Psychedelics in the Healing of Generational Trauma, PTSD, Anxiety, and Depression: A Deeper Look at Ceremonial Tradition and Biochemistry
In the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the mental health crisis has reached unprecedented levels. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and generational trauma have surged across all demographics, exacerbating the already strained mental healthcare systems. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly one billion people worldwide suffer from mental health conditions. Yet, access to trained mental health professionals, such as psychologists and psychiatrists, remains limited. Additionally, conventional treatments, including pharmaceuticals and talk therapy, often fail to address the root causes of these conditions, leaving many individuals seeking alternative pathways to healing.
Ceremonial shamanic psychedelics offer a promising solution to this crisis by addressing the emotional, psychological, and spiritual aspects of trauma and mental health. These medicines—ayahuasca, bufo, San Pedro, and Kambo—have deep roots in Indigenous healing traditions and are now being studied for their potential to treat conditions that modern therapies often struggle to alleviate. This article explores the historical uses of these medicines, their mechanisms of action, and how they can be used to address the modern mental health crisis.
Ayahuasca: The Amazonian Vine of Healing
Historical Use
Ayahuasca, a brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the Psychotria viridis plant, has been used for centuries by Indigenous Amazonian tribes for spiritual healing, divination, and connection with the spirit world. The Shipibo, Ashaninka, and Yawanawa peoples, among others, have long believed that ayahuasca allows individuals to access higher realms of consciousness, communicate with ancestors, and heal both physical and spiritual ailments. Shamans, or curanderos, serve as guides during ayahuasca ceremonies, helping participants navigate the intense visionary experiences and emotional purging that often accompany the medicine’s use.
Traditionally, ayahuasca was also used to diagnose illnesses and restore balance to the body, mind, and spirit. The purging—often in the form of vomiting—was seen as a necessary process of cleansing negative energies and emotional blockages, allowing the individual to heal on a deeper level.
Mechanism of Action
Ayahuasca’s psychoactive effects are primarily due to the interaction of dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) found in the brew. DMT, a potent hallucinogen, binds to serotonin receptors (particularly 5-HT2A receptors) in the brain, leading to profound changes in sensory perception, cognition, and mood. However, on its own, DMT is rapidly broken down by enzymes in the digestive tract. The MAOIs in Banisteriopsis caapi inhibit these enzymes, allowing the DMT to become orally active and exert its effects for several hours (Riba et al., 2001).
Neuroimaging studies have shown that ayahuasca reduces activity in the default mode network (DMN), a brain network associated with self-referential thinking and rumination, which is often overactive in individuals with depression and PTSD (Palhano-Fontes et al., 2015). This reduction in DMN activity allows individuals to break free from negative thought patterns, facilitating emotional healing and insight. Furthermore, ayahuasca increases brain plasticity, which may help individuals rewire their neural circuits in a way that fosters long-term psychological change.
Bufo: The Toad Medicine of Non-Duality
Historical Use
Bufo, derived from the secretion of the Bufo alvarius toad, contains 5-MeO-DMT, one of the most potent psychedelics known. While documentation on the traditional use of bufo is limited, Indigenous tribes in the Sonoran Desert, such as the Seri people, used the toad secretion in spiritual rituals to induce states of non-duality and deep mystical experiences. These ceremonies often aimed to dissolve the ego, allowing participants to experience unity with the universe and a release of psychological suffering.
Mechanism of Action
5-MeO-DMT acts on serotonin receptors, particularly 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors, rapidly inducing ego dissolution, which many describe as a state of non-dual consciousness (Barsuglia et al., 2018). The medicine is vaporized and inhaled, with effects coming on within seconds and lasting about 20-30 minutes. This intense, short-duration experience can lead to significant emotional and psychological breakthroughs, especially in the context of trauma and depression.
Bufo’s mechanism of action involves a global increase in brain connectivity, which helps facilitate the breakdown of rigid neural patterns associated with trauma and negative thought cycles. The rapidity of its onset, combined with its profound effects on consciousness, makes it a powerful tool for therapeutic intervention in settings where emotional and psychological release is necessary.
San Pedro: The Sacred Cactus of the Andes
Historical Use
San Pedro, or Echinopsis pachanoi, has been used for over 3,000 years in the Andean regions of South America. Indigenous cultures such as the Chavín and Moche civilizations used the cactus in healing ceremonies to diagnose illness, commune with ancestors, and foster connection with nature and the cosmos. Curanderos continue to lead San Pedro ceremonies today, emphasizing the medicine’s role in heart-opening experiences, emotional healing, and connection with the natural world.
San Pedro is associated with a gentle yet profound effect, allowing individuals to release emotional pain and gain clarity about their life’s purpose. The ceremonies often take place outdoors, deepening participants’ connection to the environment and fostering a sense of interconnectedness with all living beings.
Mechanism of Action
San Pedro’s active compound is mescaline, a naturally occurring psychedelic that interacts with serotonin (5-HT2A) and dopamine receptors. Mescaline induces alterations in sensory perception and mood, often leading to vivid visual hallucinations, heightened emotional awareness, and an expansive sense of empathy (Nichols, 2016). By modulating serotonin activity, mescaline facilitates the processing of repressed emotions and trauma, creating opportunities for deep emotional release and healing.
The medicine’s ability to quiet the DMN, like ayahuasca, allows for greater introspection and a break from habitual negative thought patterns. It also increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, which is involved in higher cognitive functions such as emotional regulation and decision-making, helping individuals cultivate emotional resilience and self-compassion.
Kambo: The Frog Medicine of Cleansing
Historical Use
Kambo, a secretion from the Phyllomedusa bicolor tree frog, has been used for centuries by Indigenous tribes of the Amazon, particularly the Matsés and Katukina peoples. Traditionally, kambo was used as a purgative to cleanse the body of toxins, enhance physical stamina, and improve hunting abilities. Kambo ceremonies often involved applying the secretion to small burns on the skin, allowing the medicine to enter the lymphatic system and induce intense purging.
In addition to its physical effects, kambo was believed to cleanse the spirit and remove negative energies that could block emotional and spiritual well-being. The purging process, which involves vomiting, sweating, and sometimes diarrhea, is seen as a necessary release of toxins—both physical and emotional.
Mechanism of Action
Kambo contains a complex mixture of bioactive peptides, including phyllokinin, phyllomedusin, and dermorphin, which interact with the body’s receptors to produce a range of physiological effects. These peptides are thought to enhance the immune system, reduce inflammation, and improve circulation (Erspamer et al., 1993). The purging process triggered by kambo helps the body expel toxins and stimulates the liver, kidneys, and digestive system.
While the biochemical effects of kambo are primarily physical, the medicine’s use in ceremonial settings is associated with emotional and spiritual cleansing. Participants often report feeling lighter, clearer, and more connected to their bodies and emotions after a kambo ceremony, suggesting that the medicine may help release emotional blockages stored in the body.
Combining Tradition and Biochemistry for Modern Healing
The ceremonial use of these four powerful medicines—ayahuasca, bufo, San Pedro, and kambo—offers a unique intersection of ancient wisdom and modern biochemistry. Their traditional roles in spiritual and emotional healing are now being validated by scientific research, which highlights their potential to address the root causes of trauma, anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions. The mechanisms of action, whether through the modulation of serotonin and dopamine or the stimulation of the body’s immune system, align with their historical uses in facilitating emotional release and spiritual growth.
These medicines, when used in a ceremonial context under the guidance of trained shamans, offer a pathway to healing that addresses not just the symptoms but the underlying causes of modern mental health challenges. As the world faces increasing rates of mental health disorders, the integration of these traditional healing practices into modern therapeutic frameworks may provide a necessary solution to the limitations of conventional treatments.
References
Barsuglia, J. P., Davis, A. K., Palmer, R., Lancelotta, R., Windham-Herman, A. M., Peterson, K. J., & Griffiths, R. R. (2018). 5-MeO-DMT and mystical experiences: A qualitative study of experiences in naturalistic settings. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 32(7), 779-792.
Erspamer, V., Erspamer, G. F., & Cei, J. M. (1993). Biogenic amines and active polypeptides in the skin of amphibians. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 225(2), 357-365.
Nichols, D. E. (2016). Psychedelics. Pharmacological Reviews, 68(2), 264-355.
Palhano-Fontes, F., Barreto, D., Onias, H., Andrade, K. C., Novaes, M. M., Pessoa, J. A., ... & Riba, J. (2015). Rapid antidepressant effects of the psychedelic ayahuasca in treatment-resistant depression: A randomized placebo-controlled trial. Psychological Medicine, 49(4), 655-663.
Riba, J., McIlhenny, E. H., Valle, M., Bouso, J. C., & Barker, S. A. (2001). Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 15(3), 214-228.
World Health Organization. (2021). Mental health and COVID-19. Retrieved from https://www.who.int