The Digital Dieta: Preparing for Ayahuasca in the Age of Information Overload

It is late in the evening, and you just finished a potent spiritual practice or read a good book. You are ready to wind down and enjoy a restful evening as you look forward to your upcoming Ayahuasca ceremony, but something happens. You may find yourself scrolling through your phone, checking messages, liking memes, or listening to your favorite personal development video. It is all fun and seemingly harmless, but beneath the surface, much more is going on. 

Despite growing research on the disrupting effects blue light has on the circadian rhythm and constant stimulation, the effects of digital noise and information overload pose a unique opportunity. Let's face it. As much as media and tech companies intentionally design their products to keep us hooked, a sense of personal power comes with reclaiming your time, attention, and energy away from the screen. This is often seen in the popularized practice of digital detoxes and biohacking practices like ice baths and neurohackers to optimize focus and presence. It is becoming more evident that digital hygiene is just as important as physical, mental, and spiritual hygiene. This is especially true when preparing for an Ayahuasca ceremony, which we'll explore in this article because no matter how spiritually advanced we may become, the digital sphere is part of the invisible web we swim through on a daily where your mind can feel cluttered and your heart heavy where you cannot seem to pull yourself away. 

Taking space from digital screens and stimuli is always a great idea, and if you are preparing for Ayahuasca, committing to a mindful digital break is non-negotiable. No, you do not have to hide your phone in the wall, but you will likely benefit from placing limitations on how long you indulge in screen time, what you choose to interact with, and how you approach technology. In this process, not only do you clear space for the medicine to work effectively through your vessel, but you are also able to witness unconscious triggers. 

You will catch yourself in boredom, allow yourself to feel discomfort, and delay instant gratification. This layer of self-awareness can be a great tool in supporting you during the ceremony as you move through the transformative (and often challenging) experience if the key to unlocking more profound peace and spiritual clarity lies in stepping away from the screen, adhering to a digital detox, perhaps adopting modalities like neurohacker, and recalibrating dopamine triggers.

From the moment we wake up, we reach for our phones, scroll through emails, and check social media. Even after meaningful moments, like reading or meditating, it is all too easy to pick up a device, continuing the cycle of digital consumption. This constant connection often leaves us feeling mentally cluttered, preventing us from fully detaching and experiencing clarity.

Studies reveal that exposure to blue light disrupts melatonin production, making it harder to sleep and achieve restful sleep. The result? Restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty maintaining mental focus. Over time, this constant exposure to screens can contribute to a foggy mind, making it more challenging to connect with ourselves on a deeper level.

Technology can be even more disruptive When preparing for spiritual practices like an Ayahuasca ceremony. Shamans, spiritual leaders, and facilitators stress the importance of mental clarity and presence before a ceremony. Being constantly engaged with technology can make achieving the necessary mindset for such a reflective experience difficult. A digital hiatus, especially in the days leading up to an Ayahuasca retreat, does not just help clear mental clutter. It also opens blind spots that hinder personal growth and development by surfacing unconscious patterns and their root cause. By stepping away from screens, we make space for true mental clarity, preparing ourselves to fully embrace the spiritual journey ahead.

The Rise of Information Overload 

Globally, people spend an average of 6 hours and 40 minutes per day on screens. That is over 42 hours per week, totaling an average of 3 months per year. Add sleep, chores, work, and other commitments like sleep, and the amount of free time we have to achieve dreams and make a mark grows increasingly slim. With a bustling sea of information, the impulse to grab a quick Google search has almost become second nature. However, as screen time spreads amongst youth and adults, the question may evolve from getting a 'dopamine fix' to something more profound. Is the virtual landscape to blame for certain behaviors, or is it a cloak that serves as a cover to diminish humanity's deepest coping mechanisms? 

The answer is less important as the relationship you form with the question. Whether tech companies are actively fighting to bank on attention or not, the decision to create healthy boundaries with the digital realm is a matter of commitment to personal growth and development. 

"I am a designer, I know exactly how the psychology of this works, I know exactly what is going on—but it doesn't leave me with any choice, I still just get sucked into it," Tristan Harris, former Design Ethicist at Google until 2016 admits during a presentation.

With the world in our pockets, the claims of information overload often get overshadowed by hormonal rewards like dopamine. Mainstream perspectives will often tout dopamine as the villain, but is that necessarily true? Can an unconscious chemical be the culprit of our downfall, or is it a matter of creating a space where dopamine can flourish in healthy ways? 

This is all not to say that hardware and software aren't both designed to promote mindless consumption. From algorithmic changes to new sleek designs, many know an entire industry is banking on our attention. So, how can we take an objective hormone-like dopamine and reclaim its neutrality in a world that tries to exploit the very thing it promotes—happiness? If you look at most of the information, you will find digital detoxes as the end-all to reclaiming all that technology has stolen from you. However, as with anything in life, there are neutral and extreme grounds. 

Digital Detox Defined

Digital detoxes are often portrayed as an intense purging of all digital pleasures, such as music, television, and social media. This practice is widely painted to reset the results of instant gratification and quick dopamine fixes. More often than not, dopamine takes the brunt of the deal as if it were a negative thing. However, is dopamine really the issue here, or is there something else going on?

As you near the ceremony and adhere to dieta guidelines, your relationship with technology does not necessarily have to end. "Remember, this doesn't necessarily have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Ask yourself if you need to ditch your phone for weeks or something different." Tristan Harris, a former Design Ethicist at Google until 2016, shares how technology restructures two billion people's attention, wellbeing, and behavior. He continues with solutions and approaches to forming healthier relationships with technology, "You're either on, and you're connected and distracted all the time, or you're off, but then you're wondering, am I missing something important? In other words, you're either distracted, or you have a fear of missing out." 

According to the former Design Ethicist, "We self-interrupt every 3 minutes," this does more than steer you away from your work or creative projects. It takes you further away from yourself. How? The first question might be: "Why do I need to self-interrupt?" The results may look different for you than they do for someone else. This is where digital mindfulness plays a central role in preparing for Ayahuasca.

Whether you have committed to sit in an upcoming ceremony or are merely educating yourself about proper preparation, finding balance in how you interact with technology gives you a clear vessel to receive potent transmissions and transformation. Again, this does not have to be an end-all-be-all approach. Your digital detox can range from reducing screen time to adopting more intentional and focused habits. Your digital dieta can look like listening to less aggressive music and swapping it for medicine music to connect with the medicine. It can even look like unfollowing certain accounts that leave you in loops of self-doubt or comparison. 

The goal isn't just to power down devices but to reclaim cognitive space and create more mental clarity. In doing so, you make a safe space to feel at home. Your inner realm becomes a space where you don't need to self-interrupt every three minutes. It's about mindfulness, which promotes present-moment awareness. It's about regaining control over how technology influences our thoughts, actions, and overall well being. It's about being a clear vessel to receive the medicine with reverence, honor, and humility.

Understanding Information Overload 

Information overload wears many faces with varying names, like infobesity, intoxication, or information anxiety. The amount of information created every two days is roughly equivalent to the amount made between the beginning of human civilization and 2003, according to Dr. Thomas Jackson, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information Science at Loughborough University. From the constant barrage of emails and notifications interrupting your workflow to endless scrolling on social media platforms that leave you mentally drained, information overload manifests in our daily routines in subtle yet pervasive ways. 

“It is possible to conveniently and actively access diverse information, and we also passively receive large amounts of information and messages. Despite the different information channels, data is mainly consumed through screen displays,” according to a paper published by David Bawden and Lyn Robinson of City University London, as they refer to this phenomenon as "homogenized diversity." 

For instance, the simple decision to watch a movie often leaves people with decision paralysis, spending more time choosing what to watch than actually enjoying a film or TV show. Similarly, workers usually feel overwhelmed by the flood of irrelevant information in meetings, leading to decreased productivity. Even something as straightforward as keeping up with the news can induce stress, as rapid-fire headlines demand attention and heighten anxiety.  

While this isn't inherently good or bad, reconstructing your digital presence before the ceremony is a powerful way to reset any tech reliances, experience the gift of boredom, and create enough internal stillness for messages that need to arise. 

Overall, this supports brain health, productivity, rest, and a regulated nervous system while simultaneously boosting the ability for Ayahuasca to work through your system both during and after the ceremony for a prolonged afterglow. 

Symptoms of Information Overload 

The amount of information available has thus become virtually endless, which makes it challenging to assess mere quantity to true quality. With a slot-like machine design, short-form content prods at the reward and punishment center in the brain, creating a feedback loop that strengthens its grip over time. As a result, information overload has become a widespread problem.

According to a paper published by the department of behavioral sciences at Ariel University, medical issues include poor eating habits, pain, headaches, decreased physical fitness, and difficulty sleeping. Addiction to smartphones has been linked to anxiety and depression with increased impulsivity, indications of alcohol use disorder, and psychological discomfort mediated by emotional dysregulation.

People respond differently to information overload, and this depends on individual factors as well as on the amount and characteristics of the informative stimulation. Faced with a phone addiction or not, the constant barrage of stimulation leaves many to take on new stressors that weren't always part of the daily experience like:

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Difficulty concentrating or staying focused on a task for prolonged periods

Feeling overwhelmed or anxious due to excessive information causing distractions

Decreased productivity or inability to complete tasks efficiently with 

Increased stress or frustration when processing new information

Memory problems, such as trouble retaining or recalling details

Decision fatigue or struggling to make decisions due to too much information

Mental fatigue or burnout from constant information intake

Procrastination as a way to cope with information excess

Physical symptoms, like headaches or sleep disturbances

Increased distractibility and frequent switching between tasks

Emotional disconnect dulling sensitivity and ability to feel deeply connected to others

Increases anxiety and stress through an unregulated nervous system 

Although this list seems dense, the culprit isn't distraction, procrastination, or any other symptoms mentioned above. The heart of the issue is the unrelenting nature of digital noise that prevents the brain from resting and recovering. Recognizing the nature of this virtual environment makes it easier to open up to new modes of behavioral practices to shake off the chains of a meticulously designed pixelated world and step back into what truly matters to you—your time.

"We need our smartphones, notifications screens, and web browsers to be exoskeletons for our minds and interpersonal relationships that prioritize our values, not our impulses." Harris continues, "People's time is valuable. And we should protect it with the same rigor as privacy and other digital rights."

While the responsibility in digital design and architecture falls on the tech companies rolling out new products, cultivating a space where information overload and digital dopamine hits reside in harmony is an individual duty explaining the rise of such extreme detox regimens. From this vantage point, it's less about information overload and more about our boundaries and practices.

Information Overload and Spiritual Practices

The adoption of spiritual practices like yoga and meditation have become increasingly popular over the past decades. As new technologies and advancements emerge, spiritual practices serve as an energetic barometer, buffer, and cleanser to the external world. They also uncover hidden truths about the nature of information overload, showing how excessive information dilutes clarity.

A solid and consistent spiritual practice can be powerful in curbing impulses to check your phone, refresh your email, or skim articles. At the same time, spiritual information can also grow into overload status. If you search online or connect with others on a similar path, you'll quickly find a practice for just about anything. However, you don't necessarily need to add another practice to your schedule as you prepare for Ayahuasca. Instead, the purpose of dieta in this regard is to simplify. 

Through the process of simplification, mental clutter diminishes, and emotional blockages are cleared. While this is an active practice for most people in Western civilization, shamans often retreat to themselves for a deepened connection to the Spirit, allowing messages to filter through easily. In order to enable Ayahuasca to work through your system effectively, you must consider how you might work to create a supple environment pre-ceremony with spiritual practices like:

Meditation: Whether you're sitting on a long train commute to work or are waiting in a long line at the store, meditation is one of the most accessible spiritual practices for quieting the mind and settling into stillness. However, to get the most out of this practice, dedicating a sacred space in your home to sit for a designated amount of time can be a great way to deepen your presence, connect with the medicine, and uncover new insights. 

Journaling: Your journaling practice can be as swift as a 5-minute brain dump every morning or as deep as a 1-hour session before bed. Writing about your thoughts and feelings can provide clarity and insight into what you wish to explore during the ceremony without relying on external sources to tell you what to expect. In this sense, you are curbing information overload and stimulation to better identify intentions and emotional blockages that may arise during the process. 

Presence in Nature: Prioritizing time in nature is one of the best (and most straightforward) approaches to curbing information overload, digital stimuli, and grounding into your center. In this silence, you can create a spiritual practice that is personal to your needs. You may sit with a tree, walk barefoot on the soil, or make an offering to the plant kingdom. Regardless of your approach, each day leading to the ceremony initiates how you'll experience the medicine itself. 

These are but a few spiritual practices that can support your preparation. Others can include connecting with the community, attending live workshops, setting intentions, and praying. Remember, it's not so much what you do but rather how you do it that really counts. By keeping your approach simple, you cut the noise that often accompanies spiritual bells and whistles. 

Detox Support with Neurohacker for Cognitive Clarity and Resilience

Your specific detox protocols will be unique to your needs as you prepare to sit with Ayahuasca. For some, the process may feel like a complete flip to their daily lifestyle. For others, it might already be ingrained in their routine. Regardless, the decision to make positive changes in your life as you commit to clearing your vessel for ceremony can come with its own set of challenges. It is in these moments where transformation happens and, with the right approach, it gets to be a fun process.

During intense lifestyle upgrades, some might opt for an accountability buddy to keep them on track and cheer them on. Additionally, other support mechanisms like journaling for reflection or working with nootropics (aka 'smart drugs') like Neurohacker can be an effective way to boost cognitive clarity and resilience. However, it is important to stress that most nootropics do not have an immediate effect after a single dose, and therefore, long-term use is necessary to achieve the desired results, according to a joint study on Nootropics as cognitive enhancers.

If someone were to go from checking their phone countless times per day to eating highly processed foods, for example, the detoxification process can feel like a painful withdrawal. Without the proper support system, it may be tempting to slip back into old patterns, leading to feelings of guilt for not following through on personal commitments. However, in the same  study, with tools like nootropics you can improve the brain's supply of glucose and oxygen, have anti-hypoxic effects, and protect brain tissue from neurotoxicity. 

Steps for an Effective Digital Dieta

Before you start your digital dieta, consider setting an intention to hold the basis of your agreement throughout the process. While the overarching goal is to limit stimulation and clear your vessel for the medicine, explore any personal instances that may support you along the way. Remember, you don't have to throw your phone into the ocean and hide from computer screens. However, you must adhere to a system that allows you to minimize overstimulation, filter the noise, and find stillness. 

Here are some approaches to help you get started and keep the virtual detox going strong before the ceremony:

Review screen time and adjust accordingly by implementing timers or setting designated moments throughout the day to check your phone or watch a film, for example. 

Minimizing information consumption by focusing on an intentional and curated list of enriching content, like swapping violent music for medicine songs or replacing endless scrolling with a thought-provoking article. 

Refine your approach as the ceremony nears by enjoying tech-free meals and setting no-phone zones.

Taking an intentional approach toward digital detoxification is a helpful way to avoid a tech relapse. In this sense, you can work your way up to low levels of screen time and information overload without it feeling like a foreign concept. The critical thing to remember is not all information is good or bad, right or wrong, but rather the relationship between the kind of information you are exposed to and the way you interact with it that marks a significant difference between mindless consumption and present awareness.

Take the Next Steps in Preparation to Make the Most of Your Ayahuasca Experience 

The key to preparing for an Ayahuasca ceremony lies not just in adhering to a digital detox and following the "right" steps but rather in experiencing the thoughts and emotions that arise as you center in your stillness. By limiting your exposure to media and curbing your interactions with technology, you reconstruct neural pathways with upgraded forms of behavior that you might not have otherwise adopted. It's easy to dismiss the impact of endless scrolling or the quick dopamine fixes we get from our screens. These impulses have become a normality in the modern world, but that doesn't mean it is serving our highest good.

These distractions do more than just eat away at our time. They suppress underlying stressors and emotional triggers that need to be addressed in order to heal, grow, and evolve. As powerful as the digital dieta may be, these preparatory steps aren't just for the ceremony. A proper dieta (including technology, food, and relationships) sets a strong foundation for a lasting afterglow. Not only will you set yourself up to make the most of Ayahuasca's messages and insights during the ceremony, but you also prime your vessel to hold the new changes for life when followed by integration protocols. 

When you book with us at Rythmia Life Advancement Center, you join over 17,000 individuals who have received their miracle by adhering to dieta, working with Ayahuasca, and implementing our signature integration and therapy sessions. Remember, you aren't just going on a week-long retreat; you are committing to yourself by participating in deep work that has stood for over 5,000 years. 

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Works Cited:

Revealing average screen time statistics for 2024. Backlinko. (2024, March 11). https://backlinko.com/screen-time-statistics

Thomas W. Jackson, AbstractAs the volume of available information increases, Edmunds, A., Schick, A. G., Simpson, C. W., Ackoff, R. L., Allen, D. K., Baniak, A., Bawden, D., Buchanan, C., Butcher, H., Campbell, D. J., Cooper, G., Deutsch, K. W., Diderot, D., Dubin, R., Eppler, M., Farhoomand, A. F., Feather, J. P., … Jones, Q. (2012, May 9). Theory-based model of factors affecting information overload. International Journal of Information Management. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0268401212000606?via%3Dihub

Bawden, D., & Robinson, L. (2008, November 21). The dark side of information: Overload, anxiety and other paradoxes and pathologies | request PDF. Journal of Information Science. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/220195805_The_Dark_Side_of_Information_Overload_Anxiety_and_Other_Paradoxes_and_Pathologies

Arnold, M., Goldschmitt, M., & Rigotti, T. (2023, June 21). Dealing with information overload: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10322198/

Soucek R., Moser K. (2010). Coping with information overload in email communication: evaluation of a training intervention. Comput. Hum. Behav. 26, 1458–1466. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2010.04.024

Wacks, Y., & Weinstein, A. M. (2021, April 26). Excessive smartphone use is associated with health problems in adolescents and young adults. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.669042/full

Anbumalar, C., & Sahayam, D. B. (2024). Wiley Online Library | Scientific Research Articles, journals, books, and reference works. Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/

Malík, M., & Tlustoš, P. (2022, August 17). Nootropics as cognitive enhancers: Types, dosage and side effects of smart drugs. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9415189/

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