Abstract
Ayahuasca is commonly referred to as a “medicine” and is used for healing in traditional Amazonian societies as well as in recent Western rituals. This chapter will report on the results of 15 patients interviewed about their personal experience with the curative effects of ayahuasca. The “healing” the patients narrate was often not limited to the cure of physical and mental diseases, but was expanded to include spiritual problems or challenges concerning everyday life. The qualitative data analysis revealed a variety of positive effects, not only in regard to the curing of specific diseases, but also in regard to a better quality of life and well being in general. The therapeutic effects of ayahuasca in the treatment of various diseases, such as cancer tumors, chronic pain, hepatitis C, asthma, migraine, gastritis, tinnitus, depression, and alcohol abuse will be discussed. I will also point out implications for further therapeutic approaches.
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Schmid, J.T. (2014). Healing with Ayahuasca: Notes on Therapeutic Rituals and Effects in European Patients Treating Their Diseases. In: Labate, B.C., Cavnar, C. (eds) The Therapeutic Use of Ayahuasca. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40426-9_5
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