Ayahuasca, Healing, and Science: From Ancestral Tradition to the Future of Mental Health

Ricardo Moutinho
6 days ago
3 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Long before modern psychology attempted to define trauma, emotional resilience, or states of expanded awareness, Indigenous communities of the Amazon had already developed a relationship with a powerful medicinal brew: Ayahuasca.Today, this same sacred medicine stands at the intersection of ancient wisdom and cutting-edge scientific research.

This article explores its history, the influence of Mestre Irineu and the Santo Daime tradition, the evolution of scientific studies, the latest discoveries, and how our own investigation aims to contribute to this growing field.

The Ancestral Roots of Ayahuasca

The origins of Ayahuasca extend deep into the cultural and spiritual heritage of Amazonian peoples. The brew is traditionally prepared from two plants:

Banisteriopsis caapi — a vine containing MAO inhibitors
Psychotria viridis — a leaf containing DMT, the central psychoactive molecule

This botanical combination did not arise by chance. It reflects a profound understanding of plant synergy and consciousness explored through centuries of ritual practice.

For Indigenous communities, Ayahuasca is not merely a substance.It is a teacher, a guide, and a catalyst for healing.

Its effects are understood as multidimensional, touching the emotional, psychological, physical, and spiritual layers of human experience.

Mestre Irineu and the Emergence of Santo Daime

In the early 20th century, Raimundo Irineu Serra — Mestre Irineu — would play a pivotal role in bridging Amazonian tradition with modern spiritual and therapeutic approaches.

Through his visions and disciplined spiritual training, Mestre Irineu founded the doctrine of Santo Daime, a system of ritual, music, ethics, and community centered around Ayahuasca.

The Santo Daime tradition unites:

Christian symbolism
Indigenous cosmology
Afro-Brazilian influences
Ritual structure and emotional discipline

This framework shaped a new form of working with Ayahuasca — one that emphasizes harmony, healing, introspection, and spiritual responsibility.

Today, Santo Daime continues to influence not only spiritual seekers but also researchers seeking to understand the psychological mechanisms behind Ayahuasca experiences.

When Science Began Investigating Ayahuasca

Scientific interest in Ayahuasca first appeared between the 1950s and 1970s, led by ethnobotanists, pharmacologists, and anthropologists fascinated by its effects.

However, meaningful clinical research only began to emerge in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Key milestones include:

The Hoasca Project (1996) — the first major biomedical and psychological study of long-term Santo Daime members
Expansion of research in Brazil, Europe, and North America
Neuroimaging studies revealing changes in brain networks during Ayahuasca experiences
The first controlled trials examining its antidepressant and anxiolytic effects

These early investigations opened the door for a more rigorous understanding of how Ayahuasca influences the mind and emotions.

What Modern Science Reveals About DMT and Mental Health

Recent research highlights several important effects of Ayahuasca and DMT:

✨ Rapid antidepressant action, sometimes within 24–48 hours✨ Improvements in emotional regulation and anxiety reduction✨ Enhanced capacity to process trauma and access emotional insight✨ Increased neuroplasticity, supporting long-term therapeutic change✨ Strengthened introspection, meaning-making, and psychological flexibility

Key studies by Osório (2015), Palhano-Fontes (2019), Sanches (2016), Ly (2018), and others have helped shape this emerging field.

But despite these promising findings, one fact remains clear:

There is a lack of rigorous, placebo-controlled clinical trials evaluating DMT-assisted psychotherapy — especially with long-term follow-ups.

This is where our research enters.

A New Step Forward: Our Clinical Study

Through Global Psychedelic Health, we are preparing one of the most structured studies ever conducted in Portugal on the effects of DMT-assisted psychotherapy.

Our central question is:

Can psychotherapy combined with supervised DMT-assisted sessions produce clinically meaningful and sustained improvements in depression, anxiety, and trauma compared to psychotherapy with placebo?

Our study includes:

60 participants
20 psychotherapy sessions
3 guided DMT or placebo sessions
Multiple psychological evaluations across 6 months
Later follow-ups at 4 and 6 months post-treatment

Our goal is to contribute high-quality scientific data to an area that urgently needs deeper exploration.

If successful, this research could:

inspire new therapeutic models
improve treatment outcomes for chronic mental-health conditions
support policy development
encourage future international collaboration
offer new hope to people who have not found relief through conventional approaches

A Call to the Community

Ayahuasca has crossed centuries as a medicine of insight and transformation. Now, it enters a new chapter — one guided by scientific inquiry, clinical responsibility, and a deeper understanding of human healing.

We invite you to: