Ayahuasca Goes Hollywood

The explorative and healing aspects of ayahuasca are anecdotally well known to psychedelic enthusiast, but it would appear that these uses are also quickly making a name for themselves in mainstream pop-culture – more so than mushrooms, LSD or any other psychedelic drug.

Ayahuasca got a lot of attention last year when it was announced that Giovanna Valls, sister to the French Prime Minister, was undergoing ayahuasca based treatment for heroin addiction – and it was working. And it is not a unique case. The popularity of ayahuasca has skyrocketed over the last few years, with ayahuasca centres springing up all over the US, and many tourists across the globe flocking to the Amazon rainforest to take part in ayahuasca ceremonies. There has also been an increase in ayahuasca based research, thanks to the increase of psychedelic research in general. So it probably comes as no surprise to hear that ayahuasca is now making its way into Hollywood trends, and even movies.

CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENT

Celebrities such as Sting, Tori Amos, and Linsey Lohan have all done ayahuasca, and all found it to be a very profound experience. Lohan in particular, who has a history of battling drug addiction, found the experience “intense” and “eye-opening”; she saw the things in her past that she needed to let go in order to move forward.

It is a growing trend amongst the rich and the famous, and these are not the only celebrities to take their consciousness further with the sacred spirit vine. Not missing a beat, Chelsea Handler is set to take ayahuasca as a part of her comedic documentary series for Netflix, titled ‘Chelsea Does Ayahuasca’.

HITTING THE MOVIES

Even the recent movie ‘While We’re Young’ by Noah Baumbach features a ayahuasca ceremony scene. Whilst the movie is a comedy, and thus doesn’t take itself too seriously, it just shows how ayahuasca is slowly spreading throughout Western pop-culture. When Baumbach was asked where he got the idea to include an ayahuasca scene in the movie, he said:

“From observing, noticing that a lot of people started to do ayahuasca. Actually when I started writing, fewer people I knew had done it. But I found it interesting, and I thought that narratively it could be a fun scene to do. To have people participate in a ceremony that's there to probe some kind of inner demons or inner truth, but to use it in the movie to actually expose the inner demons and inner truths in the characters, to actually have it work.”

Without a doubt, the popularity of ayahuasca continues to rise. Be it for genuine healing and growth, or as a tool for recreation, the West is falling in love with this extremely psychedelic brew. It wouldn't surprise us if it becomes the next “must do” trend throughout Hollywood – not that this is a bad thing, everyone should know the potential of this life changing experience.