Kentucky Ayahuasca

First aired in 2018 on Viceland, Kentucky Ayahuasca is a docuseries that provides viewers with a gripping and fascinating perspective into the world of spiritual healing through the traditional Amazonian plant-based medicine, Ayahuasca.

The show centers on Steve Hupp, a former bank robber and, interestingly enough, shaman-like figure who operates a homegrown Ayahuasca therapy business in the heartland of America. Steve, together with his wife, Teri, runs the Aya Quest Native America Church nestled in Kentucky, where he conducts Ayahuasca ceremonies. With a unique combination of former convict now self-proclaimed shaman, Kentucky Ayahuasca not only explores Hupp's efforts to bring spiritual healing to those in need, but also derails viewers' preconceived ideas of where and how such a journey can take place.

What makes this show intriguing is its exploration of the transformative properties of Ayahuasca—a brew made from two plants native to South America—on people from all walks of life suffering from numerous issues. With originally no roots in any Native American practices or traditions, the Aya Quest church lays claim to its usage as a new form of soul-food that perhaps no other conventional therapy can offer. The series introduces viewers to people looking for healing from conditions like PTSD, addiction, and depression, framing their experiences as they undergo the church's unconventional ceremony.

Believers tout Ayahuasca as a potent tool for mental health therapy, while sceptics view its usage as risky, particularly as it produces hallucinogenic effects. Kentucky Ayahuasca therefore walks the fine line between serving as taboo-busting tale of alternative healing and a rumination on the broader ethics of drug use in our society. Hupp and the members of his church regard Ayahuasca not as a drug, but rather a tool for enlightenment, a pathway to confront past trauma and to free themselves from the chains of addiction. Each episode shows participants' journeys, including their intense hallucinogenic experiences, as they seek relief from their torments and personal demons.

These journeys are not easily palatable for the faint-hearted. They offer raw, intense, and at times, disorienting experiences that induce both physical and emotional purging. While this introduces the element of spectacle, there's also a clinical detachment in the way the sequences are filmed, making clear the gravity of the intervention.

At the heart of Kentucky Ayahuasca, though, is the curious figure of Steve Hupp himself. Over the course of the series, viewers learn about his transformation from convicted criminal to spiritual healer. His mission, as he claims, is to use his own phenomenal experience with Ayahuasca to help others conquer their struggles and emotional scars. His interactions with each participant are characterized by empathy, care and a profound belief in the capacity of the Ayahuasca experience to offer healing and personal growth.

While broadly following a reality television format, the show also raises deeper socio-cultural, religious, and ethical questions regardless of viewer perspective. It delves into the issues of consuming Ayahuasca outside its traditional Amazonian context, its legality in the United States, and the ethics of such a potent element of indigenous ceremony becoming an alternative therapy in rural Kentucky.

What makes Kentucky Ayahuasca compelling is its undeniable authenticity, raw human emotions, and personal transformations. You see people reaching out to an unfamiliar and “taboo” means of healing, then you get to witness these individuals peel back the layers of their personal heartaches, trauma, inner demons, and eventually find peace.

Despite the controversies surrounding Ayahuasca's usage, Kentucky Ayahuasca makes you ponder, empathize, and wonder about the length people would go to find a cure for what ails their soul. Whether you agree with it or not, the show will surely give you food for thought, and possibly even guide perspective in thinking about therapeutic treatments that exist outside of conventional medicine.

So, if you're up for something thought-provoking that challenges conventional wisdom, tune into Kentucky Ayahuasca and join the journey of these brave individuals as they seek solace and healing in the heartland of America.