How one plant in Latin America can be deadly

Henry Miller was a British college student visiting Colombia who died a few hours after participating in a yage ceremony at the end of April.

Yage, or the drink better known in parts of South American as ayahuasca, has deep roots in many Latin American countries, used primarily by natives as a way to connect to the spiritual world and explore its secrets.

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And while thousands of people experience the hallucinations brought on by yage every year, for some, the liquid can be deadly.

Miller’s body was found dumped on a nearby dirt track after witnesses say two men attempted to take him to the hospital but he died en route.

The student has reportedly been attending his second yage ceremony near the village of Mocoa in south-east Colombia in an attempt to illicit the hallucinations yage is known for.

His first yage ceremony the night before had left him dissatisfied as he told a film crew, “I didn’t feel many effects yesterday from the yage and I’ve heard this can happen in the ceremony.”