American tourist dies in Peru after consuming ayahuasca on 'spiritual tourism' trip

An American tourist passed away on Monday after consuming ayahuasca, a powerful hallucinogenic tea, during a trip in the Peruvian Amazon. The incident happened when he was taking a spiritual retreat trip to the country. 

According to the Daily Mail, Aaron Wayne Castranova, 41, died from ingesting the potent brew, which is illegal in the US. It caused a “breakdown that led to his death” after the tea impacted several of his organs, according to Narciso Lopez, the regional prosecutor’s forensic pathologist.

Castranova ingested the substance at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA, a hostel in Loreto known for "spiritual tourism" and shamanic rituals. The hotel management said that he failed to disclose that he was taking antibiotics at the time.

While Amazonian tribes have used the tea for spiritual and healing purposes, its popularity has surged among tourists seeking transformative experiences or relief from mental health issues. The drink is made from the bark of a vine as well as leaves from an Amazon plant that contains N-N-dimethyltryptamine or DMT, which is a hallucinogen.

The rise in use comes despite explicit warnings from the US Embassy in Peru regarding ayahuasca's adverse effects.

The US Embassy website states, “These dangerous substances are often marketed to travelers 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."

Officials have reported a number of incidents of US citizens dying or experiencing severe physical and mental health crises after consuming the tea. The embassy also cautioned that individuals under the influence of ayahuasca have been victims of sexual assault, injury, or robbery. Castranova's death follows a similar incident last year involving Maureen Rainford from the UK, who died during a similar retreat to Bolivia.