My Psilly Journey

Roots in Two Cultures (and a Kumon Certificate)

Like many brown kids growing up in America, I followed a time-tested formula: do Kumon, get good at math, make your parents proud. I’m a first-generation Indian American, raised with a deep respect for tradition and a healthy fear of disappointing my parents. That meant one thing: become a healthcare professional. So naturally, I became a pharmacist. I was good at it too—probably because memorizing drug names was easier than explaining to my parents that I maybe wanted to study philosophy instead.

On-Paper Success, Existential Side Effects

After pharmacy school, I landed the holy grail job: Medical Science Liaison in pharma. Six-figure salary? Check. Business class flights? Check. Eating escargot in Lisbon while writing off the bill as a “working dinner”? Big check. But between the conferences, cocktails, and Mykonos sunsets, I started feeling like a really well-dressed ghost. Sure, I was successful—but was I helping anyone? Was I fulfilled? Or was I just sedating my soul with United status and Marriott points?

A Clinical Trial and a Cosmic Slap

Then came 2019: the year I got spiritually sucker-punched by science. I came across a clinical trial from Johns Hopkins on psilocybin—the compound in magic mushrooms—being used to treat depression and anxiety in cancer patients. One dose. Long-term healing. Mystical experiences. And I thought: "Wait, what the hell is a mystical experience? And why does this data hit harder than my last performance review?"

I dove headfirst into the rabbit hole. What started as curiosity turned into obsession: the neuroscience, the history, the potential for actual transformation. Unlike most of the medications I had learned in pharmacy school, this wasn’t about numbing symptoms. It was about awakening something deep.

The Pivot: From Pharma to Psychedelics

Telling your immigrant parents that you’re interested in leaving a stable, high-paying job to explore psychedelic medicine is… a vibe. But something had shifted in me. I didn’t want to push pills anymore—I wanted to hold space. I wanted to study healing, not just treatment. So I said I started studying psychedelic-assisted therapy.

In 2025, I became a licensed psilocybin facilitator in Oregon. And somewhere between guiding people through their journeys and watching them emerge with tears and breakthroughs, I realized—this is the work. The real work. The messy, beautiful, soul-sparking work.

Educating the Next Generation (and Myself)

Now, I’m a Lead Educator at the Oregon Psychedelic Institute, where I teach aspiring facilitators how to ethically, responsibly, and humanely sit with others in altered states. My job is to demystify the mystical without taking away its magic. And yes, I still use my pharmacy background—turns out being able to pronounce "dimethyltryptamine" correctly is still kind of useful.

Deepening the Path: Ayahuasca in the Amazon

Over the past 2 years, I've traveled to the Amazon jungle ayahuasca retreats and came back with a soul full of metaphors and a mosquito bite on my third eye. It was equal parts humbling and hilarious. Grandmother Ayahuasca taught me that healing doesn’t always look like peace—it can look like puking out your existential dread to the soundtrack of howler monkeys. And I loved every second of it.

I’m now partnering with my dear friends at Amakaya to bring others to the Amazon for their own transformative journeys. If the jungle calls, I’ll be your guide—with bug spray, blessings, and maybe a Spotify playlist if the Wi-Fi holds.

For the Spiritually Curious (Especially My Fellow Asians)

Let’s be real: there aren’t many faces that look like mine in the psychedelic space. As a first-generation Indian-American, I know how confusing it can be to navigate spirituality, mental health, and healing through a cultural lens that doesn’t always make room for vulnerability. I also know what it’s like to live between worlds—science and spirit, tradition and transformation, Bollywood and Burning Man.

So if you’ve ever felt too curious for your community, too emotional for your profession, or too mystical for your group chat—you’re not alone. I'm here to be a mirror, a guide, or just someone to say, “Hey, I’ve been there. Let’s talk.”

Today: Real Healing, Real Talk

So here I am. A pharma bro turned psychedelic facilitator. A scientist who believes in spirit. A kid who just wanted to make his parents proud but ended up making his soul proud instead.

If you’re curious, confused, or quietly awakening to something inside you—come say hi. Whether it’s in Oregon for a psilocybin session or in Peru under the stars, I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Let’s heal like it matters. Let’s laugh while we do it.