECTIVES: The present study aimed to assess sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca on well-being and cognitive thinking style. The second objective was to assess whether sub-acute and long-term effects of ayahuasca depend on the degree of ego dissolution that was experienced after consumption of ayahuasca. RESULTS: Ayahuasca ceremony attendants (N = 57) in the Netherlands and Colombia were assessed before, the day after, and 4 weeks following the ritual. Relative to baseline, ratings of depression and stress significantly decreased after the ayahuasca ceremony and these changes persisted for 4 weeks. Likewise, convergent thinking improved post-ayahuasca ceremony up until the 4 weeks follow-up. Satisfaction with life and several aspects of mindfulness increased the day after the ceremony, but these changes failed to reach significance 4 weeks after. Changes in affect, satisfaction with life, and mindfulness were significantly correlated to the level of ego dissolution experienced during the ayahuasca ceremony and were unrelated to previous experience with ayahuasca. CONCLUSION: It is concluded that ayahuasca produces sub-acute and long-term improvements in affect and cognitive thinking style in non-pathological users. These data highlight the therapeutic potential of ayahuasca in the treatment of mental health disorders, such as depression.
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Similar reductions in ratings of anxiety symptoms have been demonstrated in naturalistic samples with heterogeneous mental health status.
“and in naturalistic samples with heterogeneous mental health status (21–23).”
From Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees (2022) · cites this paper as [23]
The Results (Subjective measures) report reductions in stress and depression ratings after the ayahuasca ceremony, but state that anxiety ratings were not affected. The Discussion also describes anxiety levels as very low at baseline and follow-up. This paper therefore does not demonstrate the attributed reduction in anxiety symptoms. (LLM, conf=0.90)
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Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredPsychedelic-induced mystical-type experiences and ego dissolution correlate with long-term positive outcomes.
“it has been repeatedly found that psychedelic-induced mystical-type experiences and ego dissolution, the latter a phenomenon characterized by the reduction in self-referential awareness, disruption self-world boundaries, and increased feelings of unity with one’s surroundings (55), correlates with long-term (positive) outcomes (23, 52–54, 56–58).”
From Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees (2022) · cites this paper as [23]
The Results (Subjective measures; page unavailable) report that stronger ego dissolution correlated with several positive outcomes the day after an ayahuasca ceremony. At four weeks, only non-reactivity correlated with ego dissolution. The paper does not establish the claimed long-term correlation for mystical-type experiences. (LLM, conf=0.90)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredRecent studies have demonstrated the capacity of various psychedelics to enhance trait mindfulness post-acutely, even in the absence of a theoretical or practical context of mindfulness training.
“Recent studies have also demonstrated the capacity of various psychedelics to enhance trait mindfulness post-acutely, even in the absence of a theoretical or practical context of mindfulness training, evidencing a complementary relationship between mindfulness-training and psychedelics (40, 52, 56–59).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [58]
The Results and Discussion report improved self-rated mindfulness facets the day after an ayahuasca ceremony, supporting a post-acute effect; the differences were not significant at four weeks. The Methods (Setting) do not establish an absence of mindfulness-related context: participants were advised to increase mindful introspection. This paper therefore supports the ayahuasca finding but not the claim that it occurred without such a context. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredEnhanced acceptance towards present-moment thoughts and emotions has been observed post-acutely following the administration of ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT, which was maintained for up to 1 month.
“Furthermore, enhanced acceptance towards present-moment thoughts and emotions has been observed post-acutely following the administration of ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT, which was maintained for up to 1 month (40, 52, 56–59).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [58]
The Results (Subjective measures; page unavailable) report improved non-judgment of present experience the day after an ayahuasca ceremony. No mindfulness measure differed significantly from baseline at four weeks, so this paper does not establish that the improvement was maintained for a month. It did not study 5-MeO-DMT. (LLM, conf=0.89)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSpontaneous enhancements in trait mindfulness have been reported following the administration of various psychedelics, even outside of a mindfulness-enhancing context.
“Spontaneous enhancements in trait mindfulness have also been reported following the administration of various psychedelics, even outside of a mindfulness-enhancing context (40, 52, 56–59).”
From Examining the Potential Synergistic Effects Between Mindfulness Training and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy (2021) · cites this paper as [58]
The Results (Subjective measures; page unavailable) report improved mindfulness ratings the day after an ayahuasca ceremony, but no significant difference from baseline at four weeks. This paper studies ayahuasca, not various psychedelics, and the Methods (Setting; page unavailable) describe preparatory advice intended to increase mindful introspection, so it does not clearly establish the claimed effect outside a mindfulness-enhancing context. (LLM, conf=0.83)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Naturalistic research has shown enhancement of emotional and cognitive processes after oral self-administration of psilocybin and ayahuasca in a social setting, lasting up to 4 weeks after the experience, compared to baseline.
“Naturalistic research, for example, has shown enhancement of emotional and cognitive processes after oral self-administration of psilocybin and ayahuasca, in a social setting, lasting up to 4 weeks after the experience, compared to baseline (17, 18).”
From Psychedelics and Neuroplasticity: A Systematic Review Unraveling the Biological Underpinnings of Psychedelics. (2021) · cites this paper as [17]
Psychedelics have been repeatedly found to enhance mindfulness capacities.
“A further psychological process which may be of particular salience when discussing therapeutic efficacy for anxiety, and which psychedelics have been repeatedly found to enhance, are mindfulness capacities (10, 22, 23, 42–46).”
From Decreases in State and Trait Anxiety Post-psilocybin: A Naturalistic, Observational Study Among Retreat Attendees (2022) · cites this paper as [23]
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References 42 · Cited by 212
- Authors
- Uthaug, M. V., van Oorsouw, K., Kuypers, K. P. C., van Boxtel, M., Broers, N. J., Mason, N. L., Toennes, S. W., Riba, J., & Ramaekers, J. G.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University (NL)
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Uthaug, M. V.
- Ramaekers, J. G.
- Venue
- Psychopharmacology
- Published
- 2018-08-13
- Volume
- 235
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2979-2989
- ISSN
- 0033-3158 (ISSN-L)
- 1432-2072
- PMC
- PMC6182612
- OpenAlex
- W2885455509
- Cited by
- 212
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 43 · 2022: 43 · 2021: 37 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 17
- FWCI
- 22.57
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Psychopharmacology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Maastricht University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychedelics and Drug Studies
- Social Sciences › Health › Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology
- Life Sciences › Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics › Pharmacology › Alkaloids: synthesis and pharmacology
- Keywords
- ayahuasca, ego dissolution, long-term effects, affect, convergent thinking, mindfulness, life satisfaction, depression, stress, well-being, ayahuasca ceremonies, therapeutic potential
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Affect, Cognition, Depression, Ego, Female, Hallucinogens, Humans, Netherlands, Personal Satisfaction, Personality, Plant Extracts, Psychotropic Drugs, South America, Stress, Psychological, Thinking, Banisteriopsis
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