Nacho Vidal is a man of many careers. Many...unconventional careers.
Most might know him for his work in the adult entertainment industry, but these days Vidal is making headlines for his side hustle, where he performs as a shaman in his native Valencia, Spain. Well he did that is until he was recently brought up on charges following the 2019 death of a photographer who died after participating in one of Vidal's rituals.
Jose Luis Abad, 46, died last July after he smoked dehydrated venom from an endangered toad, allegedly in a ritual where Vidal was presiding as thew shaman. Abad ingested venom belonging to a Colorado River toad, which is found in the southwestern United States and Mexico, and secretes a toxin to ward off predators that contains the psychoactive compound 5 -MeO-DMT, or DMT, which has hallucinogenic properties.
Vidal has long advocated for the use of DMT, suggesting that his encounters with the toad’s venom helped him overcome his addictions, and reunite with his “spirit,” helping him connect “with what matters, which is the earth and Mother Nature."
Vidal’s lawyer denys that his client had presided over the ritual that killed Abad, saying “the unfortunate death” was “accidental.” He continued saying, “We fully believe in his innocence, but, as is normal, some facts are being investigated."
Via Rolling Stone