Joshua Bassett is opening up about his path to Christianity.
In a Thursday, August 1 interview on the Zach Sang Show, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star, 23, recounted a transformative experience during an ayahuasca trip that profoundly changed his outlook on life.
Bassett prefaced the story by explaining that he has had past experiences with various substances, which allowed him to distinguish between hallucinations and genuine spiritual experiences, and added that he does not endorse the use of this drug.
He described a harrowing moment after taking ayahuasca where he woke up and perceived the metaphysical “ugliness” within himself and others.
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“My soul was falling to the pits of hell,” he begins. “As I hit the ground in hell, I was surrounded by hundreds of thousands of demons who are mocking me and laughing at me and torturing me.”
The intensity of the experience left Bassett wanting to escape, but was stopped by someone overseeing the trip. Seeking relief, he stepped outside and shared, “I look up and I see Jesus in the sky.”
Bassett said the next six months were the worst of his life, filled with “confusion” and drug addiction. The Disney star said he was “completely lost” until one day he set out to meditate and “felt the Holy Spirit.”
“I just knew in that moment I needed Jesus,” he said, adding that he immediately called his father and they prayed.
“I literally can not express to you the peace that I felt in that moment. Every path I was going down looking for peace I found the moment I accepted Jesus,” he expressed. “Despite mocking God in interviews, despite me saying ‘That’s totally wrong, my family is crazy.’ I thought my family was dumb. I thought every Christian was dumb… and then I had an encounter with the actual, living God.”
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“I’m literally jumping for joy like I was a child again,” he added. “Some would say, ‘You were having a manic episode,’ but I’m telling you right now it was not.”
Since the encounter, Bassett said he wants to share his faith with everyone but acknowledges the challenges, recognizing that it can be a sensitive topic.
Bassett also shared personal experiences that have solidified his beliefs, such as a light spontaneously turning on in his home after he asked God for a sign, and a comforting moment in a church when someone placed a hand on his back after he silently prayed for it.
“I went to the ends of the Earth to find the hidden treasure and it was buried in my backyard the whole time,” he said of his journey.
Over on social media, Bassett thanked Sang for giving him the space to share his testimony.
“I’ve been to hell and back (literally). I talk about my album, addiction, Jesus and everything in between,” he captioned a series of clips from the interview. “To those who think I’ve lost my mind, please consider hearing me out. to those who have stood by me, thank you for your faithfulness.”
