Drugs, Religion, and Cultural Heritage : An Analysis of the Public Policies Regarding the Use of Ayahuasca in Brazil Henrique Fernandes Antunes The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, 2018, Volume #, Issue #, http://doi.org/###################### Abstract : In 1985, ayahuasca was banned for a short period of time by the Federal Council of Drugs (CONFEN). After more than two decades of debates and public policies, the Brazilian government consolidated the regulation of ayahuasca consumption for religious purposes and recognized ayahuasca groups as legitimate religions and part of the cultural heritage of the Amazon region. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that [...]
Lire la suiteConsumption of Ayahuasca by Children and Pregnant Women : Medical Controversies and Religious Perspectives Beatriz Caiuby Labate Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 2011, 43, (1), 27-35. DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2011.566498 Abstract In 2010, the Brazilian Government agency responsible for drug-related issues formulated official Resolutions that categorized the consumption of ayahuasca by pregnant women and children in the Santo Daime and Uniâo do Vegetal ayahuasea-based religions as an "exercise of parental rights." Although ayahuasca groups do enjoy a relative degree of social legitimacy and formal legal recognition in Brazil, the participation of pregnant women and children nevertheless continues to provoke heated discussion. This article raises the main issues involved [...]
Lire la suiteAyahuasca for Addiction ? That's a Trip Ayahuasca has long been used to heal the spirit, so what about addiction? Adi Jaffe, Psychology Today Posted Dec 10, 2018 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-about-addiction/201812/ayahuasca-addiction-thats-trip Doctors have been prescribing drugs to treat substance addictions for decades. Most commonly known is the use of buprenorphine and naloxone (Suboxone) in opioid addiction which provides some opioid activation, helping with withdrawal and cravings, without the same “high” and many of the associated psychosocial effects of illicit drug use. But Suboxone isn’t the only one – methadone, modafinil, naltrexone, ketamine, and many more examples exist in which the use of a chemical has been prescribed to help [...]
Lire la suiteThe Consumption of Psychoactive Plants During Religious Rituals : The Roots of Common Symbols and Figures in Religions and Myths H. Umit Sayin NeuroQuantology, June 2014, Volume 12, Issue 2, 276-296 Doi : 10.14704/nq.2014.12.2.753 ABSTRACT Psychoactive plants which contain hallucinogenic molecules that induce a form of altered states of consciousness (HASC) have been widely used during the religious rituals of many cultures throughout the centuries, while the consumption of these plants for spiritual and religious purposes is as old as human history. Some of those cultures were shaman and pagan subcultures; African native religions; Bwiti Cult; South American native religions; Amazon Cultures; Central American Cultures; [...]
Lire la suiteSwitch to mania after ayahuasca consumption in a man with bipolar disorder : a case report Alejandro G Szmulewicz, Marina P Valerio and Jose M Smith International Journal of Bipolar Disorders, 2015, 3, (4), 1-3. DOI 10.1186/s40345-014-0020-y Abstract Background : There is an increasing use of ayahuasca for recreational purposes. Furthermore, there is a growing evidence for the antidepressant properties of its components. However, there are no reports on the effects of this substance in the psychiatric setting. Harmaline, one of the main components of ayahuasca, is a selective and reversible MAO-A inhibitor and a serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Case report : We present the case of [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic drugs in the treatment of anxiety, depression and addiction Tor-Morten KVAM, Lowan H. STEWART, Ole A. ANDREASSEN Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening, 2018. Doi : 10.4045/tidsskr.17.1110 B A C K G R O U N D There is growing interest in the use of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of mental disorders. The drugs are considered safe when administered within a clinical framework. Older studies performed prior to 1970 had methodological shortcomings, but studies in recent years have shown promising results regarding the use of psychedelic drugs in unipolar depression, depression in life-threatening illness, anxiety and addiction. The aim of this literature review is [...]
Lire la suiteThe Therapeutic Potentials of Ayahuasca : Possible Effects against Various Diseases of Civilization Ede Frecska, Petra Bokor and Michael Winkelman Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2016, Vol 7, Article 35, 1-17. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00035 Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive brew of two main components. Its active agents are b-carboline and tryptamine derivatives. As a sacrament, ayahuasca is still a central element of many healing ceremonies in the Amazon Basin and its ritual consumption has become common among the mestizo populations of South America. Ayahuasca use amongst the indigenous people of the Amazon is a form of traditional medicine and cultural psychiatry. During the last two decades, the [...]
Lire la suiteAyahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Gerald Thomas, Philippe Lucas, N. Rielle Capler, Kenneth W. Tupper and Gina Martin Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 2013, 6, (1), 1-13. Abstract: Introduction : This paper reports results from a preliminary observational study of ayahuasca-assisted treatment for problematic substance use and stress delivered in a rural First Nations community in British Columbia, Canada. Methods : The “Working with Addiction and Stress” retreats combined four days of group counselling with two expert-led ayahuasca ceremonies. This study collected pre-treatment and six months follow-up data from 12 participants on several psychological and behavioral factors related to [...]
Lire la suiteMultiple receptors contribute to the behavioral effects of indoleamine hallucinogens Adam L. Halberstadt & Mark A. Geyer Neuropharmacology, 2011, 61, (3), 364–381. doi:10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.01.017. Abstract Serotonergic hallucinogens produce profound changes in perception, mood, and cognition. These drugs include phenylalkylamines such as mescaline and 2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), and indoleamines such as (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) and psilocybin. Despite their differences in chemical structure, the two classes of hallucinogens produce remarkably similar subjective effects in humans, and induce cross-tolerance. The phenylalkylamine hallucinogens are selective 5-HT2 receptor agonists, whereas the indoleamines are relatively nonselective for serotonin (5-HT) receptors. There is extensive evidence, from both animal and human studies, that the [...]
Lire la suitePsychedelic drug use in healthy individuals : a review of benefits, costs, and implications for drug policy James W.B. Elsey Drug Science, Policy and Law, 2017, Vol 3, 1-11 DOI: 10.1177/2050324517723232 Abstract The potential of psychedelic drugs in the treatment of mental health problems is increasingly being recognized. However, relatively little thrust has been given to the suggestion that individuals without any mental health problems may benefit from using psychedelic drugs, and that they may have a right to do so. This review considers contemporary research into the use of psychedelic drugs in healthy individuals, including neurobiological and subjective effects. In line with findings [...]
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