The internet has made ayahuasca more accessible than ever - bringing the promise of spiritual awakening and deep healing to people worldwide. But in doing so, has it commodified a sacred practice, fuelling a rise in unqualified facilitators and a dangerous disregard for the cultural traditions it came from?
Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.
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We're joined by Bia Labate - Brazilian anthropologist, founder and Executive Director of The Chacruna Institute of Psychedelic Plant Medicines, and one of the world's leading ayahuasca experts - who has spent her career at the intersection of indigenous knowledge, psychedelic research, and the ethics of what happens when ancient practices meet the modern internet.
In this episode we investigate how social media transformed ayahuasca from a protected indigenous practice into a globally marketed experience, examine the ethical minefield of selling spiritual healing online, explore the very real risks of unqualified facilitators operating in an unregulated digital marketplace, and ask whether the internet's role in spreading ayahuasca has done more harm than good — or opened doors that needed opening.
(00:00) Introduction to ayahuasca and the internet's impact
(01:03) Bia's personal journey with ayahuasca
(04:09) How ayahuasca practices have evolved in the digital age
(07:37) Social media's role in shaping ayahuasca experiences
(12:28) Authenticity versus misrepresentation in online ayahuasca culture
(17:16) Guidelines for finding safe ayahuasca practices online
(19:58) The role of facilitators in healing ceremonies
(21:02) Navigating the real risks of digitally sourced ceremonies
(22:45) Cultural etiquette and the question of community control
(24:35) The genuine positive outcomes of ayahuasca's global exposure
(27:46) The paradox of ayahuasca's popularity
(29:26) Ethics and sustainability in a commodified practice
(31:03) How digitalisation is changing the ceremony itself
(34:16) What prospective participants should know before they look online
Key takeaways:
• Mutation of Sacred Lineages into Digital Commodities: Online advertising and social media algorithms have replaced deep, face-to-face community vetting with superficial digital branding, decoupling the medicine from its traditional lineage and cultural contexts.
• Rise of Performative Spiritualism: Visual platforms like Instagram have fuelled the phenomenon of neo-shamanism, where facilitators use curated aesthetics, professional photography, and lifestyle branding to project spiritual authority.
• The Distortion of Expectations: Digital hype often minimises the intense psychological, physical, and emotional risks involved, leading to a lack of preparation for the complex reality of the experience.
• Erosion of Safety, Ethics, and Reciprocity: The rapid expansion of the global psychedelic market has led to a rise in under-trained facilitators, cultural extraction without reciprocity to Indigenous communities, and a lack of centralised accountability for safety violations or spiritual malpractice.
If this episode got you thinking, check out:
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The Human Identity: Authenticity or Algorithmic Performance?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/YzU1NjhlYzYtMDVjNC00ODJkLTgzYjQtMzBhNDcwN2RkZTJi
Magic & Illusion: Secrets Killed 60 Seconds at a Time?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGI0ZGFmM2YtYTA4ZS00ZWJhLTg4YzAtMWUyYzFjYzU3ODJl
Guest links – Bia Labate
Website: http://www.bialabate.net
Chacruna Institute: https://chacruna.net/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC22F9iOhoGVWPiVlO9ueN0Q/featured
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/labatebia/
Further reading: https://chacruna.net/the-commodification-of-ayahuasca-how-can-we-do-better/
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