Crossing orthodox boundaries: the emergence of ayahuasca use in the ultra-orthodox (Haredi) world

This presentation introduces a first-of-its-kind study examining the emergence of ayahuasca and other psychedelic practices within the Jewish Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) community—one of the most insular and religiously conservative groups in contemporary Judaism and beyond. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 23 Haredi participants (12 in Israel and 11 in the United States), analysis of rabbinic rulings and religious Q&A forums, and participant observation in Haredi ayahuasca ceremonies, the study explores how psychedelics are adopted, adapted, and contested within a rigid orthodox theological and social framework.

The presentation first describes Haredi-adapted ayahuasca ceremonies, a novel ritual context in which traditional ayahuasca practices are transformed and reconfigured to fit ultra-Orthodox religious settings. It then presents four central themes identified through inductive thematic analysis: (1) motivations for ayahuasca use, primarily framed in terms of therapy, curiosity, and spirituality; (2) the phenomenology of Haredi ayahusca experiences, often articulated through Jewish mystical imagery, iconography, and biblical experiences; (3) post-ayahuasca religious transformations, including both intensified religious commitment and more individualized and flexible forms of religiosity; and (4) religious tensions and strategies of negotiation surrounding psychedelic use, particularly in relation to gender issues, religious authority, and concerns about idolatry.

Overall, the presentation demonstrates how psychedelics enter extreme religious cultures and are actively reinterpreted, regulated, and transformed within them. It further highlights how psychedelic experiences and long-term outcomes are shaped by cultural and theological frameworks, as well as structures of religious authority, underscoring the need for culturally informed research in psychedelic science.