Science

Fifty five percent of the survey responders reported adverse mental health effects, a “relatively high” figure according to the researchers. However, “although the frequency of any adverse mental health effects was high, only ‘hearing or seeing things that other people do not hear or see’ was observed in 28.5% of the ayahuasca users,” the researchers say.


Approximately 21% of participants reported “feeling disconnected or alone”, while 4.4% experienced visual distortions. The duration of any adverse mental health effect reported in the survey was less than one week. When asked to offer qualitative perspectives on these experiences, some of the participants expressed how they are considered a positive element of their ayahuasca journey.