‘TOAD STRIPS THE EGO’

Mike Tyson ‘Died’ Tripping on Psychedelic Toad Venom—and It Changed His Life

The former professional boxer said that smoking the toads’ venom put him back on the straight and narrow after discovering it four years ago.

“Iron Mike” is an outspoken proponent of smoking toad venom, the trendiest—and still illegal in the U.S.—hallucinogenic on the market, according to the New York Post. Speaking to the Post at a psychedelics conference in Miami, Mike Tyson revealed he keeps a nursery of Sonoran Desert toads on his Southern California ranch. The amphibians’ venom, when active, induces a short, mind-altering trip. “I ‘died’ during my first trip,” the ex-boxer, who first tried the drug four years ago, said. “In my trips, I’ve seen that death is beautiful.”

Tyson said he has now tripped upwards of 50 times. He said he began using “the toad” at a point in his life where he was struggling with his mental health, substance abuse, and his weight. “Before I did the toad, I was a wreck,” he said. “The toughest opponent I ever faced was myself. I had low self-esteem. People with big egos often have low self-esteem… The toad strips the ego.” Now, he said, “life has improved. The toad’s whole purpose is to reach your highest potential. I look at the whole world differently.”