Revisiting trauma through altered states: The potential of ayahuasca-assisted therapy
Gazaal Zahedi
CAPS 499: Section 1
Final Draft
Assignment #4

Adrienne’s first time ingesting ayahuasca was three weeks after the separation from her
husband of twenty-two years. In this time of uncertainty and searching for direction, she arrived
at the ceremony with a set intention, for the medicine to guide her in her healing journey. What
she had not anticipated was for how quickly it would bring forward years of unprocessed
emotions and unresolved grief surrounding her father’s passing. The ceremony took place at a
retreat in Nelson BC, one which was encouraged by Adrienne’s best friend Judy, who attended
the first half of the ceremony and had experienced her own emotional awakening, confronting
trauma she had not yet been able to resolve. This was the catalyst that started Adriennes’ journey
of working with ayahuasca and slowly healing the pain that she had long carried. If the ceremony
was able to bring Judy’s supressed emotions to the forefront of her thoughts, then perhaps it
could do the same for her.

This hope for emotional healing and discovery is not an unusual one. In recent years,
ayahuasca has emerged from its traditional and spiritual uses to being slowly integrated into
Western medicine and clinical trials, challenging the limits of conventional therapeutic methods.
Researchers specialized in trauma healing have consistently emphasized the negative impacts
that traumatic experiences can have on an individual, often extending past the moment of the
event and shaping one’s psychological health throughout their life. Storozhuk et al. (2022)
describes trauma as not being defined by the event itself, but rather how the mind chooses to
process and remember the experience. Emphasizing that trauma manifests itself as an
overwhelming memory that the psyche cannot process, ultimately causing it to remain actively
supressed.

For many, trauma is often described as an altering event that takes place in ones’ life, but
research has found that it is more accurately understood as an imprint that continues to live with
the individual. As it has been found by the “World Mental Health Survey”, which included over
70,000 participants across 24 countries, it was recorded that more than 70% of individuals had
experienced at least one traumatic event throughout their lifetime. Instances such as physical or
sexual violence, injuries, war related events and the loss of a loved one can alter an individual’s
physiological stress response and reshape their emotional regulation. Through these experiences,
trauma can manifest in various ways such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which may
progress into a multitude of symptoms like intrusive memories, distress, avoidance of the trauma
and alterations in mood that may develop into depression, anxiety or substance abuse (Kleber,
2019). The link between trauma and mental wellbeing is a topic that has been studied extensively
for many years, and clinical studies have been able to examine its long-term impacts. In a recent
study, it was discovered that survivors of early traumatic experiences carried these wounds into
their adulthood, often presenting as depression, anxiety and substance abuse (Downey &
Crummy, 2022), highlighting how trauma can present and manifest itself in the body, driving
individuals towards harmful coping mechanisms to suppress the pain.

Despite the years of research that has advocated for the efficacy of traditional therapeutic
approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), many individuals continue to feel
constrained by the limitations of these models. For many survivors of trauma, it can often be
difficult to find emotional relief through verbal expression and additional barriers may arise
when trying to recall specific memories. This sense of insufficient therapy has redirected some
individuals, like Adrienne, towards more holistic and immersive experiences to try and bridge

the gap between the depth of a traumatic experience and the emotional healing that they seek. In
her interview, Adrienne noted that individuals who attend ayahuasca ceremonies usually arrive
with the intent of emotional healing, some which they may not yet fully understand: “A large
majority, probably around eighty percent, come in with some form of emotional or traumatic
experience that they want to work through … sometimes they don’t even realize the trauma is
there until they’re in the ceremony.” (Paige, Adrienne, Personal Communication, 2025)
Adrienne’s observations mirror the ideology that trauma is multifaceted, and many individuals
walk through life with unresolved or dysregulated emotions that they have learned to suppress
rather than integrate into their healing journey.

While currently, ayahuasca is illegal in Canada, the government has granted exemptions
for religious organizations to use it in ceremonial rituals and for clinical testing to better
understand its neurobiological and therapeutic effects. However, due to ayahuasca being illegal
in most countries, there is an increased risk of unregulated and unsafe usage, which may lead to
either physical or psychological harm and further contribute to stigma surrounding the drug. This
only highlights the importance of respecting the origins and sacred rituals that accompany the
medicine and further advocates for integrating ayahuasca within structured settings to preserve
its traditions and ensure its therapeutic potential is explored safely.

While therapeutic methods such as CBT have been recently integrated into western
culture, ayahuasca has been prepared and used by the Indigenous communities of South America
for debatably over thousands of years. Traditionally administered by shamans in ceremonial
settings, it has played a central role in their culture for both medicinal treatment and spiritual

healing. These ceremonies are highly structured and accompanied by sacred songs, rituals of
protection and spiritual guidance to guide the participants through their journey. In recent
development however, ayahuasca has moved beyond just its Indigenous context and has started
to gain more global attention. Trends in spiritual tourism have led many travellers to venture out
to countries such as Brazil, Peru and Columbia to participate in these shaman led ceremonies
with the intent of spiritual and mental development in ways which they cannot achieve in their
home countries. In a study led by Kavenská and Simonová (2015), which examined the
motivations of 77 individuals travelling to South America to participate in ayahuasca
ceremonies, the researchers found that the participants were primarily driven by a desire for
personal knowledge and treating mental health difficulties. In complementing these findings,
recent studies investigating the impacts of ayahuasca on trauma healing have also revealed that
the processes associated with ayahuasca “Allow ayahuasca drinkers to connect with or uncover
previously forgotten traumatic childhood events with a level of distance or perspective that
facilitates reconceptualization and new understandings” (Perkins and Sarris, 2021). Together
with these deeply rooted cultural traditions and newly emerging clinical insight, it may provide
an explanation as to why ayahuasca continues to attract individuals seeking a deeper mode of
emotional healing.

To begin understanding why ayahuasca has drawn the attention of both trauma survivors
and clinicians, it is first necessary to understand what the medicine is comprised of and its
neurobiological effects. The psychoactive effects of ayahuasca come from the combination of
two plants, Banisteriopsis caapi, a vine that contains monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs),
and Psychotria viridis, leaves that contain dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a potent hallucinogenic

compound (Hamill et al., 2019). Under normal conditions, DMT is rapidly broken down in the
digestive system by monoamine oxidase (MAO) enzymes before it can enter the bloodstream.
However, B.caapi contains MAO inhibitors that temporarily disable the enzymes, preventing the
degradation of DMT and allowing enough time for it to reach the brain to exert its effects
(Hamill et al., 2019). Like many psychedelics, ayahuasca engages and heightens multiple brain
systems at once, raising theories to explain its neurobiological mechanisms and role in trauma
healing. Through various clinical studies, DMT has been linked to heightening brain activation
in regions involved in emotional processing and memory retrieval (Inserra, 2018). These
processes are thought to arise from interactions with key receptors in the brain, such as the
SIGMA-1 receptor and the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, which together can initiate a neurological
cascade.

A growing body of research has begun to focus its attention by looking at the role of the
SIGMA-1 receptor, a stress-responsive protein linked to inducing synaptic plasticity, and its
neurobiological effects when influenced by DMT. Hypothesis predicted by Inserra (2018)
propose that DMT’s affinity for the receptor may help regulate emotional memories and stated
interestingly enough that “Peak densities of SIGMA-1 are found in brain areas relevant to
traumatic memory formation, retrieval and updating, such as the amygdala and the hippocampal
formation, suggesting that ayahuasca-induced SIGMA-1 activation in such brain areas could be
involved in the reported retrieval and updating of traumatic memories” (Inserra, 2018). With this
newly forming hypothesis, it may offer some scientific insight as to how ayahuasca frequently
allows for repressed or fragmented memories to resurface. Within this neurobiological window,

it may temporarily weaken the rigidity of traumatic memories and enable the brain to create new
associations with supressed memories and process them from a newfound emotional attachment.

In a recent interview conducted with Dr. Chorny, this theory was supported by her belief
that ayahuasca, similarly to other psychedelic drugs such as psilocybin and ketamine, alter the
brain’s Default Mode Network (DMN), a cluster of regions within the brain associated with selfreferential thinking and where the ego inhabits. “Trauma can make the default mode network
very rigid, and psychedelics possess the ability to make the brain more flexible and
interconnected” (Chorny, Irina, Personal Communication, 2025). Overactivity of the DMN is
common in individuals who have undergone traumatic experiences as it is heightened with
mental illness’ including depression, anxiety and PTSD due to it being associated with repetitive
thinking and self-awareness. Psychedelics, however, can temporarily decrease the brain’s DMN
activity, loosening its negative and habitual thought patterns, allowing individuals to perceive
their experiences outside of their usual cognitive framework. For survivors of trauma who may
feel trapped by the constant feelings of distress, this temporary shift in mindset may provide a
moment of alleviation or a newfound perspective towards their lifelong pain.

Numerous studies have been conducted over the years investigating ayahuasca’s potential
for therapeutic use and offer compelling evidence regarding its efficacy. In a 2019 placebocontrol trial conducted by Palhano-Fontes et al, 29 individuals diagnosed with depression who
had found that their symptoms could not be alleviated through the use of medication or

antidepressants were randomly assigned to receive a single dose of ayahuasca or a placebo. The
results found that participants who had received the ayahuasca treatment produced immediate
results within 24 hours by showing significant reductions in depressive symptoms. The
ayahuasca treatment was also tested at days two, and seven after treatment, with the researchers
noticing the largest improvement in mood at day seven. While the sample size of the study
remains limited, the findings of the study highlight the importance of allowing the effects of
ayahuasca to slowly become integrated into ones’ life, as significant changes may slowly
develop over time. This slight delay in mood improvement suggests that the brain may require
more time or prolonged use to allow for readaptation of psychological shifts initiated by the
medicine.

Building on these findings, a more recent study conducted by Weiss et al. (2023) looked
further into how ayahuasca ceremonies can interact with such traumatic events. By gathering
data from over 300 participants engaging in ayahuasca retreats across South and Central
America, the researchers had found that re-experiencing traumatic life events under the medicine
was a common occurrence, especially in young women that had previously experienced sexual
assault, military veterans, and individuals who had reported a previous diagnosis of PTSD.
Rather than these experiences having negative effects on the subject’s wellbeing, they were
found to be associated with significant emotional processing. Weiss et al. (2023) explained that
“Participants who reported reexperiencing were more likely to report experiences of discomfort,
as well as constructive engagement with challenging emotional material during ceremony,
including discovering positive meaning in past trauma and feeling gratitude for previous life

challenges” (Weiss et al., 2023), suggesting that while the ceremonies may be challenging, they
show great potential for long-term healing as participants who re-experienced adverse events
also showed a greater reduction in neuroticisms three months after their retreat compared to
those who did not. Long-term observational studies conducted through regular ceremonial users
also further supports the belief that ayahuasca’s therapeutic benefits are most effective when
administered over time and integrated throughout one’s life to allow time for the brain to adapt to
new thought patterns.

Similarly, the Hoasca Project, summarized by Hamill et al. (2019), compared long term
members of the Brazilian União do Vegetal (UDV) church, who had been engaging in ayahuasca
ceremonies through a religious context for over ten years, with 15 male non-users. Through the
study, the group involved in the ceremonial practices were found to show no signs of
neurological dysfunction or adverse neurotoxic effects, scored higher on cognitive tests, selfreported fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and noted that their alcoholic tendencies had
suspended (Hamill et al., 2019). While these studies provide further insight into ayahuasca’s
therapeutic uses and efficacy when being administered in controlled and supportive
environments, there are still reservations regarding the medicine. Further research should be
conducted as some may argue that findings from ceremonial or religious context carry inherent
biases and are influenced by desired expectations.
While previous research has helped highlight the promise of ayahuasca as a therapeutic
tool, it is necessary to also recognize the ongoing challenges surrounding the reliability of
memories that may resurface under psychedelic influence. One ongoing critique of psychedelics

is that it can evoke emotionally vivid recollections during ceremony that often reflect symbolic
imagery rather than being able to recall accurate memories. This concern has been widely linked
in relation to MDMA-assisted therapy where in a recent public memoir written by Amy Griffin,
in which she recalled experiencing childhood abuse during MDMA-assisted therapy, has stirred
up controversy and raised concerns regarding the reliability of memories uncovered under
psychedelic treatment (Rosman et al., 2025). This generated a significant amount of attention due
to the fact that her claims could not be confirmed nor supported by evidence, leading many to
question the legitimacy of psychedelic-induced memory recollection. However, emerging beliefs
suggest that the therapeutic value of ayahuasca does not rely on verifying memories, but rather
on the emotional processing that occurs around them. While some recollections have the
potential to be fabricated, they have potential for serving as a gateway for individuals to resolve
emotional dysregulation and reframe their thinking.

Adrienne’s experience from walking into a ceremonial space, unbeknownst to her
burdened grief and the pivotal moment for her subsequent healing, is one that is shared by
countless others who have turned to ayahuasca in search of a higher level of emotional relief.
Through the continued research that is supported by clinical trials and personal experiences,
there is a consistent theme to be found. Ayahuasca can offer individuals a different pathway for
trauma healing and the negative symptoms that arise from it, especially to those who feel
conventional therapy is insufficient. Its ability to engage in both emotional and neurobiological
systems has provided a novel framework for understanding how the mind can release long-held
patters of suffering. While psychedelics, and more specifically ayahuasca, have deep rooted

traditions and cultural significance, it is important to remember they are not recreational escapes,
but rather sacred catalysts intended to propel spiritual and emotional development.

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