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 lately 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”.
“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, co-founder of APL Journeys, which hosts ayahuasca
