An American tourist has tragically passed away after consuming a psychedelic tea during a spiritual retreat in Peru, which led to severe consequences for his health.
Engaging in global travel to seek spiritual enlightenment is a practice embraced by many, with individuals frequently attending retreats, exploring mountain landscapes, and traversing hiking paths to achieve inner peace and tranquility.
However, the risks associated with one particular method of spiritual exploration have been highlighted following the unfortunate incident involving an American whose experience ended fatally.
Aaron Wayne Castranova, aged 41, participated in a spiritual retreat in the Peruvian Amazon, where he drank a psychedelic tea that resulted in multiple organ failure.
Castranova passed away on Monday (June 2) after ingesting ayahuasca, a potent hallucinogenic brew derived from plants, which is prohibited in the United States and various other nations.
Reports indicate that Castranova was involved in a shamanic ceremony at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA, a site dedicated to ‘spiritual tourism’ in Loreto.
According to Narcisco Lopez, the regional prosecutor’s forensic pathologist, the Alabama resident suffered organ failure as a lethal side-effect of the elixir, leading to his demise as reported by the Daily Mail.
This mind-altering substance has a long history of use in Amazonian tribal rituals, but has recently attracted the interest of tourists seeking relief from mental health issues or a renewed sense of purpose through its effects.
Despite its traditional role, the US Embassy in Peru has issued warnings regarding its potentially lethal effects.
The embassy’s website cautions: “These dangerous substances are often marketed to travelers in Peru as ceremonial or spiritual cleansers.
“However, Ayahuasca is a psychoactive substance dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a strong hallucinogen that is illegal in the United States and many other countries.”
Authorities note that Castranova is not the first individual to face fatal consequences during such rituals, with numerous cases last year involving severe mental health crises or physical complications linked to consuming DMT.
Alarmingly, some individuals under its influence have reportedly been subjected to robbery, physical harm, or sexual assault.
According to the Partnership to End Addiction, DMT is classified as ‘a mind-altering substance in the hallucinogen family’ capable of ‘altering a person’s reality, leading to dramatic changes in mood, thought, and emotions’.
Their website further explains that it can ‘result in special and spiritual experiences’.
However, hostel managers in Peru have suggested that Castranova’s adverse reaction may have been linked to his alleged failure to disclose his use of antibiotics, which could have interacted fatally with the drug during the ceremony.
The potent psychedelic is capable of causing ‘irreversible damage’ and potentially leading to death, Lopez indicated, as reported by Infobae.
The US Embassy has indicated that consumption of the drug can result in psychosis, neurological disorders, insomnia, and long-term hallucinations, in addition to short-term effects such as nausea, vomiting, and increased heart rate.
Castranova’s death is not an isolated incident, as noted by the case of Maureen Rainford, a UK mother of three, who experienced a similar reaction, as reported by the Daily Mail.