I first read about ayahuasca in a book titled 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. In it, the author describes his personal journey from a disillusioned hermit to a psychedelic evangelist. As a writer living in New York City, Daniel Pinchbeck was witnessing the soul-crushing effects of living in a world devoid of meaning. His literary friends were sinking deeper into depression and addiction, even reverting to suicide while he watched helplessly as western society committed ecocide. He knew the two were connected. Hyper-consumption and materialism were wreaking havoc, not only in the physical environment, but in the mental and spiritual environment as well. At the nadir of his own depression, he was sent on a series of assignments that led him to several ayahuasca induced experiences that changed the way he saw himself, the world, and our collective future.

My newfound interest in ayahuasca led me to another book…