Most people travel to get out and see the world, but a growing number are looking to journey inwards with the help of ayahuasca, an ancient Amazonian brew with hallucinogenic—and potentially healing—properties
It’s been a challenging couple of years, but people are increasingly unafraid of seeking help, and even travelling thousands of kilometres to get it. In July 2022, Bloomberg reported that, according to InsightAce Analytic, the market for psychedelic therapeutics—substances such as LSD and magic mushrooms—could be worth US$8.31 billion by 2028, following growing interest among doctors and mental health professionals who see them as a novel treatment for conditions such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
One form of plant medicine in particular that’s piqued people’s interest is ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew traditionally made from vines and leaves found in the Amazon rainforest—the use of ayahuasca in the indigenous shamanistic traditions of South America appears to date back several thousand years. The drink is typically prepared as part of a ceremony, led by a shaman or curandero, and is associated with vivid visions or hallucinations that help participants to confront and release deep-rooted fears or trauma.
Athletes, Silicon Valley head honchos and celebrities have sworn the experience is “life changing”. In 2005, British singer Sting said it was “the only genuine religious experience I’ve ever had”, claiming there is “definitely an intelligence—a higher intelligence—at work in you during this experience”.
"With the help of this plant you can overcome your fears, you can overcome things that are holding you back. In the end, the process of overcoming liberates you.”
“Sometimes people are afraid of going into ceremony with this plant medicine, but there is nothing to be afraid of because you will never face anything that isn’t already in you,” says Boris Kon, a co-founder of APL Journeys, which hosts ayahuasca retreats in Spain and Mexico. “With the help of this plant you can overcome your fears, you can overcome certain things that are holding you back. But the moment of overcoming is not an easy one, and everyone who wishes to participate must be ready for this. In the end, the process of overcoming liberates you.”
In recent years, with a greater focus on mental health and deep healing dominating the wellness space, there’s been a meteoric rise in interest in ayahuasca among travellers. People from all over the world are flocking to retreats in Peru, Brazil, Spain and even California to discover what “Mother Aya” has to show them, with the hopes of a transcendental and transformative experience.
APL Journeys connects traditional Amazonian plant healing with a modern therapeutical approach, with a team of master healers from the rainforest, and therapists from Europe and the US. “We host our ceremonies in the most traditional way, with deep respect to the knowledge that Amazonian people have carried through thousands of years,” says Kon, “but it’s another thing to know what to do with the experience. That’s why our therapists step in to help our participants to find a way to make a real change in their everyday lives.”
As each “journey” is deeply personal and individual, Tatler asked three people to share their ayahuasca experience, including what they saw and felt, and what to look for if you’re curious about taking a trip yourself.