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 Infobae.com.
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.