Ayahuasca Scientific Research with Dr. Dan Engle
Dr. Dan Engle is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance.
His medical degree is from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His psychiatry residency degree is from the University of Colorado in Denver, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship degree is from Oregon Health & Science University.
Dr. Engle is an international consultant to several global healing centers facilitating the use of long-standing indigenous plant medicines for healing and awakening. He is the Founder and Medical Director of Kuya Institute for Transformational Medicine in Austin, Texas; Full Spectrum Medicine, a psychedelic integration and educational platform; and Thank You Life, a non-profit funding stream supporting access to psychedelic therapies.
Dr. Engle is the author of The Concussion Repair Manual: A Practical Guide to Recovering from Traumatic Brain Injuries, as well as his new book, A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy.
Dr. Engle shares how he sees ayahuasca and other plant medicines as a bridge between traditional medical practices and contemporary medicine. This is particularly the case in the field of psychology. Ayahuasca can have the ability to create visionary states that lend insight into what individuals find most important at a deep subconscious level.
There are ongoing efforts to understand the possible uses of ayahuasca as a tool in integrative therapy. Dr. Engle has particular experience applying it in TBI therapies. He describes what he has observed in how ayahuasca can create synaptic genesis and stimulate the growth of brain cells. This has huge implications for treating neurodegenerative conditions.
Dr. Engle goes on to describe some of the scientific research surrounding ayahuasca. Its ability to treat a number of conditions has been closely examined in recent decades. This includes its effects on such a large range of issues including chronic inflammatory bowel conditions, addiction, depression, and brain injury.
In this episode:
The potential of ayahuasca to lend insight into unconscious desires
Uses of ayahuasca in integrative psychology and TBI treatments
What ayahuasca is and the active chemicals it contains
Known contraindications of ayahuasca
The findings of many of the research projects focusing on ayahuasca
Ayahuasca’s potential to treat addiction
The lasting positive and negative effects of ayahuasca use
Quotes:
“The opening that happens when medicines are facilitated well is orders of magnitude more powerful than the opening that I had experienced in talk therapy.” [6:30]
“If you have brain trauma, or a neuro deficit or hypoactivity, many people feel like their brains come back online.” [19:16]
“We started studying it. But we’re still in our infancy of understanding, whereas the traditional cultures have been working with this medicine for thousands of years.” [31:14]
“The medicines are not here to save us. They aren’t here to fix us. The medicines are here to show us truth in our path. It’s still our work to do.” [50:05]
Note from Dr. Engle: The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical recommendation, diagnosis, or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one’s own discretion, and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in these medicines, and the current variable widespread illegality of their usage.