The disciplined use of ayahuasca also provi des congre gates with a safe, well mapped route to the kind of transcendental spiritual experience that many people seem to be searching for in th e com pulsive use of alcohol and drugs. Thus , taking part in these religious groups tends to be a particularly effe ctive way of dealing with alcohol ism and drug addiction. In this regard, rather than trying to forbid any kind of induced alteration of consciousness, the ritual use of ayahuasca allows certain experiences of the kind. But at the same time it provi des a pow erful struc turing religious fra mework within which the congregate may work through personal and difficult life issues in a safer setting.