Unlimited Sciences, a psychedelic research nonprofit, will be carrying out an observational research study that will measure the potential healing effects of Ayahuasca on individuals with past experiences of trauma.
Recent research has identified Ayahuasca – which contains the psychoactive alkaloid N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) – as a candidate for the treatment of trauma.
Ayahuasca produces powerful experiences that have been likened to intense psychotherapy, indicating its therapeutic potential for treating trauma and its resulting mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
High numbers of refugees and immigrants endure complex and multilayered forms of distress, including physical and sexual violence, persecution, experiences of war and torture, life-threatening situations and tense journeys before and during the process of migration.
The mind-altering psychedelic effects produced by ayahuasca can have lasting and severe long-term mental health consequences, yet few studies have examined the impact of trauma experienced after migration.
The observational study, set to begin this summer, will engage mostly female immigrants and refugees experiencing trauma, who are seeking remedial therapy through the powerful psychoactive Ayahuasca brew.
To fund the groundbreaking endeavor, Unlimited Sciences has kicked off a GoFundMe campaign to raise the necessary $50,000 to conduct the study.
Research director at Unlimited Sciences and principal investigator for the study, Matthew X. Lowe, Ph.D., commented: “Despite robust reports and significant historical roots recognising the vast therapeutic potential of ayahuasca, the psychoactive alkaloid present in ayahuasca, N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), is a Schedule I controlled substance classified as having ‘no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
“As a result, there has been little research conducted on ayahuasca. Current therapeutic options may be insufficient to meet the increasing needs of a growing number of individuals presenting with symptoms of trauma.
“Alternative treatment options are desperately needed, and ayahuasca has been identified as a candidate therapy for the treatment of trauma.”
Co-principal investigator on the study and founding director of The Neuroscape Psychedelics Division and newly endowed Ralph Metzner Distinguished Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco, D. Robin Carhart-Harris, commented: “DMT is a particularly intriguing psychedelic.
“The visual vividness and depth of immersion produced by high-doses of the substance seems to be on a scale above what is reported with more widely studied psychedelics such as psilocybin or ‘magic mushrooms’.
“It’s hard to capture and communicate what it is like for people experiencing DMT but likening it to dreaming while awake or a near-death experience is useful.”
Donations raised through the GoFundMe campaign will help pay for expenses related to key research personnel, equipment, institutional review board and other direct costs such as materials and publication expenses.
Unlimited Sciences was invited to observe the ceremony and study health outcomes related to the event, and is solely focused on observational research which does not include organization, facilitating the ceremony, or administering ayahuasca to participants.
Unlimited Sciences has stated the company is aware of the risk psychedelic substances can pose to vulnerable individuals or individuals predisposed to mental health conditions, and does not endorse the use of ayahuasca outside of clinical settings.
Unlimited Sciences will eventually publish the study’s results and share them with the general public in the interest of advancing scientific understanding of both the risks and benefits of using ayahuasca for therapeutic purposes.
To learn more about Unlimited Sciences and real-world psychedelic research, please visit www.unlimitedsciences.org.
