Latest news with #AaronWayneCastranova
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
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.
News18
a day ago
- Health
- News18
Trippy Tea Turns Deadly: American Tourist Dies After Drinking Ayahuasca In Amazon
Last Updated: An American tourist died after drinking a powerful hallucinogenic tea during a spiritual retreat in Peru's Amazon. An American tourist's quest for spiritual enlightenment in the Peruvian Amazon ended tragically when he died after consuming ayahuasca, a potent hallucinogenic brew traditionally used in indigenous rituals in parts of Central and South America. 41-year-old Alabama resident Aaron Wayne Castranova participated in a shamanic ceremony at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA, a hostel in Loreto known for offering 'spiritual tourism" experiences. During the ritual, he ingested ayahuasca, which led to a multi-organ failure resulting in his death last Sunday. Located deep in Peru's northeastern Amazon basin, Loreto is a remote jungle region accessible only by air or river. Its capital, Iquitos, is the largest city in the world unreachable by road and the quickest way to get there from Lima is via a nearly two-hour flight. The region's isolation has made it a magnet for spiritual tourism. Forensic pathologist Dr. Narciso López told British news outlet Daily Mail that Castranova suffered from multiple organ failure, pleural effusion, and acute pancreatitis. It is believed that the interaction between ayahuasca and antibiotics he was taking, information he allegedly did not disclose, may have contributed to the fatal outcome. Ayahuasca is a traditional South American brew made from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine and the Psychotria viridis leaf. The latter contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful hallucinogen. While DMT is classified as a Schedule I drug under the United Nations 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, the plants used to make ayahuasca are not regulated under this convention. However, many countries have national laws that control or prohibit the use of DMT and ayahuasca, according to A blogpost by the ClevelandClinic said that though some individuals seek ayahuasca for its purported mental health benefits, such as alleviating depression and PTSD, the brew carries significant risks. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, increased heart rate and hallucinations. More severe reactions can involve anxiety, paranoia and in rare cases, death. A survey cited in the blog pointed out that while only 2.3% of users required medical attention for physical side effects, about 56% reported negative mental health impacts in the weeks following consumption. The Alabaman's case reminds one of earlier tragedies in Peru involving foreign tourists. In 2012, 18-year-old Kyle Nolan from California died after taking ayahuasca at a shamanic retreat; his body was secretly buried by the shaman. Two years later, British teenager Henry Miller died in Colombia after a similar ritual involving yagé, a variant of the brew. First Published: June 07, 2025, 20:19 IST
New York Post
2 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
American tourist, 41, died after drinking psychedelic tea at spiritual retreat in Peru
An American tourist died after drinking a psychedelic tea that caused a 'breakdown' of several organs while he was on a spiritual retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, according to reports. Aaron Wayne Castranova, 41, died Monday after ingesting ayahuasca — a potent hallucinogenic plant brew banned in the US — during a shamanic ritual at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA, a hostel known for its 'spiritual tourism' in Loreto. The hypnotic elixir triggered a multi-organ 'breakdown' that caused the Alabama man's lethal spiral, according to Narciso Lopez, the regional prosecutor's forensic pathologist, the Daily Mail reported. Advertisement Aaron Wayne Castranova, 41, died Monday after ingesting ayahuasca during a shamanic ritual at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA. Hostel managers reportedly claimed Castranova failed to inform ceremony organizers he was on antibiotics, which may have caused the fatal reaction, ahead of the ritual in Santa Maria de Ojeda's indigenous community. The mind-altering concoction, long used by Amazonian tribes for spiritual and healing rites, has surged in popularity among tourists seeking transformative experiences or relief from their mental health struggles — despite warnings from the US Embassy in Peru about its adverse effects. Advertisement 'These dangerous substances are often marketed to travelers in Peru as ceremonial or spiritual cleansers,' the US embassy website states. 'However, Ayahuasca is a psychoactive substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a strong hallucinogen that is illegal in the United States and many other countries.' Officials said that several US citizens died or suffered severe physical and mental health crises last year after consuming the drug. Others were sexually assaulted, injured, or robbed while under its influences, the website cautioned. Advertisement The trance-inducing mixture, made from a vine and leaf containing the powerful psychedelic, can cause 'irreversible damage' and death, Lopez warned, according to Infobae, an Argentine online news outlet. Officials said that several US citizens died or suffered severe physical and mental health crises last year after consuming the drug. Talita Santana Campos Embassy officials noted it can also lead to psychosis, neurological diseases, insomnia, and persistent hallucinations. Advertisement Short-term effects include nausea, vomiting and increased heart rate. Castronova's death comes a year after Maureen Rainford, a British mother of three, suffered a similar fate after using the reality-shifting drug at a Bolivian retreat, the Daily Mail reported.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Tourist dies after drinking trance-inducing tea on spiritual rainforest retreat
Aaron Wayne Castranova, 41, reportedly from Alabama, in the US, suffered "multi-organ failure" after having a hallucinogenic drink at a spiritual retreat in the Amazon A tourist has died after drinking a trance-inducing herbal tea while staying at a spiritual retreat deep in the Amazon rainforest. Aaron Wayne Castranova, 41, suffered a severe reaction after partaking in the hallucinogenic drink in Loreto, part of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest that lies close to the border with Brazil. The regional prosecutor's forensic pathologist, Narciso Lopez, said that Mr Castranova, who is believed to be from Alabama, in the United States, suffered catastrophic "multi-organ failure" that led to his death having drunk the tea, which is known as ayahuasca. The psychoactive brew is traditionally used by Indigenous cultures in the Amazon and Orinoco basins for ceremonies and healing. Mr Castranova was at a spiritual session when he collapsed in the La Casa de Guillermo ICONA hostel, which is in the indigenous Santa Maria de Ojeda community. This location is well known for its 'spiritual tourism' where visitors take part in psychedelic rituals under the supervision of a shaman. It is reported by the hostel's management that Mr Castranova had not informed them that he was taking antibiotics which they alleged caused the fatal reaction. Mr Lopez said that ayahuesca can cause 'irreversible damage' as well as death. It is traditionally used by indigenous groups in spiritual and healing ceremonies, reported The drink is made from the bark of a vine and local vegetation that contains the hallucinogenic N-N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT). Local tourism where visitors seek to take part in the spiritual ceremonies has spiked in recent years, with some seeking it as a way to improve their mental health. There is a warning on the UK government's travel advice for Peru about drinks which contain hallucinogenic drugs and are offered for 'spiritual cleansing'. It also says that there have been reports of sex attacks during ceremonies. It states: 'Shamans and other people offer 'spiritual cleansing' (Ayahuasca or San Pedro) to tourists in the Amazon area, northern Peru and Cusco. This often involves drinking a brew containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogenic drug that is a Class A substance in the UK. "This brew is not regulated and its effect on existing medical conditions is not well understood. People have become seriously ill and, in some cases, died after taking part. Spiritual cleansing retreats are usually far from populated areas, making it difficult to get medical attention. There have also been reports of sexual assault during these ceremonies.' It comes after last year British woman Maureen Rainford, 54, collapsed and died after drinking ayahuasca. The mum-of-three, from Romford, east London, had booked the £800 retreat at the Ayahuasca and San Pedro Pisatahua Retreat in the Bolivian Amazon last October, her family said. Maureen's daughter Rochel, 32, said she was told by a resort official that her mum had suffered a "medical emergency" during the retreat. She had complained about feeling unwell after drinking the tea, with her heart and breathing rate plummeting. Sadly, despite CPR efforts, Maureen died one hour later - before a doctor arrived. Rochel said: "There should be a trained medic on standby when hallucinogenic drugs are being handed out in a remote area. Eric [a worker at the retreat] tried to insist that she must be cremated in Bolivia as her body would decompose, but I did not want any cover-up." Rochel reportedly said that her mum's body was returned after she contacted the British consulate in Bolivia. She revealed that a post-mortem confirmed that her mum suffered a fatal heart attack.
