DMT, the active ingredient in ayahuasca, has 'a larger proportion of new users' compared to other powerful drugs, according to Adam Winstock, founder of the Global Drugs Survey. Films like the cult hit "Enter the Void" in 2009 and the 2010 documentary "DMT: The Spirit Molecule," likely play a role in the recent popularisation of the drug, with number of people claiming to have used used DMT at some point shooting up from an estimated 688,000 in 2006 to 1.47 million in 2012, according to a national survey.
The drug is known to be a much stronger hallucinatory experience than other mainstream hallucinogenics, like ketamine, LSD and magic mushrooms, with users often experiencing a 'journey,' and when taken as part of a traditional Amazonian ritual, is often times performed under the supervision of a spiritual guide. Psychedelic tourism has also grown steadily in the last few years, with Western tourists heading to countries like Peru, Ecuador and Brazil to experience an ayahuasca journey.