Amazonian psychedelic may ease severe depression, new study shows

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From https://theconversation.com/amazonian-psychedelic-may-ease-severe-depression-new-study-shows-98814

Amazonian psychedelic may ease severe depression, new study shows

June 28, 2018 6.40am EDT

“Leon” is a young Brazilian man who has long struggled with depression. He keeps an anonymous blog, in Portuguese, where he describes the challenge of living with a mental illness that affects some 300 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Leon is among the roughly 30 percent of those patients with treatment-resistant depression. Available antidepressant drugs like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors do not alleviate his depressed mood, fatigue, anxiety, low self-esteem and suicidal thoughts.

A new study may offer hope for Leon and others like him.

Our team of Brazilian scientists has conducted the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of ayahuasca – a psychedelic drink made of Amazonian plants. The results, recently published in the journal Psychological Medicine, suggest that ayahuasca can work for hard-to-treat depression.

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More at link.

[Pachamama]

1. If it is truly the Ayuhuasca prepared by the Shaman and you go through the experience, you may be

...able to have the opportunity to have an experience that gives you insights into yourself and that you find peace.

Only the Shamans know the mixture of the plants and many of the plants look the same as others, so this is not something that could just be easily taught or replicated to non-Shamans.

The article refers to two plants being used - but in both Equador and Peru where I have done Ayuhuasca, the Shamans have a brew that uses 4 or more plants. I don't know about the Shamans in Brazil, or even if it is the same Ayuhuasca brew made by the Shamans of the Achuar, Shuar and Huarani, but it might not be the same.

Ayuhuasca is also a spiritual experience and not for recreation and is something that likely couldn't be done in mass production or for "tourists".

But I would want to know that there is much better research than just this one study. It could in fact possibly cause hallucinating effects that could be dangerous.

That all said, it would be wonderful to think that there are plants that have a solution to help those suffering from Great Depression that modern medicine cannot help. But I was taught by the Shamans I know, that the plants know how to help you, so the secret lies within the plant connecting with the person who has ingested it. And also spiritually.