Finding Your True Self: Sam Believ on Ayahuasca, Healing, and Personal Transformation

Many people spend years searching for answers.

They try therapy, self-help books, meditation, career success, relationships, or financial achievement. Yet despite these efforts, they often feel disconnected from themselves and unsure why.

In a conversation on the Harder Than Life podcast, Sam Believ, founder of LaWayra Ayahuasca Retreat and host of the Ayahuasca Podcast, shared his journey from engineer to retreat owner, explaining how ayahuasca helped him overcome depression, discover purpose, and create a life centered around healing others.

From Engineer to Ayahuasca Retreat Founder

Before ayahuasca became part of his life, Sam worked as an engineer in the offshore oil and gas industry.

From the outside, things looked successful. He had a respected career, financial stability, and many of the things society encourages people to pursue.

Yet internally, something was missing.

He describes feeling directionless and increasingly disconnected from any deeper sense of meaning.

At first, ayahuasca entered his life through curiosity. Friends repeatedly spoke about their experiences and personal transformations. Eventually, the topic appeared so frequently that he began feeling what many people describe as a “calling.”

Although skeptical and nervous, he decided to attend his first ceremony.

That experience would ultimately change the direction of his life.

What Is Ayahuasca?

For those unfamiliar with the medicine, ayahuasca is a traditional Amazonian plant brew that has been used by indigenous communities for thousands of years.

The brew combines the Ayahuasca vine with a DMT-containing plant, creating a ceremonial medicine traditionally consumed under the guidance of an experienced shaman.

According to Sam, ayahuasca is best understood as a tool.

It is not a magical cure for every problem, nor is it something that automatically transforms a person’s life.

Instead, it provides access to deeper levels of self-awareness, allowing individuals to explore emotions, memories, patterns, and beliefs that may be affecting them unconsciously.

Why People Feel Called to Ayahuasca

One of the most common themes Sam observes is that people rarely stumble into ayahuasca randomly.

Instead, many experience a gradual sense of curiosity or repeated exposure to the topic.

A friend mentions it.

Then another.

A podcast appears.

A documentary shows up.

The conversation keeps returning.

Eventually, many people begin wondering whether there is something they need to explore.

For Sam, that curiosity eventually became impossible to ignore.

What began as an experiment later became one of the most important decisions of his life.

Healing Depression Through Purpose

When Sam returned to ayahuasca after experiencing depression, his intention shifted.

This time, he wasn’t looking for adventure or curiosity.

He was searching for answers.

Rather than simply providing temporary relief, he says the medicine helped him identify the deeper cause of his depression: a lack of purpose.

He realized that despite professional success, he had not found meaningful direction.

Ayahuasca did not magically remove all his problems.

Instead, it helped him recognize the path he wanted to follow.

That path eventually led to founding LaWayra, building a healing community, and dedicating his life to helping others navigate similar challenges.

The Connect, Heal, Grow Philosophy

At LaWayra, Sam’s philosophy is summarized in three simple words:

Connect. Heal. Grow.

The process begins with connection.

People reconnect with themselves, their emotions, their intentions, and often a deeper sense of meaning.

From that connection comes healing.

Participants frequently work through emotional wounds, trauma, anxiety, depression, addiction, or unresolved life challenges.

Growth follows naturally.

As individuals gain clarity and release old patterns, they often discover new possibilities for how they want to live.

For Sam, this progression reflects the natural journey many people experience through plant medicine work.

Addiction as a Symptom

A significant portion of the conversation focused on addiction and recovery.

Sam views addiction similarly to many trauma-informed therapists.

Rather than seeing addiction as the primary problem, he sees it as a coping mechanism.

People often turn to substances or behaviors because they are attempting to manage emotional pain.

If that pain remains unresolved, simply removing the addiction may not address the underlying issue.

Ayahuasca can help by bringing those deeper emotional wounds into awareness.

Once individuals understand and process the source of their suffering, addictive behaviors often begin losing their grip.

In some cases, participants report reducing or eliminating habits such as excessive drinking, substance use, or other compulsive behaviors after addressing deeper emotional causes.

Why People Fear the Experience

One of the biggest obstacles preventing people from exploring ayahuasca is fear.

Many worry about confronting painful memories, trauma, or uncomfortable truths.

Sam understands this concern.

However, he argues that avoiding these experiences often creates greater suffering over time.

When emotional wounds remain buried, they continue influencing thoughts, behaviors, relationships, and overall wellbeing.

Healing requires bringing those experiences into awareness.

While that process may feel uncomfortable temporarily, it often creates the opportunity for lasting change.

The goal is not to suffer.

The goal is to understand, process, and release what has been carried for years.

The Importance of Integration

Throughout the conversation, Sam repeatedly emphasized that the ceremony itself is only one part of the process.

The real transformation happens afterward.

Integration involves applying insights from the experience to everyday life.

This may include:

Changing unhealthy habits
Improving relationships
Setting healthier boundaries
Developing new routines
Continuing therapy or coaching
Following through on important realizations

Without integration, powerful experiences can fade into distant memories.

With integration, they can become catalysts for long-term personal growth.

Building a Healing Community

Beyond individual retreats, Sam’s vision extends much further.

He hopes to create a lasting community where people can continue supporting one another long after their ceremonies have ended.

Many participants form deep friendships during retreats.

Shared vulnerability, personal breakthroughs, and mutual support often create connections that continue well beyond the retreat experience.

For Sam, healing is not only about individual transformation.

It is also about creating environments where people can learn, grow, and support one another.

A Different Vision for Colombia

Another important part of Sam’s mission involves changing perceptions of Colombia.

For decades, international media often associated the country primarily with drug cartels and violence.

Sam hopes ayahuasca can help tell a different story.

Colombia possesses rich indigenous traditions, extraordinary biodiversity, and centuries of plant medicine knowledge.

As interest in ayahuasca grows worldwide, he believes Colombia has the opportunity to become known not for cocaine, but for healing.