Will Smith's SHOCKING ayahuasca trip visions reveal a lot about his mindset before Chris Rock slap
Will Smith revealed in his upcoming David Letterman interview that he had a vision of losing his job and money while on an ayahuasca trip, according to a newly leaked footage posted on Twitter. Letterman's Netflix series 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction's revelation was perfectly timed since the 53-year-old actor taped the interview just before attending the Academy Awards.
Smith begins the extract by admitting that he was "terrified" of trying ayahuasca, a South American drink made from botanicals that induce psychedelic experiences. People who consume the beverage report hallucinations and visions, some of which are quite vivid and ostensibly therapeutic. "I decided that it was something that I wanted to try," the actor added after doing research on the substance. He described the high as producing two '100 percent present' realities at the same time: "It's not superimposed over this reality. They're totally separate." He described his career implosion as "the individual most hellish psychological experience of my life" while explaining his vision.
READ MORE
Who is Eric Nies? Meet 'The Real World' star who quit drugs, modeling and parties to become a shaman
He remarked that "you always feel like, 'Maybe it won't kick in this time,'" because the hallucinogenic properties of the drink don't kick in until 45 minutes. "All of a sudden, it's like I start seeing all of my money flying away," he explained to a stunned Letterman.
"And my house is flying away. And my career is gone," he added. "And I'm trying to, like, grab for my money and my career. My whole life is getting destroyed." The host convinced him that the vision matched his "real-life fear." Smith described feeling the urge to vomit, a common ayahuasca symptom, before hearing a voice in his head remark menacingly, "This is what the f*** it is. This is what the f*** life is."
Smith's vision became even more frightening after he heard his daughter Willow Smith, 21, cry for him in the distance, "Daddy, help me! Daddy! How come you won't help me?" He replied, "I don't see," before the shaman in charge of his journey advised him to calm down, patted him on the back, and told him to sit up.
Smith, who described his character Richard Williams as a "fierce defender of his family" in his Oscar victory speech, appeared to be able to put his career difficulties aside when defending his own family. "Then slowly, I stopped caring about my money, I just wanted to get to Willow," he explained. "I stopped caring about my house, about my career."
He stated that he had 'settled down,' but that his 'voice was still at 100%.' "I still hear Willow screaming. My money is still flying away, but I'm going...," he added, miming inhaling deeply.
"And I'm totally calm, even though there's hell going on in my mind. When I came out of it, I realized that anything that happens in my life, I can handle it. I can handle any person that I lose, I can handle anything that goes wrong in my life, I can handle anything in my marriage. I can handle anything that this life has to offer me," he remarked.
The clip concluded with Smith trying to reassure himself that what he saw in his vision wouldn't happen, which was hilarious given his career trajectory not long after the conversation. "First of all, 99 percent of the s*** you worry about never happens, adding that the vast majority of 'your pain and your misery is all self-generated — it's not real,'" Smith said.
Smith survived the night and earned his first Academy Award for his starring performance in King Richard after slapping Rock at the Oscars, but he subsequently faced ramifications within the Academy. The actor resigned from the organization, which means he will no longer be able to vote for awards. He was also banned from all Academy activities for a decade, which means he will be unable to attend the ceremony during that time, but he can still be nominated or win an award during that time.
Following the event, Smith has kept a quiet profile, though he did travel to Mumbai, India, last month to focus on spirituality, yoga, and meditation, according to People. Will was photographed taping the Letterman interview in January.
The fourth season of 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction' premiered on Netflix on May 20 and also features celebrities such as Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ryan Reynolds, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Kevin Durant.