Ayahuasca is not a substance to be taken lightly; it holds the power to induce profound, sometimes terrifying, experiences, and can even lead to permanent psychological changes. In the weeks leading up to my first ceremony, I meticulously prepared. I adhered to a strict diet—no pork, no meat, no sex—for a month, fasting and following all guidelines to ensure my mind and body were in the optimal state. The details outside of the journey, is its own comedically thrilling tale. The ceremony itself, well, I danced with the devil. This is as concisely as I can tell it: The effects took time to manifest, but when they did, the experience was intensely vivid and disconcerting. Faces around me began to distort, and the room twisted and turned in impossible ways. In the midst of this chaotic journey, a clear message emerged: I needed to go home, be with my family, and stop searching for something I had already found. Despite the beauty of what the experience should be, the so-called “shaman” had ill intentions and provided a dark “satanic” experience. As I was leaving, a feeling of a profound sense of peace rushed over me. The shaman’s parting words felt like a curse, but I was resolute.