OBJECTIVE: Review scientific literature related to the effectiveness or beneficial properties of Ayahuasca or Yagé in adult population and verify whether there is a relationship between Ayahuasca's consumption and its therapeutic utility. METHOD: Transversal descriptive study and critical analysis of the recovered work through systematic review. The data were obtained from direct consultation of the Bibliographic databases in the field of health sciences: MEDLINE (via PubMed), The Cochrane Library, Scopus, Embase, Web of science and Lilacs until February 2019. The search equation was done by using previously calculated descriptors (MeSH), using Boolean connectors and applying the human filter. RESULTS: A total of 118 references were recovered which, after purifying duplicates and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, it was possible to select 11 documents for review and critical analysis. The field of study to address the therapeutic properties of ayahuasca was that of psychological-behavioral disorders. CONCLUSION: The use of ayahuasca as a form of therapy for various psychological and behavioral problems is proved effective and applied in South America, even in the scientific landscape. The results show that more scientific research would be desirable to better understand all factors influencing ayahuasca therapy. KEY WORDS: Banisteriopsis, Ayahuasca, Therapeutic uses, Mental disorders