The main objective of the present investigation will be to bring to light the ethnic roots of the plants used in the dieta process by the therapists of the Takiwasi Center and to reconstruct the process of buying and selling or self-production of the same, investigating the related biotrade practices. In general, a qualitative approach will be chosen, using the tools of ethnography: participant observation, semi-structured interviews and writing a field diary. Once the data will been collected, it will be analyzed using the conceptual tools provided mainly by disciplines such as medical anthropology, ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology; however, given the interdisciplinary nature of the research, political, social and economic issues will also be addressed. What is expected from the results of the research is the possibility of reconstructing a chronology relative to the implantation of the various medicinal plants used in the therapeutic process of the dieta with information on who taught their use, traditional knowledge, inherent practices and other data of an anthropological/ethnobotanical nature that will emerge from the fieldwork. Another expected result is to demonstrate the biotrado mechanisms of plants used for therapeutic purposes, the focus on the production chain and their self-production as strategies adopted by Takiwasi to enhance the agency and self-determination capacities of indigenous (and not) social actors of the area and to demonstrate how these practices are aimed at promoting health.

This research focuses on the analysis of the meanings that people attribute to "psychotic" experiences in specific contexts of the Peruvian Amazon, as well as on the ways of coping with such experiences and alleviating symptoms through the use of Ayahuasca. It will try to delve deeper into the forms and itineraries of use and consumption of Ayahuasca that aim to induce modified states of consciousness within healing rituals, analyzing how these practices are signified in terms of well-being or discomfort, healing, and response to situations in a given context. The research will focus on already existing realities of collaboration and comparison between different explanatory models in the treatment of psychological suffering.

This project is part of the field of environmental psychology and focuses on the study of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), understood as the body of knowledge held by a specific community or cultural group regarding the relationship between human beings and nature. This knowledge is expressed across various domains of traditional wisdom, including medicine, geographical knowledge of the territory, agricultural and food practices, and the understanding of climatic phenomena and the natural environment. More specifically, the project seeks to determine whether the therapeutic model developed at Takiwasi incorporates forms of TEK that characterize it, how these may contribute to the therapeutic process, how they may influence people's relationship with nature and their sense of connection and belonging, and whether they foster motivation to act in ways that help preserve natural environments.

Numerous studies have highlighted the importance of early attachment relationships in the development and maintenance of addiction. From psychoanalytic perspectives, the substance may function as a substitute for the primary object in contexts marked by deficiencies in the maternal bond. Likewise, clinical experience in therapeutic communities has emphasized the central role of the mother–child relationship as a key factor in both addictive dynamics and the recovery process. This project builds on this line of research and aims to explore how this relationship evolves throughout treatment at Takiwasi. The general objectives are to: (1) describe patients' relationship with the maternal figure at the beginning, during, and at the end of treatment; (2) analyze the qualitative changes that occur in this relationship throughout the therapeutic process, considering different stages of treatment (including the first ayahuasca ceremony and the first dieta as key milestones); (3) examine how the transformation of the relationship with the maternal figure is reflected in the recovery process (emotional regulation, autonomy, boundary setting, relationship with the substance, and integration into the therapeutic community); and (4) identify which components of the treatment contribute to addressing the relationship with the maternal figure and how they do so (individual psychotherapy, plant medicine ceremonies, workshops, the therapeutic community, and family work).