Tourists warned about risks of ‘spiritual cleansing’ retreats in Peru
Visitors to Peru are being warned about the risks of participating in ‘spiritual cleansing’ in the Amazon area and Cusco.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office said shamons and other individuals offer the service, often referred to as Ayahuasca or San Pedro.
Tourists are given a brew containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT), an hallucinogenic drug.
"Consumption of this brew is not regulated and its interaction with existing medical conditions isn’t well understood," says the FCO’s updated advice for Peru.
"People have suffered serious illnesses and in some cases death after participating in these ceremonies."
It added that spiritual cleansing retreats are usually some distance from populated areas making it difficult to access medical attention for those who need it.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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