At 15, most kids are studying for exams, skateboarding, or meeting friends for ice cream.
But not Alex Renko.
The teenager, from Russia, describes himself as “ridiculously rich” and says he has now dedicated his youth to “travelling” with adults.
Alex says on his popular TikTok that he has already taken ayahuasca, a psychedelic traditionally used in indigenous cultures, at least four times.
The powerful hallucinogen is illegal in the United States because of the risks it poses to its users, including psychological distress and psychosis.
But many celebrities, including Chelsea Handler, Will Smith and even Prince Harry, have taken the drug in foreign countries, saying it “clears” their worries and helps treat mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Alex Renko tried ayahuasca for the first time when he was 15 years old. The Russian boy, who describes himself as “ridiculously rich” and who left school at 12, said it has changed his life.
The former Russian schoolboy, who describes himself as “ridiculously rich”, says he has now dedicated his youth to “travelling” with adults
Alex takes the drug along with adults and children as young as six on retreats that cost more than $1,000 for a weekend, after his parents encouraged him to try it.
While taking ayahuasca, Alex says he experienced “death”, passed through bright lights and even realized he was a god, as he encourages others to try it.
He said: “It was like I was dying… I transcended into a final portal that opened and I was in the infinite cosmos and it was like, wow, this is my home. My soul is at home.’
But some doctors have expressed concern about its repeated use in young children, noting that the brain is still developing and that taking ayahuasca could cause psychological problems.
The brain does not reach maturity until the mid-twenties, with peaks of development at ages seven, 11, 12, and 15.
Some suggest that if the medication is taken around these ages, it could disrupt brain development, increasing the risk of mental health problems.
Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris, a neurologist at the University of California, San Francisco, told DailyMail.com that his research, recently submitted to a journal, shows that adolescents may have higher risks from psychedelics, although he declined to comment. provide more details.
These concerns are similar to those raised about marijuana, which also affects the brain, with studies suggesting that long-term users are at increased risk of anxiety and psychosis.
Ayahuasca is a bitter-tasting drink made from the bark of a vine and the leaves of a shrub found in the Amazon rainforest and containing NN-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a hallucinogen.
The substance has long been used for spiritual and religious purposes by Amazon tribes and is considered sacred by some communities. But it has gained popularity in recent years in the wellness space for its purported ability to help people “reset” their brain.
Ayahuasca is illegal in the United States, forcing Americans to travel to foreign countries if they want to attend an ayahuasca retreat. However, some companies can hold retreats in the United States if they are classified as “religious” gatherings and receive special permits.
Alex says trying ayahuasca in Colombia and the Dominican Republic has changed his life
Alex now uploads videos online extolling the benefits of ayahuasca and urging others to try the drug. Two of these clips are shown above and have attracted a number of negative comments.
Alex tried ayahuasca for the first time at Ambi Retreat in Colombia, pictured above, where he said babies and children as young as six also tried the drug.
Previous studies have suggested that it may relieve symptoms for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and help those experiencing anxiety or depression.
Celebrities say they have taken the drug to help relieve stress, and Will Smith says it helped him realize that “99 percent of the things you worry about never happen.”
Prince Harry said he took ayahuasca after a therapist suggested he might have post-traumatic stress disorder.
At retreats, participants drink the substance (almost always at night) before experiencing a trip that can last up to six hours.
The concoction is blessed and delivered by a shaman who acts as your “guide” throughout the experience.
Users typically vomit within 30 minutes of drinking the drink, before beginning to experience hallucinations that last more than four hours. At the end of the trip, they feel an intense sense of euphoria and well-being.
Alex first took ayahuasca at the age of 15 at the Ambi Retreat in Colombia, and said he was inspired because he was searching for a “new reality” after leaving school three years earlier.
His parents also encouraged him, as his father quit his job, got sober, and lost 88 pounds after trying the drug.
During the first withdrawal, Alex took the drug three times in three days and described the experience as “crazy”, saying it had allowed him to get out of the “box” of his mind.
Alex said they used the drug once a day for three days and described his experience as “like dying.”
Alex says that while taking ayahuasca he experienced his own death, before coming back to life with a new understanding. He appears in the photo above after using the drug.
And he added: ‘Everything disappeared one by one until there was no more space, no more material. I transcended into a final portal that opened and I was in the infinite cosmos and it was like, wow, this is my home. My soul is at home.’
A few months later, he made a second retreat in the Dominican Republic, where he was accompanied by two of his childhood friends who also used the drug.
After that experience, he posted online saying he had realized he was a “God” and that his energy could merge with a friend’s into a “cosmic disco ball.”
After his travels, the teenager launched a social media channel where she posts about her experience. She now offers $3,000 worth of educational courses to guide people toward enlightenment and plans to work on ayahuasca retreats in Bali, Indonesia.
But critics are quick to comment, warning that he has taken the drug too young.
His lifestyle has also attracted criticism online, with one viewer commenting: “It’s easy to drop out when you know family money will keep you fed, drugged and housed.”
A second said: “My man only talks about himself and claims he’s had an ‘ego death.’
A third added: “This will be a three-part Hulu documentary in three years.”
Studies show that when someone takes ayahuasca, areas of the brain involved in planning, language, memory, and imagination become hyperconnected, making communication more chaotic, fluid, and flexible.
Scientists suggest that this is why people experience hallucinations and feelings of epiphanies after taking ayahuasca.
Dr Carhart-Harris, who led the study, said: “What we have seen is that DMT breaks down the basic networks of the brain, causing them to become less distinct from each other.
“We also see that the main rhythms of the brain, which serve a largely inhibitory and restrictive function, break down and, overall, brain activity becomes more… information-rich.”
Studies have also suggested that those who take the medication are more likely to experience anxiety than those who do not take it.
Dr. Larissa Carneiro, a religious studies expert at Duke University in North Carolina, told DailyMail.com that more research is needed on that topic.
Dr. Carneiro, who works with the Santo Daime church in Brazil, where young children receive ayahuasca as part of a medicinal ritual that has been carried out in that culture for decades, said the documents have only shown that the drug triggers the growth of new neurons in the brain, but they were carried out in mice.
He added that it was not clear whether this was a positive or negative factor triggered by the substance.
