The experiences of gay and lesbian people using ayahuasca. a doctoral project in clinical psychology at John F. Kennedy University, 2011.
This dissertation looks at the experiences of gay and lesbian people who have used ayahuasca in the past three years with at least one other person. Fifteen participants will be interviewed in a semi-structured format with questions relating to their spiritual and religious beliefs, their perceptions about their sexual orientation and their experiences with the persons they drink ayahuasca with. Participants are sought from a variety of settings, including the ayahuasca churches, drinking with shamans, or with groups who have other affiliations. This research attempts to explore the effect of ayahuasca on perception of sexual orientation. Because the interviews are taking place in North America, the results cannot be seen as universal, and the research will note the cultural differences that affect perception of sexual orientation. The influence of Christianity and the participants own comfort with their sexual orientation will be considered. The interviews will be analyzed using content analysis.