US tourist dies after drinking hallucinogenic tea during ritual in Peru's Amazon forest
The 41-year-old man, Aaron Wayne Castranova from Alabama, died after drinking a trance-inducing brew during a 'spiritual tourism' trip in Peru's Loreto, a region on the border with Brazil, according to a report by the Daily Mail. The brew, known as ayahuasca, reportedly triggered a multi-organ failure.
Ayahuasca, which can be fatal and cause irreversible damage, is a concoction traditionally used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon for spiritual and healing rituals. Reports say the ceremony took place in a hostel in the Santa Maria de Ojeda community, which has become associated with 'spiritual tourism' in recent years.
According to hostel staff, Castranova failed to inform the ceremony organisers that he was taking antibiotics at the time he consumed the hallucinogenic brew.
Ayahuasca tourism has surged in recent years, with many retreats offering the Indigenous brew to visitors under the guidance of a shaman, with tourists often seeking it out as a remedy for depression.
Interestingly, ayahuasca is the same drug Prince Harry admitted to taking to help him cope with the death of his mother, Princess Diana. However, the US Embassy in Peru has explicitly warned American tourists against consuming traditional hallucinogens like ayahuasca.
'These dangerous substances are often marketed to travellers in Peru as ceremonial or spiritual cleansers. However, Ayahuasca is a psychoactive substance containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a strong hallucinogen that is illegal in the United States and many other countries,' the US Embassy's website.
Castranova's death comes a year after a British woman died at a Bolivian retreat known for its use of psychedelic substances. Maureen Rainford, a social worker, had booked a ten-day stay in October 2024 at the Ayahuasca and San Pedro Pisatahua Retreat. She collapsed during her stay and died about an hour later, despite CPR efforts.
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