Mike Tyson claims he ‘died’ during psychedelic trip.
(Picture: BT Sport Box Office)Mike Tyson claims he “died” during a psychedelic trip after smoking toad venom.
In an exclusive interview with The New York Post, the boxer opened up about a particular trip that involved smoking venom from the Sonoran Desert Toad.
“I ‘died’ during my first trip,” Tyson said while attending Wonderland, a South Florida conference dedicated to psychedelics. “In my trips I’ve seen that death is beautiful. Life and death both have to be beautiful, but death has a bad rep. The toad has taught me that I’m not going to be here forever. There’s an expiration date.”
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The world champion did it “as a dare” at the suggestion of one his friends.
“I was doing heavy drugs like cocaine, so why not? It’s another dimension. Before I did the toad, I was a wreck. The toughest opponent I ever faced was myself. I had low self-esteem. People with big egos often have low self-esteem. We use our ego to subsidize that. The toad strips the ego.”
The Sonoran Desert Toad, scientific name Bufo alvarius, is native to Mexico. Tyson is such a big proponent of the toad that he has his own dedicated nursery at his ranch in Desert Hot Springs in Southern California.
“It has made me more creative and helps me focus,” he told The Post. “I’m more present as a businessman and entrepreneur.”
Tyson has smoked the venom 53 times since his “death” experience. He credits the toad with aiding in his return to boxing and strengthening his relationship with his wife and children.
