An American tourist, Aaron Wayne Castranova , aged 41, died on Monday (June 2) in the Loreto region of Peru after participating in a shamanic ritual involving the consumption of ayahuasca, a hallucinogenic herbal tea . Castranova, who was from Alabama, suffered a fatal multi-organ reaction after drinking the brew during a spiritual session at La Casa de Guillermo ICONA, a hostel in the indigenous community of Santa Maria de Ojeda. According to the regional prosecutor's forensic pathologist, Narciso Lopez , the tea, which contains N-N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), can cause severe health issues, including death. Castranova reportedly did not inform the ceremony organizers that he was taking antibiotics, which may have contributed to the adverse reaction.

Ayahuasca, traditionally used by

See Full Page