For a man famed for his high-octane and, on occasion, tasteless pranks, the message to fans from YouTube star Joe Weller last week marked a dramatic departure.

Instead of the street wrestling matches, public trolling and outlandish challenges with which he made his name, the 30-year-old influencer, who has more than five million subscribers to his YouTube channel, had a sincere and heartfelt message for his 2.2million followers on Instagram.

Notably tearful in the post uploaded on Tuesday, he declared he had been 'saved by the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is the best thing that's ever happened to me'. He added: 'Never, did I think I'd be saying those words… I thought it was a load of nonsense. But when it makes sense, it really does make sense.'

The video quickly went viral, dividing opinion between those who welcomed what they saw as Weller's profound spiritual awakening and others who struggled to understand what could have prompted such an unexpected transformation in someone previously known more for prank calls than religious proselytising.

The answer, we can reveal, may lie in part in a luxury wellness centre in Costa Rica renowned for its use of ayahuasca, a psychoactive brew containing DMT, a powerful hallucinogenic compound capable of producing intense altered states of consciousness.

While it is illegal in the UK, where DMT is classified as a Class A drug, retreats operate legally in several countries.

Among them is Costa Rica, where Weller travelled earlier this year to spend a week at the Soltara Healing Center, which describes its 'mission' as 'to bridge this gap between head and heart for those who seek it'.

The seven-night retreat, which costs up to £5,500 depending on accommodation, centres around controversial ayahuasca ceremonies led by experienced Peruvian Shipibo healers, known as 'maestros'.

Originating from the Amazon basin and used for centuries by Indigenous communities in religious ceremonies and healing rituals, ayahuasca has latterly been adopted by some in the wellness industry who claim imbibing the potent brew helps unlock difficult emotions and unresolved trauma.

The experience has gained several celebrity fans, with actress Megan Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly among those who have spoken enthusiastically about their encounters with the drug. Weller's co-host on the podcast Wafflin', YouTuber Spencer Carmichael-Brown – who goes by Spencer FC online – also credited an ayahuasca experience with fundamentally shifting his perspective on life and prompting major personal changes.

Now those sentiments appear to be shared by Weller, who spoke candidly about his time at Soltara on Wafflin' following his return earlier this year.

He also shared photos showing him participating in ceremonies, appearing visibly emotional as he received herbal treatments and, in one image, had herbal water poured over his head by a 'healer'.

Weller also related that he, along with 17 others, had taken part in an ayahuasca ceremony – which takes place overnight to a backdrop of traditional chants and music – memorably describing the drink as tasting like 'a thousand trees mixed with petrol'.

Often described as both physically demanding and psychologically intense, the physical effects of ayahuasca can include severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, sweating, increased heart rate, dizziness, tremors and muscle weakness.

Users also frequently report vivid hallucinations, profound emotional introspection, encounters with traumatic memories and dramatic shifts in their sense of identity and perception. And while some describe feelings of enlightenment and spiritual revelation, others experience fear, anxiety or paranoia, leading critics to raise concerns about its psychological risks, particularly for vulnerable individuals.

For Weller, however, the retreat seems to have left a profoundly positive legacy.

'It was fantastic. I've learned everything I need to,' he said on the podcast. 'I've found that contentment, I've found what I'm here for, and I have an understanding of what we are all here for.'

He added: 'Every pain, every suffering, every depression, every anxiety that I've experienced through my life, it all gets shown to you. Ayahuasca will show you how, why and when you need to face these things and release them, so you aren't shackled down anymore.

'A lot of drugs help you to escape problems, and what hurts you, but what ayahuasca does is help you face it all. You have to be brave to even think about doing it.'

Brave or foolhardy, Weller's sudden powerful embrace of Christianity just a few months after returning from Costa Rica has left fans wondering whether it could be connected to the legacy of the powerful psychological effects associated with ayahuasca.

'Everyone is thinking he's going through some kind of religious psychosis, meanwhile bro has just had the ayahuasca trip of a lifetime,' one fan commented on his Instagram feed, in a sentiment echoed by several others.

Some were more supportive.

'I remember chatting with you about faith years and years ago at Wembley Cup events,' another follower posted in a comment, notably liked by Weller. 'You were searching then, so to see this video now is amazing.'

Certainly, friends of the YouTuber have pointed out that this apparent spiritual awakening comes after several years in which Weller has publicly discussed his search for meaning and inner peace.

He has spoken more than once about his mental health struggles, loneliness and the absence of a father figure during his childhood after his parents separated when he was young.

Raised primarily by his mother and later a stepfather, he told the podcast Internet Dads last year that he'd noticed 'areas where I've had misdevelopment from not having a father figure'. He added poignantly that the message he would leave for his future self was his hope that he was 'at peace with the person that you are and proud of yourself'.

'It is no secret that Joe has struggled with his mental health for years,' a friend told the Daily Mail last week, adding that he understood how the religious content of Weller's videos has startled fans, and in some cases made them uneasy.

'They were shockingly different from his usual content,' the friend went on. 'But he is fine. He has found clarity and purpose in his life. It is what he has always wanted and been searching for.'

Whether his latest chapter proves to be a permanent reinvention or simply another stage in a long personal journey remains to be seen.

What is clear is that the YouTuber who built his career on pranks, parties and internet fame passionately believes he has finally found the thing he spent years searching for.

'I tried everything,' he told followers. 'Work, diet, travel… fame, money. I tried everything that seemed like it could work for me.'

And referring to God, he continued: 'When I was at rock bottom, and the only place I could turn was to Him, I am so, so grateful that He never gave up on me.'