Decoding the emotional brain of Ayahuasca experienced users: a pattern recognition study using fMRI

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychedelic brew that contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and beta-carbolines. In recent years, it has gained scientific interest with evidence of therapeutic potential for depression in clinical studies mainly based on changes in long-term emotional symptoms. Previous studies report that Ayahuasca modifies emotional brain reactivity, probably with a brain pattern similar to emotion regulation processes which is influenced by long-term experience, and possibly modifying the mechanisms related to resilience traits. The resilience traits describe the ability to deal with aversive emotional experiences, including withstand or recover from them and flexibly adapt in stressful conditions.