Beyond Today

What’s wrong with ayahuasca tourism?


Listen Later

The psychedelic powers of a traditional Amazonian plant medicine called ayahuasca are attracting more and more tourists. It’s becoming big business in countries such as Peru where backpackers and travellers, as well as rich Silicon Valley types are spending weeks and sometimes thousands of dollars to drink an indigenous cocktail. It makes them vomit and hallucinate, but is said to bring spiritual enlightenment and help with addiction, depression and trauma. But a string of allegations suggests there's a darker side to the ayahuasca scene. In this episode we speak to BBC journalists Simon Maybin and Josephine Casserly who travelled to the Amazon to investigate.

Listen to Simon Maybin and Josephine Casserly's documentary Ayahuasca: Fear and Healing in the Amazon on BBC Sounds.

Presenter: Matthew Price

Producers: Duncan Barber and Katie Gunning
Mixed by Emma Crowe
Editor: Philly Beaumont

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Beyond TodayBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

90 ratings


More shows like Beyond Today

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,841 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,747 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,065 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,471 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,821 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,789 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,047 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,077 Listeners

London Real by Brian Rose

London Real

1,200 Listeners

Dan Snow's History Hit by History Hit

Dan Snow's History Hit

4,783 Listeners

Modern Wisdom by Chris Williamson

Modern Wisdom

4,036 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,221 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

743 Listeners

The High Performance Podcast by High Performance

The High Performance Podcast

553 Listeners

The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

The Rest Is History

15,632 Listeners

Cyber Hack by BBC World Service

Cyber Hack

1,606 Listeners

Honestly with Bari Weiss by The Free Press

Honestly with Bari Weiss

8,778 Listeners

ZOE Science & Nutrition by ZOE

ZOE Science & Nutrition

2,108 Listeners

Great Company with Jamie Laing by Jampot Productions

Great Company with Jamie Laing

265 Listeners

Where Shall We Meet by Omid Ashtari & Natascha McElhone

Where Shall We Meet

12 Listeners