Head of data in Fintech takes psychedelics to help with work

• Raúl Vallejo, 29, is the chief data officer of a Mexican fintech called Bankaya.
• He leads a team of 14 engineers, researchers and analysts.
• This is Vallejo’s story, as told to Lauren Crosby Medlicott.

This narrated essay is based on a conversation with Raúl Vallejo. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

For the past year, I have been working as CTO for the Mexican fintech Bankaya. Our three-year-old startup consists of around 200 people. I currently lead a group of 14 engineers, researchers and analysts and I am responsible for setting the data strategy.

It’s a stressful job with a lot to juggle. We are considering hiring a manager because I am too thin. The company is in the middle of exciting times, so everything is a priority, and the effort is high.

Over the past six years, I have discovered various habits that help me manage stress. I exercise, read or write every morning before starting work. I have also attended four psilocybin ceremonies and one ayahuasca ceremony here in Mexico.

I have experimented with psychedelics

My journey of experimentation started when I was 23. I wanted to try MDMA, but in a mature way.

My best friends and I decided we wouldn’t drink, smoke or use anything else when I tried it for the first time. It was euphoric and beautiful. Since we weren’t mixing with any other drugs, I could identify how MDMA made me feel. It felt nothing like the intoxicating effect of alcohol.

A little over a year later, with the same group of friends, I tried one square dose of LSD. It wasn’t a party scene at all, but very rich. It was a beautiful experience, but it took all my brainpower and I was exhausted the next day.

In 2019 I went to an ayahuasca ceremony with six friends of mine, a shaman and a female shaman. All night they sang tribal songs. I had a very intense experience. I cried as I dealt with pain. My other friends didn’t experience this intensity – maybe I’m just sensitive to drugs.

Although overwhelming, the ceremony changed my life. I went to therapy for three months afterwards to process everything it brought up.

Psychedelics help me with my job

I attended four psilocybin mushroom ceremonies, both alone and with friends.

Each of these ceremonies has helped me take control of my life and changed the way I think about my decisions at work. The first ceremony awakened me, and each subsequent one added meaning to what I experienced the first time.

Processing and integrating what you have discovered and experienced during ceremonies is so important. Some people just wrap up the experience and put it away. I have found it important to see a therapist or write after the ceremonies.

Since I have consistently attended ceremonies, I have stopped using recreational psychedelics at parties and social gatherings.

One of the greatest benefits of the ceremonies has been a sense of gratitude. I am more grateful for the people around me, including my team, and the opportunities I have at work. From that appreciation has come a desire to ensure that I support my team in the right way. I want them to know that we are in this together and that I empathize with what they are going through.

The ceremonies also helped me become more vulnerable. Instead of being hard on myself, I’ve learned to humbly ask for feedback from others. It’s okay when I make mistakes because I’m still learning. During the ceremonies I have felt a physical sensation of growing and learned to accept how uncomfortable it is. The same applies in work. I’m always growing and learning, but that growth often feels very uncomfortable.

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