Download In this episode, Joe interviews Steve Hupp, the Host of Kentucky Ayahuasca, a new series on Viceland. Topics include Steve’s background and how he wants to impact the American Ayahuasca scene through his work. 3 Key Points: Kentucky Ayahuasca is a docu-series on Viceland about Shaman, Steve Hupp as he works with people seeking healing from severe emotional and physical issues. Steve comes from an unusual background of career criminal and bank robber, and because of his time in prison with a Peruvian Shaman, has decided to bring the tradition to the United States. Steve is careful not to mock what shamanism is by creating ceremony in the States. He wants facilitation to be done as safely as possible and is simply trying to help people through Ayahuasca ceremony. Support the show Patreon Leave us a review on iTunes Share us with your friends – favorite podcast, etc Join our Facebook group - Psychedelics Today group – Find the others and create community. Navigating Psychedelics Show Notes About Steve He was a career criminal who robbed banks It landed him in prison and put him into the same cell of a Peruvian shaman who had overstayed his visa and was probably doing some facilitating in the States His name was Guadalupe and Steve called him Loopy because of the things he was talking about But here and there Guadalupe would say something that would resonate with Steve days and weeks later that just made sense Prison He spent 4 years in prison He got into the federal system because he had beaten the state system so the federal system picked up the case Steve pleaded guilty and made a deal with them to give them their money back He also agreed not to sue the police for opening fire on him He was one of the first bank robbers released on a bond Religion and Spirituality Up to that point he was an Atheist He decided that something else was keeping him alive for something because of what he survived during the police chase Steve says he's seen how religious law worked by seeing gangs turn into congregations He says he is no longer an Atheist after having experience with Ayahuasca He had an epiphany that “anything is possible” and he decided he wanted to bring this to everyone He started to have coincidences that led him to facilitation Shamanism Steve isn't trying to defraud what Shamanism is, but he is trying to tailor it to the American way of life He says the Shaman in the jungle has a different context than an American does Joe mentions that people get upset about how the word ‘shaman’ is used Steve says ‘shaman’ comes from the Siberian word, ‘saman’, which means “to know” but has been branded by anthropologists He also says shamanism is the oldest world religion Joe brings up that so many people suggest doing Ayahuasca in the Amazon because that's where the spirit of the plant is, but he also mentions that the same type of biodiversity exists in Kentucky too Purpose Steve says they face reverse-racism because they can't work with native tribes because they are white, but he’s just looking to bring everyone together “If we don’t start helping our little blue sphere heal, it's all we've got” - Steve He said he had more fear transitioning into Ayahuasca facilitation than any bank he’s robbed because he had to put his name on it His intent is not to build a cult, he believes we are at the dawn of a new world and we are all in this together Helping Addiction with Ayahuasca Steve says he believes there are no addicts, just unbalanced humans Joe says he read recently that the term “addict” keeps people in their problems When he helps people who are addicted to drugs, and they drink Ayahuasca, they realize the drug is not the problem, but the guilt and the shame about using the drug is the problem Plant Teacher Steve believes we are intergalactic children We could use our technology and knowledge to better us rather than being so distracted by the ‘lines in the sand’ He says we could fe