In a frank conversation on the podcast, hosts discuss with facilitator Oliver Glozik how the plant-medicine Ayahuasca has surged in popularity across the West. They explore why so many people are drawn to it — and also warn about the emerging pitfalls of this rapid expansion.
The Context: Mental-Health Crisis + Psychedelic Renaissance
According to the podcast, a key driver behind the boom is the growing mental-health crisis in Western societies: high rates of anxiety, depression, alienation, burnout. Many feel that conventional medicine only suppresses symptoms, numbing rather than healing. In this climate, plant medicines like ayahuasca appear as radical alternatives — a way to reconnect with the body, the heart, and inner truth.
As Oliver puts it: in a world dominated by left-brain logic and overthinking, people want to feel again — to re-ground themselves in their bodies and emotions. Ayahuasca hits a chord there.
Add to that the influence of celebrities and public figures openly discussing their ayahuasca journeys — suddenly what was once fringe or taboo becomes fashionable, even aspirational. For many, it becomes part of a spiritual-self-development “renaissance.”
What Draws People: Potential Benefits and Promise
From the stories heard in retreats and the experiences shared by many participants, several factors make ayahuasca appealing:
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Deep inner work & emotional clarity: participants often report breakthrough insights into trauma, suppressed emotions, or habitual patterns of thinking.
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Connection to body & feeling: for those long disconnected from sensation or inner awareness, the brew can re-establish a felt sense of being alive.
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Spiritual, existential inquiry: in a mechanically-oriented culture, ayahuasca offers a gateway into meaning, purpose, and existential re-orientation.
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Potential relief when conventional tools fail: for people suffering from depression, existential emptiness, or chronic dissatisfaction — especially those who’ve “tried everything else” — the medicine may feel like a final door.
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Community and ritual container: ceremonies and retreats provide space for shared vulnerability, group support, and ritual safety — aspects often missing in modern therapeutic contexts.
For many, the popularity boom reflects genuine hunger — not for recreation or novelty — but for healing, meaning, and reconnection.
But Popularity Brings Problems: Over-Glamorization and Misuse
The growth of ayahuasca interest has a darker side. The podcast highlights a few concerning trends:
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Bucket-list mentality & spiritual consumerism: some people approach ayahuasca like a “thing to do once” — check the box, post on social media, move on. This attitude often lacks real intention or readiness.
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Short retreats with minimal commitment: a growing number of people opt for brief, 2–4 day retreats, sometimes just for curiosity or novelty — often insufficient for deep work.
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Poor fit between expectation and medicine: ayahuasca is unpredictable, and for many it doesn’t “work” as hoped. There can be emotional purging, nothingness, confusion or even distress. For those with no deeper intention, disappointment may follow.
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Unregulated industry & variable quality: as demand climbs, many retreat centers pop up — not all with experienced facilitators, good ethical standards or proper integration support. This increases risk of misuse, harm, or superficial “retreat-tourism.”
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Romanticization and cultural dilution: treating ayahuasca as just another wellness trend or recreational tool — stripped of its sacred, ancestral roots — risks trivializing a complex traditional medicine and undermining the depth it originally carried.
The Trade-Off: Healing Potential vs. Responsibility and Respect
The boom underscores a central tension: ayahuasca carries significant potential for healing and transformation — but only when approached with intention, respect and care. The medicine itself is not a silver bullet. Its potency also demands responsibility.
For retreats, this means honest facilitation, proper integration, psychological screening, and ethical standards. For participants, it means proper intention, readiness to face inner content, a willingness to do the after-work (integration), and humility to respect the medicine’s power beyond hype.
What Makes the Difference: Setting Intent & Commitment
As the hosts reflect, the difference between a superficial “psychedelic trip” and deep, lasting transformation often comes down to intention and commitment. Those who treat ayahuasca as a tool for real inner work — not a bucket-list experience — tend to engage more deeply, integrate more fully, and experience more sustainable shifts.
Longer retreats (a week or more), careful preparation, guidance, and follow-through are repeatedly highlighted. In contrast, the “short-stay, novelty-seeking” crowd often leaves disappointed, or with little lasting change — sometimes even creating more psychological dissonance than before.
The Bigger Picture: What the Boom Teaches Us
The rising popularity of ayahuasca reflects broader social and psychological undercurrents: disillusionment with reductive mental-health models; hunger for meaning, connection, and holistic healing; and a growing recognition that many modern ailments are as much spiritual and emotional as physical or mental.
At the same time, the boom warns us: even the most powerful medicine can be distorted by commodification, tourism, superficial usage, or cultural appropriation. Without integrity, respect, and grounded intention, what begins as healing can easily turn into exploitation or shallow consumption.
Final Reflection: Approach with Openness — and Responsibility
For those drawn to ayahuasca — whether as seekers, healers, or curious explorers — the message is clear: treat the medicine with reverence. Honor the tradition, choose experienced facilitators, allow time for integration, approach with sincerity, and be ready for what may arise — not just comfortable visions, but real inner and emotional work.
Popularity doesn’t guarantee quality, depth, or healing. But when used with respect, intention, and community — ayahuasca can remain what it has been for millennia: a sacred tool for transformation.
In the end, the growing popularity of ayahuasca is a mirror — not only reflecting collective longing for healing, but also testing the integrity of intentions behind each journey.
Based on the Ayahuasca Podcast episode “Growing popularity of Ayahuasca – pros & cons” with Sam Believ and Oliver.
Sam Believ is the founder and CEO of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat, the best-rated Ayahuasca retreat in South America, with over 520 five-star Google reviews and an overall rating of 5 stars. After his life was transformed by Ayahuasca, he dedicated himself to spreading awareness about this ancestral medicine to help address the mental health crisis. Sam is committed to making Ayahuasca retreats affordable, accessible, and authentic, with a focus on care, integration, and the involvement of indigenous shamans. He is also the host of the Ayahuasca Podcast.
