---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea of going down to Central or…"
description: "\"The idea of going down to Central or South American and taking ayahuasca and shitting my pants and puking in a circle of overprivileged white people is..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png"
---

#  The idea of going down to Central or South American and…

![“The idea of going down to Central or South American and taking ayahuasca and shitting my pants and puking in a circle of overprivileged white people is not my idea of a good time. That's not going to happen.” quote by Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png)

> “The idea of going down to Central or South American and taking ayahuasca and shitting my pants and puking in a circle of overprivileged white people is not my idea of a good time. That's not going to happen.”

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker rejects a stereotypical, privileged, psychedelic tourism experience as undesirable.

**In simple terms:** Rejecting superficial, privileged drug trips.

Key Takeaway

Avoid exploitative experiences.

Themes

culture privilege psychedelics travel authenticity

Mood

critical skeptical

Type

cautionary observational

When to use this quote

- tourist retreats
- wellness festivals
- elite gatherings
- personal boundaries

Key Concepts

colonialism spiritual tourism identity social critique

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives people to seek such experiences?
- How can authentic growth be pursued responsibly?

A Different Perspective

Such trips can still be meaningful for some participants.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ayahuasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ayahuasca/) [Ayahuasca Shitting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ayahuasca-shitting-4248736/) [Circles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circles/) [Good times](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-times/) [Happens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happens/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Overprivileged White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/overprivileged-white-4248739/) [Pants](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pants/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Puking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puking/) [Puking Circle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/puking-circle-4248738/) [South](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south/) [Taking Ayahuasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taking-ayahuasca-4248737/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white/) [White people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-people/)

## Related quotes

> [A lot of things occurred to me with shamans in Peru.There were a number of different kinds of experiences that you learn from doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-alan-wolf/a-lot-of-things-occurred-to-me-with-shamans-in-peru-there-were-a/)

[Fred Alan Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-alan-wolf/)

> [You get on the radio by writing your own songs. But we had the dilemma of not being able to play anywhere because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-kramer/you-get-on-the-radio-by-writing-your-own-songs-but-we-had-the-dilemma/)

[Wayne Kramer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-kramer/)

> [“There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you old friends.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-is-nothing-like-puking-with-somebody-to-make-you-old-friends/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [The stuffing/puking/stuffing/puking/stuffing/puking didn't make her skinny, it made her cry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-halse-anderson/the-stuffing-puking-stuffing-puking-stuffing-puking-didn-t-make-her/)

[Laurie Halse Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-halse-anderson/)

> [I've learned that you can keep puking long after you think you're finished.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-ve-learned-that-you-can-keep-puking-long-after-you-think-you-re/)

[Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/)

> [You know they say that pregnant women glow and their hair's wonderful? Well I never got to that bit. I just remember feeling sick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanni-grey-thompson/you-know-they-say-that-pregnant-women-glow-and-their-hair-s-wonderful/)

[Tanni Grey-Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanni-grey-thompson/)

> [“You told Detective Stotts you think a wild storm is coming.” “I thought you were puking.” “Not with my ears,” he said.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-monk/you-told-detective-stotts-you-think-a-wild-storm-is-coming-i-thought/)

[Devon Monk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-monk/)

> [“What everyone agreed was not very nice, was the way Clémence had carried on. Obviously, she wasn't the kind of girl you'd ask again:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eacute-mile-zola/what-everyone-agreed-was-not-very-nice-was-the-way-cl-mence-had/)

[Eacute;mile Zola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eacute-mile-zola/)

> [“The entertainment palled. Fatigue like gravitation pulled at limbs and eyelids. As they had come so they departed, first Abbzug, then the two women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-abbey/the-entertainment-palled-fatigue-like-gravitation-pulled-at-limbs-and/)

[Edward Abbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-abbey/)

> [There is nothing like puking with somebody to make you into old friends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/there-is-nothing-like-puking-with-somebody-to-make-you-into-old/)

[Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/)

> [You know you've got problems when your head is hanging over the toilet, puking up your dinner, and what you're thinking of is your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-lo/you-know-you-ve-got-problems-when-your-head-is-hanging-over-the/)

[Teresa Lo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-lo/)

> [I've got this rep as a party boy, but the only show I've ever missed was when I had food poisoning from an Australian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-fielding/i-ve-got-this-rep-as-a-party-boy-but-the-only-show-i-ve-ever-missed/)

[Noel Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-fielding/)

> [“I can honestly say, with complete disappointment, that I have never purged in my life, because I have what I call a barfing disorder.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/i-can-honestly-say-with-complete-disappointment-that-i-have-never/)

[Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/)

> [So are you an inmate or a rubbernecker?" she asks. "Rubbernecker," I answer without hesitation. "You?" "I'm a screw. Or on staff, anyway. Used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-beukes/so-are-you-an-inmate-or-a-rubbernecker-she-asks-rubbernecker-i-answer/)

[Lauren Beukes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-beukes/)

> [When my pals in high school were starting to drink, it always looked unappealing to me. I would be at a big party and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-griffin/when-my-pals-in-high-school-were-starting-to-drink-it-always-looked/)

[Kathy Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-griffin/)

## More by Ayelet Waldman

> [What I do with my kids is - and I think they probably do ignore us - is No Alcohol. If they're drunk they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/what-i-do-with-my-kids-is-and-i-think-they-probably-do-ignore-us-is/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [You know, I feel like my job is to write a book. Then filmmakers come and they make a movie. And they're two really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/you-know-i-feel-like-my-job-is-to-write-a-book-then-filmmakers-come/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I went from resenting my mother-in-law to accepting her, finally to appreciating her. What appeared to be her diffidence when I was first married,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-went-from-resenting-my-mother-in-law-to-accepting-her-finally-to/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Courage is impulsive; it is narcissism tempered with nihilism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/courage-is-impulsive-it-is-narcissism-tempered-with-nihilism/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Most writers spend their lives standing a little apart from the crowd, watching and listening and hoping to catch that tiny hint of despair,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/most-writers-spend-their-lives-standing-a-little-apart-from-the-crowd/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [The thing about youthful offenders is that no one seems to care about them. Most people don't like adolescents - even the good ones…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-thing-about-youthful-offenders-is-that-no-one-seems-to-care-about/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I was born in Israel, to Canadian parents. My father immigrated in 1948, part of a wave of young men and women who came…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-was-born-in-israel-to-canadian-parents-my-father-immigrated-in-1948/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Lots of medications work for a month, or a year, and then stop working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/lots-of-medications-work-for-a-month-or-a-year-and-then-stop-working/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [If you focus all of your emotional passion on your children and you neglect the relationship that brought that family into existence... eventually, things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/if-you-focus-all-of-your-emotional-passion-on-your-children-and-you/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I think I wish I had never spanked my children, but I have. And they remember every instance like they tattooed it on their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-think-i-wish-i-had-never-spanked-my-children-but-i-have-and-they/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [With prodigious bravery and eviscerating humor, Roxane Gay takes on culture and politics in Bad Feminist-and gets it right, time and time again. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/with-prodigious-bravery-and-eviscerating-humor-roxane-gay-takes-on/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [Because of my bipolar disorder, I tend to these mixed states, which are depressed but loud and agitated. So I can be terribly irritable.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/because-of-my-bipolar-disorder-i-tend-to-these-mixed-states-which-are/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [It's hard to separate your remembered childhood and its emotional legacy from the childhoods that are being lived out in your house, by your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/it-s-hard-to-separate-your-remembered-childhood-and-its-emotional/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [“Even if I’m setting myself up for failure, I think it’s worth trying to be a mother who delights in who her children are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/even-if-i-m-setting-myself-up-for-failure-i-think-it-s-worth-trying/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

> [I hate homework. I hate it more now than I did when I was the one lugging textbooks and binders back and forth from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/i-hate-homework-i-hate-it-more-now-than-i-did-when-i-was-the-one/)

[Ayelet Waldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

[Explore all 136 Ayelet Waldman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/)

## More Ayahuasca quotes

> [“You're never alone if you're with your soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/you-re-never-alone-if-you-re-with-your-soul/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“Leave yourself alone, trying to fix your subconscious with programs and acts of will is tantamount to trying to start a car with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/leave-yourself-alone-trying-to-fix-your-subconscious-with-programs/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“It's impossible to fill the loss of one's soul with anything, other than yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/it-s-impossible-to-fill-the-loss-of-one-s-soul-with-anything-other/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [On the other side of the spirit veil, I spend more than a little bit of time researching the hallucinogens. I personally believe ayahuasca…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/on-the-other-side-of-the-spirit-veil-i-spend-more-than-a-little-bit/)

[Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/)

> [“Don't think. Drink...ayahuasca.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/don-t-think-drink-ayahuasca/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [In truth, ayahuasca is the television of the forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-narby/in-truth-ayahuasca-is-the-television-of-the-forest/)

[Jeremy Narby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-narby/)

> [“Perspective shifted on why it must 'hurt to heal', and a series of questions kept coming to mind. I found myself wondering if these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-sodini/perspective-shifted-on-why-it-must-hurt-to-heal-and-a-series-of/)

[Jennifer Sodini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-sodini/)

> [“First time I died on Ayahuasca I was scared to death. And then, I realized that I was no longer afraid to die. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/first-time-i-died-on-ayahuasca-i-was-scared-to-death-and-then-i/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“Reconnecting with your soul is painful, but the benefits are everlasting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/reconnecting-with-your-soul-is-painful-but-the-benefits-are/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“The key to all of your behaviors is hidden in a box that you can’t open using normal tools, your subconscious needs a different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/the-key-to-all-of-your-behaviors-is-hidden-in-a-box-that-you-can-t/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [Over the course of four rough, ego-shattering hours, the ayahuasca shows me that opening myself to love of Zoe and all others is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kilham/over-the-course-of-four-rough-ego-shattering-hours-the-ayahuasca/)

[Chris Kilham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-kilham/)

> [“The scariest part of ayahuasca, the thing that scares us the most, is that we might see ourselves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/the-scariest-part-of-ayahuasca-the-thing-that-scares-us-the-most-is/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“The cost of claiming value comes with the time you invest in your dream. Eventually the price you paid for your investment pays off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-sodini/the-cost-of-claiming-value-comes-with-the-time-you-invest-in-your/)

[Jennifer Sodini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-sodini/)

> [“You already know everything, ayahuasca simply makes you aware of it!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/you-already-know-everything-ayahuasca-simply-makes-you-aware-of-it/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

> [“Happiness, is one meeting away, and it’s a meeting with yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-armond-powell/happiness-is-one-meeting-away-and-it-s-a-meeting-with-yourself/)

[Gerard Armond Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-armond-powell/)

[Browse all 51 Ayahuasca quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ayahuasca/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The idea of going down to Central or South American and taking ayahuasca and shitting my pants and puking in a circle of overprivileged white people is not my idea of a good time. That's not going to happen.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ayelet Waldman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-south-american-and-taking/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Ayahuasca"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-south-american-and-taking/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/90f/ayelet-waldman-3229_ayahuasca_the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-sou_1297458.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The idea of going down to Central or South American and taking ayahuasca and shitting my pants and puking in…” — Ayelet Waldman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ayelet Waldman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-waldman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The idea of going down to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-south-american-and-taking/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-waldman/the-idea-of-going-down-to-central-or-south-american-and-taking/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
