Article

2025-06-07 Caribbean-Latin America

American tourist, 41, died after drinking psychedelic tea at spiritual retreat in Peru

[NYP] 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.

Posted by Besoeker 2025-06-07 03:41|| || Front Page|| ||Comments [105 views ] Top

#1 Think of it as evolution in action.

Posted by Grom the Reflective 2025-06-07 03:49|| 2025-06-07 03:49|| Front Page || Comments Top

#2 Maybe the cause was something other than ayahuasca.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2025-06-07 05:00|| 2025-06-07 05:00|| Front Page || Comments Top

#3 In his Netflix series, Ancient Apocalypse, author Graham Hancock touts the use of ayahuasca and even admits using it himself with a Peruvian shaman. It's been used by the indigenous people down there for centuries. It'd be no surprise if there are unpleasant and unknown side effects but, like Anguper, I have to wonder if there might have been another cause for the man's demise. Still, if you're just visiting for a week or so in a Third World country where you have absolutely no local knowledge, it's probably not wise to be fooling around with such things.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2025-06-07 13:06|| 2025-06-07 13:06|| Front Page || Comments Top

#4 Probably wise to avoid anything that gives you visions of serpents...unless you really like serpents.

Posted by Abu Uluque 2025-06-07 13:09|| 2025-06-07 13:09|| Front Page || Comments Top

#5 Seeing a Conan level snake while up in Machu Pichu area would give palpitations.

Posted by swksvolFF 2025-06-07 14:23|| 2025-06-07 14:23|| Front Page || Comments Top

#6 Multi-organ breakdown sounds like a toxin of some sort. Perhaps a bit of mushroom or snake venom was added to the tea to punch it up a bit.

Posted by SteveS 2025-06-07 14:47|| 2025-06-07 14:47|| Front Page || Comments Top

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