The Exploration of Naturalistically used Ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT

The research summarized in this doctoral dissertation sought to investigate the effects of both ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT on mental health-related variables such as affect (depression, anxiety and stress), mindfulness related capacities (observing, describing, awareness, non-judgement, and non-reactance), empathy, creativity, and subjective well-being. The main objective motivating this dissertation was to explore whether ingestion of ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT is related to the improvement in the aforementioned mental health variables. Secondly, this dissertation aimed to assess whether the magnitude of the psychedelic experience (for example mystical experiences and experience with ego dissolution) induced by ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT was correlated with changes in the mental health related variables. It was expected that ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT would demonstrate a similar therapeutic potential as psilocybin by evoking a rapid and persistent betterment in mental health related variables, correlated with the intensity ratings of the psychedelic experience. While Chapter 1 sketches a need for a novel treatment option for mental health disorders, Chapter 2 to 6 describe the various research of both ayahuasca and 5-MeO-DMT effects on various mental health related variables, Chapter 7 discusses and integrates the main findings of the studies illustrated in the experimental chapters of the dissertation. Translation of the summary chapter is included in Spanish, Czech, Dutch and Norwegian.