Tim Robbins Used Ayahuasca to Cope with Anger Over 'Cancel Culture'

Oscar-winning actor Tim Robbins has shared that a psychedelic ayahuasca ceremony helped him overcome intense anger related to contemporary political polarization and "cancel culture." Robbins described the experience as a spiritual journey that left him feeling "completely lighter."

Speaking on "The Joe Rogan Experience," Robbins explained that his intention for the ayahuasca trip was to release the consuming anger he felt over the state of the world. "I was frustrated with feeling anger about what was going on in the world, and I said, 'I want to release that. I don't want to be consumed by that anger,'" he recalled.

Robbins recounted a profound moment during the ceremony where he felt he encountered his late mother. He said she told him, "You're injured. You're a warrior, and you're injured and you need to rest, but the fight's not over."

When Rogan inquired about the battle Robbins believed he was fighting, the actor pointed to the current "culture wars." He elaborated on his frustration with "the dissolution of society, people being angry at each other over ridiculous things, long friendships being affected, people being canceled for expressing their opinion, all this stuff." He expressed a desire to be "absolved of that" and not "engaged in it."

Robbins also drew parallels between cancel culture and tactics employed in the former Soviet Union. He shared an anecdote from touring Eastern Europe with his play "Topsy Turvy," where audience members in Romania compared cancel culture to the communist era. According to Robbins, these individuals described how Soviet authorities maintained damaging personal files on citizens, which were then used to ruin careers and lives of those who deviated from the party line. "They felt like cancel culture was basically operating in the same way as the Soviet Union did," Robbins stated, noting the perspective of those who had lived under oppressive regimes.

Robbins, known for his roles in films like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Mystic River," has been more outspoken in recent years, previously criticizing COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.