Fear of the Unknown

If we have never drunk ayahuasca before, it is completely normal to feel apprehensive simply because we are approaching something new and powerful.

Within traditional Amazonian understandings, ayahuasca opens a person to the influence of different energies. From a psychological perspective, it can also greatly intensify bodily sensations, emotions, memories and awareness of the surrounding environment. At times, this can feel uncomfortable.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: We give people the opportunity to become acquainted with the medicine gradually. No one is forced to drink a large amount or to seek the strongest possible effect. Smaller doses may mean moving more slowly, but they can help a person build trust, learn to orient themselves in an altered state and gradually release fear. At the first ceremony, we always begin with an introductory dose.

Fear of Losing Control

To some extent, ayahuasca asks us to surrender. This can be difficult for people who feel a strong need to keep every part of life under control. In the depth of the experience, the boundary between ourselves and the medicine can feel less distinct.

People who meditate or who have considerable experience with altered states often find this easier. They may be more able to remain calm and observe what is happening. Among Indigenous people of the Amazon, we can see how experienced participants may sit quietly even during very strong states.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Before the ceremony, we explain that clear attention is important during an altered state. Learning to orient oneself in that state takes time and experience with the medicine.

For this reason, we do not encourage excessive dosing. A very large dose can cause confusion and make concentration extremely difficult. If confusion arises, we recommend bringing attention to the healer’s song. The song guides the participant through the ceremony and helps restore direction and supportive energy.

Fear of “Going Crazy” or Never Returning to Normal

This is one of the most common concerns. It differs from a general fear of losing control because the person is worried about lasting consequences.

During an especially intense state, it may feel as though the experience will never end. It is important to remember that this thought can itself be part of the altered state and may not reflect what is actually happening.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Every applicant completes a health and psychological screening before acceptance. Personal and family histories of psychosis, mania and other serious psychiatric conditions must be disclosed.

Sober assistants also remain present throughout the ceremony. A participant can tell them about the fear immediately. They can remind the person that they are in a temporary altered state, help them reorient and provide closer observation when needed.

Fear of Disturbing Visions

Ayahuasca visions often reflect our inner state and energies. The medicine may illuminate different corners of our being, including places where difficult emotions, memories or what Amazonian traditions understand as accumulated negative energy are held.

Especially during a person’s first encounters with the medicine, much of what appears may not be pleasant. This can reflect the painful material or emotional weight that the person already carries.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Participants work under the guidance of an experienced Indigenous healer whose work and reputation have been verified over many years. During the ceremony, the healer remains attentive to the state of each person and guides the process through traditional songs and individual energetic work.

An unpleasant passage does not necessarily mean that something has gone wrong. At the same time, no one needs to suffer silently. Participants can always communicate with the assistants, who assess whether they need reassurance, closer supervision or another form of support.

Fear of Dying

Modern culture sometimes portrays ayahuasca as either completely harmless or extremely dangerous. Neither view is responsible. Careful health screening, appropriate dosing, transparent preparation and experienced supervision can reduce risk, but risk can never be reduced to zero.

Certain medications, medical or psychiatric conditions, an unknown brew and inadequate safety arrangements can increase the danger. This is why honest disclosure and individual screening are essential.

The fear of death may also arise for psychological reasons even when there is no immediate physical emergency. During a strong ceremony, a person may feel unable to cope, believe they are dying or become convinced they will die. The familiar structure of the ego may feel threatened and interpret its transformation as a kind of death.

Physical sensations such as intense nausea, a racing heart, dizziness or strong chills can also trigger this fear. These sensations may feel extremely convincing, which is why a person should not be left without support during an intense process.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Every participant completes health screening. Its purpose includes identifying dangerous interactions with medications and medical or psychiatric conditions for which drinking ayahuasca would not be appropriate.

We closely observe participants going through a strong process. We maintain an emergency protocol and can arrange transport to medical care if necessary.

Trust in the organizer, the healer, the medicine and oneself can reduce unnecessary fear, but that trust should never be blind. It should grow from careful preparation, open communication and the knowledge that practical help is genuinely available throughout the ceremony.

Fear of Fainting

We take this concern seriously. Changes in blood pressure and heart rate can occur during a ceremony. Standing up too quickly, fasting, dehydration, vomiting and an individual medical condition may increase the likelihood of dizziness or fainting.

In rare cases, a person may lose consciousness. A real danger is falling while sitting on a chair, walking or using the bathroom. Safe ceremony work therefore depends not only on the healer but also on sober assistants.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: If a participant feels faint or begins losing contact with the surrounding reality, they can alert the ceremony assistants immediately—for example, by saying, “Please watch me; the effects are extremely strong.”

The assistants then know to observe the person more closely, help them lie down or sit safely and arrange further care according to their condition.

We do not recommend an unnecessarily severe fast, such as avoiding both food and fluids for the entire day. This can weaken the body and increase the chance of dizziness or fainting. Helpers remain available throughout the ceremony and until morning to accompany participants to the bathroom and watch over their safety.

Fear of Leaving the Body

This fear can arise during a very strong ayahuasca experience when a person becomes completely absorbed in visions and loses awareness of the body. For someone who has never experienced anything similar, it can be a shock.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: No one is required to drink a very strong dose. A participant who wants to meet the medicine gradually can request an amount intended to produce gentler effects.

Gradual learning is also part of the way Indigenous peoples traditionally become acquainted with the medicine. We do not pressure participants to achieve the strongest possible experience within a limited number of ceremonies.

My personal experience: At the beginning of my own path, I was afraid of leaving the body. Later I discovered that these states often lasted only briefly—sometimes just a few seconds.

Today I value these rare moments because the places to which the medicine takes me can bring profound healing and inner transformation. I receive them as a blessing and a gift from the medicine.

Fear of Not Reaching the Bathroom in Time

This concern is understandable. Ayahuasca can sometimes stimulate the bowels very quickly, but the practical solution is straightforward.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Before the ceremony begins, we show everyone where the bathrooms are and the quickest way to reach them. At our center, toilets are strategically located only a few metres from the ceremonial space.

Helpers remain present throughout the night. A participant can call them by saying baño, and an assistant will accompany them when needed. No one has to walk alone while experiencing strong effects.

Fear of Nausea and Vomiting

Ayahuasca has a reputation for causing vomiting. Many people are afraid of this because they know vomiting only as an unpleasant symptom of illness.

In Amazonian traditions, vomiting during work with ayahuasca is often regarded as an important part of cleansing. It may be understood as a way the medicine helps remove negative energies and permits inner change.

Vomiting can also reduce the intensity of the effects when an experience feels too strong. For these reasons, we do not see it as a failure or something of which a person should be ashamed.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Before the ceremony, we explain that nausea and vomiting are common possibilities and are nothing to be embarrassed about. Sober helpers can assist the person, clean their place discreetly and monitor their overall condition.

If vomiting becomes repeated or especially exhausting, we observe the participant more closely and provide further support according to the situation, including fluids when appropriate.

Fear of Losing Dignity

Crying, vomiting, trembling, making sounds or needing help in the bathroom can feel deeply sensitive and vulnerable.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Our team is accustomed to these situations and does not consider them shameful. We protect each participant’s privacy and dignity as carefully as possible.

Help is offered calmly, discreetly and without judgment. What happens during a ceremony is not treated as entertainment and is not shared with others without the participant’s consent.

Fear of Trauma Returning

People may worry that memories will surface before they are ready to face them. A difficult experience should not automatically be “broken through” with a larger dose.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: We proceed responsibly with dosing and monitor each participant throughout the ceremony. An experienced healer may help significantly through an appropriate song, while assistants provide practical and human support.

Every participant has the right to slow down, decline another serving and ask for help at any time. With serious trauma, professional psychotherapeutic support before or after the retreat may also be important. A psychologist is present during our retreats, and the staff has received guidance on supporting people affected by trauma.

Fear of Manipulation, Inappropriate Touch or Abuse

This is an essential concern. Many accounts have been published about healers or assistants who abused a person’s vulnerability during a ceremony. The risk is real and should be taken seriously.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: Our work is grounded in long-term ethical conduct, respect for personal boundaries and the presence of a sober team. Our history and the experiences of former participants can be checked through long-standing public Google reviews.

Any touch during a ceremony must be appropriate, non-sexual and based on a practical need to help. Participants are told whom they can approach if another person’s behavior makes them uncomfortable.

Assistants remain awake throughout the ceremony, supervising physical safety as well as respectful conduct among everyone present.

Fear of Not Knowing What Is in the Brew

You may have heard of healers adding plants other than chakruna or chalipanga to ayahuasca. Some admixtures, such as toé, can carry additional dangers. Some so-called neo-shamans may even replace traditional plants with other substances or synthetic compounds.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: We openly explain the composition of our brew and how it is prepared. During the retreat, participants can take part in preparing ayahuasca, see the plants being used and become familiar with the entire cooking process.

Our ayahuasca is made from Banisteriopsis caapi vine with chalipanga or chakruna. We adapt dosing to the person’s experience and sensitivity and do not serve an unexplained mixture of unknown origin or composition.

Fear That “Nothing Will Happen”

Some people are less afraid of a strong effect than of being disappointed. This can create pressure to ask for dose after dose.

A subtle or almost imperceptible experience is not a failure. It is also unsafe to compare your dose or experience with someone else’s because people can respond very differently to the same brew.

How we approach this at Feather Crown: We do not pressure participants to take another serving merely because they have not yet experienced clear visions or an intense state. Any additional dose is considered cautiously, taking account of the time since the first serving, the participant’s previous experience and their current condition.

We also remind participants that the purpose of a ceremony is not to produce the most dramatic visions possible. Important work may unfold more quietly through physical sensations, emotions, inner calm or a new perspective on one’s life.

Fear Can Also Protect Us

Fear is not always the enemy. It can lead us to examine a retreat carefully, verify the safety arrangements and respect our own limits. The goal is not to eliminate every trace of fear, but to distinguish useful caution from anxiety that grows because we lack reliable information or support.

When we know that an experienced Indigenous healer and a sober, attentive team are present, we can approach ayahuasca with greater calm, trust and respect. That trust should be earned through transparent information, careful screening and the freedom to say no. Drinking ayahuasca is never compulsory at Feather Crown.

If there is a fear we have not addressed, you are welcome to mention it in the comments or contact us privately.

Would You Like to Learn More?

To understand what a first retreat in the Amazon involves, read our first-timer’s guide to ayahuasca in Ecuador. You can also meet our Indigenous healers and retreat team.

Before applying, please review our health, medication and safety requirements. If you feel that a retreat in the Ecuadorian Amazon may be the right next step, see our current dates and prices or contact us without obligation.