Paloma David was born in Bogotá, Colombia. While pursuing her bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology at the National University of Colombia, she encountered the perplexing ayahuasca (yagé) tradition in her home country. Marveled by the mystery of the effects of the brew in human consciousness as well as the puzzling ritual around it, she decided to continue her studies by pursuing a Research Master’s in Religious Studies at the University of Amsterdam.  

She has conducted fieldwork research on the contemporary uses of ayahuasca in rainforests, capital cities, and digital settings, as she is characterized by her qualitative research skills. Her interests include psychedelic research, the promising therapeutic use of these substances, the current use of psychedelics in Europe and Latin America, and, of course, ayahuasca.