Long-term users of ayahuasca may process emotional experiences differently than those who do not use the substance, according to a new brain imaging study published in the Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The findings indicate that regular ritual use of the psychedelic brew is linked to changes in brain activity patterns and elevated psychological resilience, offering preliminary evidence that its long-term effects may extend beyond acute experiences.
Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drink traditionally used in Amazonian rituals. It is made by brewing two plants: Psychotria viridis, which contains the hallucinogenic compound dimethyltryptamine (commonly known as DMT), and Banisteriopsis caapi, which contains compounds that prevent the body from breaking down DMT too quickly. Together, these ingredients produce altered states of consciousness often described as emotionally intense and introspective.
Interest in ayahuasca has grown in recent years, not only within spiritual communities but also among scientists interested in its potential mental health benefits. Previous studies have documented short-term changes in brain activity after taking ayahuasca, including increased emotional sensitivity and altered connectivity between brain regions. There is also some evidence that the brew boosts levels of proteins related to brain plasticity, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor.
Despite this growing body of research, relatively little is known about how long-term use of ayahuasca might influence the brain when the substance is not actively in a person’s system. This new study aimed to address that gap by examining emotional brain responses and psychological traits in regular users who had not consumed ayahuasca recently.
“Most studies on ayahuasca have focused on its acute effects, often emphasizing potential adverse outcomes. Our goal was different: we wanted to understand whether long-term ritual use could lead to lasting and adaptive changes in emotional processing and psychological resilience,” said study author Lucas Rego Ramos, a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. “Studying and quantifying beneficial effects is equally important — not only to uncover new therapeutic opportunities but also to inform regulatory science with balanced, evidence-based data about both risks and benefits.”
For their study, the researchers recruited 38 healthy adult males in Brazil. Nineteen were long-term ayahuasca users who had consumed the brew at least 36 times over a one-year period, typically in structured religious ceremonies. The other 19 participants were nonusers with no history of ayahuasca intake. All participants were screened for psychiatric conditions and were not under the influence of any psychoactive substance during the study.
To assess psychological traits, participants completed several questionnaires. These included a resilience scale that measures a person’s ability to adapt to stress, as well as standardized measures of anxiety, depression, and mood.
The core of the study involved brain scanning using functional magnetic resonance imaging. During the scan, participants performed a task involving emotional processing. They were shown pictures of faces with either neutral or negative expressions, such as fear or disgust, and were asked to judge the gender of each face. This task is designed to activate emotional brain circuits without explicitly asking participants to think about emotions.
The researchers then applied machine learning techniques to the brain imaging data. These advanced models looked for patterns that could distinguish between the brains of ayahuasca users and nonusers and could also test whether brain activity predicted resilience scores.
The psychological assessments revealed that long-term ayahuasca users scored higher on the resilience scale than nonusers. This trait is commonly associated with greater emotional adaptability and coping ability. However, there were no differences between the two groups in measures of anxiety, depression, or general mood.
In the brain imaging data, machine learning models were able to distinguish between ayahuasca users and nonusers with about 75 percent accuracy. The most influential brain regions in this classification included parts of the thalamus, parietal cortex, cerebellum, and areas involved in emotional regulation such as the amygdala and medial frontal cortex.
“Long-term ayahuasca users showed higher resilience and distinct brain activity patterns during emotional tasks,” Ramos told PsyPost. “In simple terms, their brains seemed to handle emotional situations differently — possibly in a more adaptive way. These findings suggest that regular, ritualized use may be associated with positive psychological and neural adaptations rather than harm.”
“Even with a modest sample, the analysis involved tens of thousands of brain voxels — each one a data point in this complex neural landscape. By using artificial intelligence to interpret these patterns, we identified consistent differences in emotional processing among long-term ayahuasca users. This pioneering work highlights how technology can reveal subtle traces of resilience in the human brain and opens the way for larger and more integrated studies in the future.”
Another model tested whether brain activity could predict an individual’s resilience score. This analysis showed a strong correlation, suggesting that certain brain patterns were linked to higher resilience regardless of group. These findings support the idea that long-term ayahuasca use might shape how the brain processes emotional information in ways that are behaviorally relevant.
“The results surprised everyone in the lab — myself included,” Ramos said. “Some colleagues even doubted we would find anything meaningful, and that was fair. After all, you can’t tell who uses ayahuasca just by looking at them — unless, of course, they’re wearing a shirt that says ‘In Ayahuasca We Trust.’ But the data told a different story. While users and non-users may seem identical on the surface, the brain revealed subtle yet consistent distinctions aligned with previous reports of reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms. It’s a humbling reminder that these psychological traits are deeply rooted in our neural patterns.”
The researchers noted that the brain regions contributing to group differences are involved in both sensory processing and emotional regulation. For example, the parietal cortex has been tied to attention and emotion regulation, while the amygdala is a key player in processing fear and social signals. These regions have also been shown in past research to respond to ayahuasca during the acute experience.
Although the participants in this study were not under the influence of the substance at the time of testing, the differences in brain activity suggest that long-term use may lead to lasting changes in emotional processing networks.
But the researchers caution that these findings should not be interpreted as an endorsement for widespread ayahuasca use. The context in which the brew is consumed likely plays an important role in shaping outcomes.
“These findings should not be seen as an open invitation for everyone to start using ayahuasca,” Ramos explained. “Our participants were long-term members of structured spiritual communities, where preparation, context, and guidance are essential parts of the experience. As Mestre Irineu wisely said, ‘Ayahuasca is for everyone, but not everyone is for Ayahuasca.’ This phrase reminds us that, despite its ancestral wisdom, the brew requires respect, self-knowledge, and proper integration.”
“In science, our role is to help translate this traditional knowledge into evidence-based understanding — not to replace it, but to bridge worlds. My scientific hypothesis is that by uniting these two ways of knowing — ancestral wisdom and modern neuroscience — we may one day help those who live in emotional suffering find new paths to healing.”
There are also some limitations to consider. The sample was relatively small and included only men, limiting how broadly the results can be applied. In addition, all ayahuasca users were part of spiritual communities that may provide additional psychological support, which could influence resilience scores independently of ayahuasca itself.
While these results provide evidence that long-term ayahuasca use may be associated with distinct patterns of emotional brain activity and greater psychological resilience, they do not imply causation. The findings point to associations that warrant further investigation and suggest that ayahuasca, when used in structured contexts, may influence emotional processing in ways that are measurable and potentially beneficial.
Future studies with larger and more diverse samples could help clarify whether these findings hold across different populations. Additional work could also explore whether similar brain patterns are observed in people who use ayahuasca in clinical settings or in other types of structured environments. The researchers hope to expand their investigations using newer technologies, including liquid biomarkers and more advanced imaging techniques, to better understand how ayahuasca affects the brain and emotional health over time.
“I’m currently in a phase of consolidating our research group and training new scientists,” Ramos told PsyPost. “Alongside that, I’m actively seeking funding to keep this line of investigation alive and growing. Over the next few years, I plan to bring back several ayahuasca projects that are already written but waiting for the right support — now using new technologies that allow us to tell a more integrated and precise story. To inspire this next chapter, we’re investing in in silico models, liquid biomarkers (the so-called ‘liquid biopsy’ techniques), and advanced neuroimaging methods. My vision is to merge these approaches so that we can better understand, at multiple levels, how ayahuasca interacts with the brain and mind.”
“I’d like to share that working on this topic was not easy — there was a lot of stigma from people who didn’t fully understand it. On the other hand, those who were familiar with ayahuasca welcomed the project with deep respect and gratitude. I feel honored to help bring this knowledge to the scientific community and to reduce prejudice through evidence-based understanding. My goal is to make visible what has long been invisible to some — to transform ancient wisdom into something that modern science can also see, measure, and respect.”
The study, “Resilience and Brain Changes in Long-Term Ayahuasca Users: Insights From Psychometric and fMRI Pattern Recognition,” was authored by Lucas Rego Ramos, Orlando Fernandes Jr, and Tiago Arruda Sanchez.
