Tripping On Peyote In The Arizona Desert
“I would see faces in the mountains and on the ground; I could feel vibrations. At one point, I saw what looked like an angelic figure floating above.”
Despite its otherwise harsh policies towards controlled substances, Arizona is one of the few states that completely allows for the use of the psychedelic cactus peyote for religious purposes by non-native people, in addition to native people who fought for federal protections over their right to use peyote. Arizona also houses the only church in the nation that allows visitors to take peyote as part of a Spirit Walk, a ceremony that attracts people from around the world to the isolated desert in the otherwise sleepy town of Willcox, an hour east of Tucson.
Kevin, a 43-year-old substitute teacher from Page, Arizona, had no idea what he was getting into when he gulped down another sip of a disgusting drink made from the psychedelic cactus peyote, native to parts of Texas and Mexico. The liquid slugged down his throat as he took in his surroundings, a solitary spot under a canopy protecting him from the daylight’s harsh Arizona sun, a fireplace that would be crackling as soon as night fell, cozy spots to lay down and collect his thoughts, and a sleeping bag, completely surrounded by the isolated desert…
