It’s not the usual Tetley’s-and-a-quick-Hobnob, granted, but a new trend for drinking tea that is said to give you a spiritual insight is making its way over from the Big Apple to these fair shores.
Ayahuasca (‘eye-uh-WAH-skuh’) tea is thick, brown and tastes of mud. It can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and general spaced-outness. But 20-something women in New York are guzzling it down because, in between all the shitting and spewing, it can apparently open up your consciousness and give you a shamanic experience with visual and auditory hallucinations.
According to the New York Times, the hallucinogenic brew comes from the Amazon rainforest and contains N, N-Dimethyltryptamine (also known as DMT) – a controlled substance that is put in the same category as heroin and ecstasy over in the States.
So why are so many people trying it? According to the newspaper, a dose of ayahuasca 'is like 10 years of therapy in one night' and can be a 'purifying psychological journey'.
It’s a big hit with backpackers the world over – even the ones who wouldn’t touch pills or weed when they’re back home jump at the chance to experience a mind-altering substance when they’re exploring Columbia.
But drinking ayahuasca is not without its dangers. Earlier this year, student Henry Miller was found dead in Columbia after taking part in a tea-drinking ritual.
The 19-year-old, who was due to start uni in September, had apparently been told by the shaman in charge of the ceremony to go and seek medical help after his health ‘deteriorated’ following his drink, but then died en route to the hospital.
Still, that isn’t stopping the trend from hitting the UK. But if you’re going to try it, just bear in mind it’s not all, erm, shits and giggles.
'Most people seek ayahuasca with good intentions - they are not thrill-seeking but are curious, serious, or have specific issues such as depression,' Professor Dennis McKenna, of the University of Minnesota, told the BBC back in April.
'Thrill seekers are self-eliminating after a couple of sessions of vomiting. It is not pleasant or fun. It puts your body through the wringer - emotionally and physically.'
(Picture: Getty Images)
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.