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Therapeutic Applications of Ayahuasca and Other Sacred Medicines

  • Chapter
The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca

Abstract

Therapeutic applications of the psychedelics or hallucinogens found cross-culturally involve treatment of a variety of physical, psychological, and social maladies. Modern medicine has similarly found that a range of conditions may be successfully treated with these agents. The ability to treat a wide variety of conditions derives from variation in active ingredients, doses and modes of application, and factors of set and setting manipulated in ritual. Similarities in effects reported cross-culturally reflect biological mechanisms, while success in the treatment of a variety of specific psychological conditions points to the importance of ritual in eliciting their effects. Similar bases involve action on the serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitter systems that can be characterized as psychointegration: an elevation of ancient brain processes.

Thanks to Ilsa Jerome for providing some updated references for this paper.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Phase II studies or trials use small groups of selected patients to determine effectiveness and ideal doses for a specific illness after Phase I trials have established safety (lack of toxicity) and safe dose ranges.

  2. 2.

    Phase III studies use clinical trials, ideally with randomized controls, to confirm effectiveness, monitor adverse drug effects and interactions, and/or to compare to other commonly used treatments.

  3. 3.

    This research was carried out in the Tarapoto and Iquitos areas of the Peruvian Amazon during May and June 2012 as part of services for a Peruvian neoayahuasquero evaluating contemporary practices and the nature of the clients in his retreats.

  4. 4.

    See footnote 5.

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  1. Retired from the School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University Tempe Arizona, Caixa Postal 62, Pirenópolis, GO, 72980-000, Brazil

    Michael J. Winkelman

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  1. Michael J. Winkelman
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Correspondence to Michael J. Winkelman .

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  1. Center for Economic Research and Education (CIDE), Aguascalientes, AGS, Mexico

    Beatriz Caiuby Labate

  2. Nucleus for Interdisciplinary Studies of Psychoactives (NEIP), San Francisco, CA, USA

    Clancy Cavnar

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Winkelman, M.J. (2014). Therapeutic Applications of Ayahuasca and Other Sacred Medicines. In: Labate, B.C., Cavnar, C. (eds) The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9_1

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