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Psychedelic science and Indigenous shamanism: an urgent dialogue

The global expansion of the use of ayahuasca and other Indigenous medicines — alongside the rise of psychedelic therapies both covertly and overtly — is rooted in contact with Indigenous cultures and peoples. The surfacing of new ways of using forest medicines in urban areas has awakened diverse interests in the scientific community and the pharmaceutical industry. Together, these therapies are known to enhance neuroplasticity and to improve mood and cognition, relying heavily on setting to shape outcomes1,2,3,4. The shift is not just about replacing daily antidepressants with occasional psychedelic use, but rather about psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) — personalizing the balance between drug, dose, person, and stimuli during the experience and in subsequent integration.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chacruna Latinoamérica, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil

    Adana Omágua-Kambeba

  2. Chacruna Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Beatriz Caiuby Labate & Sidarta Ribeiro

  3. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Beatriz Caiuby Labate

  4. Brain Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, Brazil

    Sidarta Ribeiro

  5. Psychiatry Working Group of the Centre for Strategic Studies (CEE), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Sidarta Ribeiro

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  1. Adana Omágua-Kambeba
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Adana Omágua-Kambeba, Beatriz Caiuby Labate or Sidarta Ribeiro.

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Omágua-Kambeba, A., Labate, B.C. & Ribeiro, S. Psychedelic science and Indigenous shamanism: an urgent dialogue.
Nat. Mental Health (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00150-9

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  • Published: 26 October 2023

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-023-00150-9

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