It is set to be researched as a treatment for alcoholism and depression in a study led by the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health with St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Swinburne University and Western Sydney University later this year.
The author and resident of Byron Bay has taken ayahuasca “countless” times.
The research builds on positive results from last year’s Global Ayahuasca Project, an observational study of nearly 10,000 ayahuasca drinkers conducted by researchers from Australia, Brazil, Spain, the Czech Republic and Switzerland.
More than 80 percent of ayahuasca drinkers said they gained important insights into their personality, behaviors, morals, relationship patterns, and physical health.
The study was led by Associate Professor Daniel Perkins and co-founder of the University of Melbourne’s Medical Drug Research Network.
“People have experiences with ayahuasca where it often feels like a kind of life review that involves deep thinking about important events, relationships, and situations from childhood to the present day. It’s an accelerated process that can be like 10 years of psychotherapy in one night,” Perkins says.
According to a 2021 research paper, published in the journal International Journal of NeuroscienceHowever, consuming ayahuasca temporarily rearranges the way our brain receives information by disrupting the neural hierarchy. This means that we can process life events in a new way, obtaining clarity or alternative perspectives.
University of Western Sydney Professor Jerome Sarris and University of Melbourne Associate Professor Daniel Perkins are co-directors of the University of Melbourne’s Psychopharmacology Research Network.credit:Joe Armau
Writer Sarah McLeod, who lives north of Byron Bay, has taken ayahuasca “countless” times and says her out-of-body drinking experience has helped her deal with a repressed memory of a childhood sexual abuse.
“In my early adult years, my sense of self completely faded,” she says. “Standing up and facing that trauma was incredibly intense, but also incredibly liberating…because I was then able to move past the pain.”
Another study published in 2021 in Journal of Affective Disorders, found that about three-quarters of people with depression or anxiety reported improvement or resolution of symptoms after taking ayahuasca. Scientists note that it can reduce levels of C-reactive proteins in the brain, a sign of a treatment-resistant depressive disorder.
A small group – less than 5 percent – reported worsening of symptoms.
Andrew “Orion” Marks facilitates trips to the ayahausca resorts. credit:Photo by Nick Muir April 29, 2022
Although the studies are encouraging, there is still a long way to go before ayahuasca becomes a viable medical treatment. In Australia, biomedical studies go through three phases of multiple trials. Ayahuasca is about to begin the second phase of its first trial.
Andrew “Orion” Marks, from the central coast of New South Wales, served in the Australian Army before 14 years ago becoming interested in shamanism, the spiritual healing tradition of indigenous cultures in Eastern Europe and Asia.
As a shaman, Marx facilitates trips to the Amazon to a center with healers who have been practicing ayahuasca for over 30 years. Marx doesn’t believe ayahuasca is a cure-all but it could have a place in supporting people struggling with addiction and trauma.
Because of the intensity of the drug, Marks says he only uses retreats with experienced ayahuasca practitioners.
Andrew “Orion” Marks, shaman.credit:Photo by Nick Muir April 29, 2022
“If you are going to have a soul dark night, you need to possess high skills [ayahuasca healer] to travel with you.”
But for those who want to take the drug on their land, some have turned to Australia’s “underground” scene.
Clinical psychologist Stephen Bright, an advocate of harm reduction and evidence-based approaches to drug and alcohol laws, says he is concerned about the narrative surrounding ayahuasca in the media. And he warns that the glamor and benefits touted by celebrities in luxurious South American havens are unlikely to be reflected in the local, unregulated settings.
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“There is no quality control. [The facilitators of the ayahuasca sessions] They don’t have to undergo any particular training, and they’re less likely to ask for help [if something goes wrong]because they are basically breaking the law,” Bright says.
Eternity Hausen, founder of the online mental health service Enlighten Mental Health, reflects on Bright’s feelings about the risks in Australia.
“Customers come to [Enlighten after taking ayahuasca]believing that they would go on a healing experience with a self-proclaimed shaman or someone underground,” “One of the girls in particular was screaming and screaming so loudly that the police and an ambulance were called…and [the facilitator of the ayahuasca ceremony] I did not do anything “.
To prevent these negative patient experiences, Enlighten provides harm reduction sessions so patients have a clear understanding of what it might look like to take a particular drug — including ayahuasca — as well as an assessment of the risks. Ayahuasca can be fatal if taken with certain medications.
After consumption, Enlighten offers integration support to its patients to explore and process their experiences. Without it, Hausen says the intensity of the psychedelic can be emotionally destabilizing.
While the future of ayahuasca is promising, Bright has a sage reminder for those looking for a “miracle cure” and the celebrities touting its benefits.
“I honestly don’t think dope is going to save the world – we need to do that as people.”
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