After watching Enigma on Netflix, the Aaron Rodgers docuseries, we gett this question related to ayahuasca and athletes: “Is it a shortcut to self-discovery?”

Let’s start with the basics.

Ayahuasca is a psychoactive drink traditionally used in South American spiritual ceremonies. It contains DMT, a powerful hallucinogen that’s illegal in the U.S. 

These ceremonies are intentionally structured, often involving music, fire, fasting, suffering, and community. They’re designed to unlock something deep in the human spirit. Athletes like Rodgers are turning to them in search of clarity, identity, and peace.

🧐So… what do we think?

On one level, the research is promising, especially for people suffering from depression, trauma, or anxiety who feel like they’ve tried everything else. Some early studies show benefits. That’s why researchers are starting to take it seriously.

But that’s the thing, it’s early. Science still doesn’t fully know:

• Is the benefit coming from the DMT itself?
• Or from the ceremony, community, and suffering-before-joy dynamic?
• Could this just be a placebo effect of an intense experience?

Good research will sort that out. Eventually.

🔬Here’s what we do know right now:

Athletes are often put on a pedestal, high performance, high pressure, high visibility. But few are given the tools to build an identity beyond their sport. So they hit the pinnacle, the MVPs, the Super Bowl wins, and they still feel empty.

Enter ayahuasca, or so they think. But here’s what we believe at Hope Not Nope:

You don’t need to get high in a jungle to figure out who you are. What you do need is a process, a framework, truth, values, and real freedom.

You need community, discipline, and faith, not a psychedelic, to uncover the real you.

We’ve seen it: athletes who are spiritually grounded aren’t shattered by setbacks. They want to win, but their identity isn’t tied to it. They know who they are because they’ve already done the work.

We’re not here to bash ayahuasca and athletes who have decided to partake in said ceremony or dismiss spiritual experience.

We’re just saying… don’t wait until you’re lost to go looking for yourself in the jungle.

Start now. Take some time to figure out who you are and your core values. You can use our Free Thrive Guide available [Here]. 

Author: 

Dr. Dillon Caswell, PT, DPT, SCS

Hope Evangelist | Top-Selling Author & Speaker | Human Performance Expert