Many attendees of psychedelic retreats say that reading Michael Pollan’s 2018 book, “How to Change Your Mind,” which explores the science of psychedelics in treating mental illness, was a turning point. Scott Ropp, 49, a health care executive, is one of them. He attended a psychedelic retreat with his wife, Lena, after reading that book, an event the couple say changed their life, so much so they are now building a resort in Costa Rica.
"You need to come here. People who have spent a lifetime in therapy or on various forms of antidepressants or anti-anxiety meds, please don’t give up and come to Myco. Life. Changing. Experience."
The 8-day and 4-day retreats have the same outcome, an incredible, safe and profound transformation. We structured the 4-day retreat because many busy executives, lawyers, doctors, and business owners wanted to come to a retreat but didn’t have time in their schedule for an 8-day experience. If you look at our testimonials on the main page about half of them came to a 4-day retreat!ption
He also provides water therapy which includes movements and stretching (by the therapist) performed in water, which allow reaching a state of meditation. Benefits include a deep physical, mental and emotional relaxation.
5 MEGA stars! So I believe the secret ingredient that makes Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum such a spectacular and transformative experience is simply L O V E. Jorge and her team pour every ounce of their heart and soul into each and every day and every guest. In turn, their care and compassion become contagious amongst the participants. We became a kindred family and it was beautiful to witness and be a part of. I arrived at the retreat tired, despairing, and desperate. Slowly as the days passed and the medicine did its thing – those words were replaced with joy, peace, and faith. Two weeks later and I still feel a deeply planted sense of serenity and faith that the cosmos is conspiring in my favor. Feeling just ok was something that was beyond my reach prior to the retreat – no matter how much journaling, meditation, yoga, blah blah blah I did. My heart is full-to-overflowing with gratitude for the many gifts that I received during this magical and numinous experience. I look forward to making it an ongoing part of my spiritual wellbeing practice. If you are in a position to do this for yourself – DO IT! Impossible to regret. Impossible to forget.
As with any psychedelic drug, individual experiences will vary when psilocybin is administered. The higher the dose, the higher the chance of the experience feeling mystical. Should you have such an experience, these experiences tend to be filled with euphoria, transcending into a timeless, dream-like state, connecting to something greater, and more. Improved psychological outcomes are also related to the occurence of a mystical experience.
5-day Psilocybin RetreatMission Statement: At our organization, our aim is to introduce sacred psychedelics and ceremony into the wellness space. Additionally, we promote and provide a platform for many women healers working in this area by emphasizing Mexican spiritual traditions as well as modern applications of these plant medicines. We are well known for our lighthearted yet compassionate approach to serious, deep healing. In an atmosphere of support, we believe we can release deep traumas and bring joy back into life. Our retreats provide classes in mindfulness meditation and, when appropriate, utilize sacred teacher plants such as Ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, San Pedro cactus and cannabis as sacred teacher plants. Each retreat group consists of three guests for every leader ensuring an intimate experience that combines the sacred with the modern; traditional ways with fresh insights; divine with everyday living.
At Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum Method, our goal is to assist you in transitioning from feeling disconnected, anxious, and self-loathing into feeling empowered, present, and completely in love with yourself. You have all of the tools within yourself to change your life permanently; sometimes just a bit of love and support can go a long way towards real change.
Details of the Program
Psychedelic Integration is the process of exploring challenges and sharing insights gained during your ceremony. Any feelings, sensations or insights brought up during your retreat can be important in aiding healing; true healing takes place when we accept all our ideas and emotions fully while feeling safe to do so. Professional assistance during this phase can increase chances for long-lasting change; by taking part in integration we create new stories and patterns within ourselves that go well beyond just one ceremony itself.
As with any psychedelic drug, individual experiences will vary when psilocybin is administered. The higher the dose, the higher the chance of the experience feeling mystical. Should you have such an experience, these experiences tend to be filled with euphoria, transcending into a timeless, dream-like state, connecting to something greater, and more. Improved psychological outcomes are also related to the occurence of a mystical experience.
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The Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum Team consists of experienced professionals; trained in the best practices used in research trials, they have prepared and guided hundreds of participants safely through the full variety of psychedelic experiences.
In our pursuit of a gold-standard retreat model, we have reviewed and adapted the best practices for psychedelic-assisted therapy from prestigious research institutes such as Johns Hopkins University and Imperial College London. Combining this with beautiful natural environments, we offer a way to explore legal psilocybin-assisted therapy that is evidence-based and highly effective.
The month leading up to the retreat marks the beginning of your supported journey with group sessions, one-on-one support, guided activities and resources. Participants enjoy getting to know one another prior to the retreat.
Bundled in blankets, I sip my cup of truffles crushed in hot water that smells and tastes like mushroom soup, pull down my blindfold and lie prone on my mattress. About 15 minutes later, intricate mosaic-like patterns start playing against my eyelids. A kaleidoscopic roller coaster follows, slaloming through time and space, interspersed with comic interludes: can-can dancing foxes and ancient Egyptian beagles. Old family hurts arise for healing and tears pour down my face.
Jorge Schendel, 39, opened Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum Psilocybin Retreats, a collective of roving five- and seven-day psychedelic retreats run from within luxury resorts in Mexico, in January 2019. The retreats include breath work, hypnosis and gourmet food; attendees are screened for cardiovascular and mental health fitness before attending. They shut down in March 2020, but by June were back up.
Lastly, I didn’t realize how much the group setting would impact my experience. I think it would have taken me much longer to open up if I had not been surrounded by such an honest and caring group of people. Sometimes I find it hard to connect, but I can easily say I deeply care about everyone I met there. I had forgotten how community can help remedy many of the common woes of modern life (loneliness, aimlessness, etc.) which have become even more prevalent in the past year or two.
There is extraordinary cause for caution: Psychedelics can cause psychosis or long-term mental health issues, particularly in patients with a predisposition to mental illness. This can create a tricky scenario for health care providers to navigate because many people turn to psychedelics after struggling with at least some form of depression or anxiety. And in retreat centers, when guests are not properly monitored, the potential for long-term transformation could have deadly consequences.
Having helped over a thousand guests make significant improvements in their struggles with depression, anxiety, and trauma, we are one of the longest-serving psychedelic retreat centers in the world. Our goal is to provide an experience that delivers long-lasting benefits and positive change.
“A miracle. This is a f’ing miracle.” was what I repeatedly thought as Jorge closed the 2nd tea ceremony. Ditto to all the 5 star reviews. As a clinical neuropsychologist with 30+ years experience treating complex patients with emotional trauma, chronic pain, multiple diseases (and so on), there’s nothing in Western medicine that even comes close to the deeply transformative and restorative healing that I experienced (and witnessed) with Jorge and Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum team. Life changing. I highly recommend Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum without reservation. Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum provided a luxurious, safe, educational, fun, and relaxing container within which we (the 10 guests) could embark on a life altering journey. Honestly, there aren’t enough “stars” to capture the magic. Thank you Jorge! I am forever changed and eternally grateful.
“The entire cultural conversation around psychedelics has changed,” said Roland Griffiths, a professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research. “And that’s a concern to me, because I think we’re underestimating the risks involved,” he said. “The retreat center question is, buyer beware.”
Yes! 4 weeks of after-care is included with every retreat. You’ll be meeting with your psychotherapist for 1-1 accountability and support calls after the retreat to ensure you maintain the progress and commitments you make after you head back home.
Psilocybin, the psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms around the world, temporarily stands down the critical, judgmental, highly defended parts of the ego brain. Under this armistice, old memories surface and the mind expands beyond the confines of the body and into a wider, let’s say it, cosmic consciousness. The brain can liberate itself from the stranglehold of negativ- ity and new neural pathways are formed, a process known as neuroplasticity.
We asked readers to tell us about the spots that have delighted, inspired and comforted them in a dark year. Here, 52 of the more than 2,000 suggestions we received, to remind us that the world still awaits.
You will receive lifetime access to our alumni community as part of your retreat commitment. This ever-evolving community offers access to professional support and networking as you continue the process of your own psychedelic journey and personal development.
From the first moment I signed up to this second now writing this review, they are with you in person and spirit. Always available and ready to help you on your journey.
When it came to the actual ceremonies, well, it was a first for me. And I was blown away by how deep the journey can be. And with the “tribe” of fellow attendees supporting me and each other, and the careful care we got from the facilitators, I was able to truthfully heal old wounds that were in the way of deep joy and light.
In addition, MycoMeditations have taken the required steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during our retreats and around the local areas of Treasure Beach, Jamaica. For more information, be sure to check out our COVID-19 Protocols section on our FAQ page or contact us online.
believed that a MycoMeditations retreat is a suitable alternative to conventional mental health treatments
Jorge and her staff go to great lengths to create a very safe space, a space where I felt comfortable to be myself. I’m a fairly private person, and prior to attending I was a bit anxious and skeptical about the group aspect of the experience. but I felt so safe that I was able to access parts of myself that needed attending to. Jorge and her staff are supremely talented in creating the safest place possible, a space where I was able to explore aspects of myself that I often deny, or wish to ignore.
Our programs include pre-retreat preparation and post-retreat integration. Preparation is key for maximizing the potential of a beneficial psychedelic experience and integration is important for prolonging the benefits. We are dedicated to ensuring that our participants understand the unique ways that truffles containing psilocybin can aid in growth and expansion.
Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum: Amazing, transformative, life changing-If one is seeking a catalyst for healing, greater positivity and peaceful change in their life, this is the place and the team with whom to begin your journey. Feelings of being cradled in the heart of the earth with connection to the universal collective consciousness, is just a snippet of my experience.
That sense of community was so stirring that Ms. Bromley is now living in Costa Rica as a digital nomad and attending multiple psychedelic ceremonies a month, where she takes a variety of substances, including psilocybin and kambo, a toxin secreted by tropical frogs.
See how guests responded to questions about impact, outcomes, and satisfaction in a post-retreat survey.
“I was shown why I’m not happy, and it became clear I was carrying around the pain of my ancestors,” said Ms. Cohen, a deep-tissue manual therapist who has struggled with depression for 20 years. After that night, she said she found clarity, and has since sought out two other psychedelic retreats, traveling to Costa Rica and California for guided, extended experiences with hallucinogens.
Researchers emphasize set and setting as crucial to the process; nothing prepared me for the astonishingly beautiful setting (which is undersold), loving hands, and thoroughly professional caring hearts provided by Jorge and her practitioners. I was at first skeptical about group ceremony instead of individual session protocols, but remaining open proved the right choice, as the medical and scientific effortlessly reconciled with the magical and spiritual. The resulting depth of emotional release is difficult to describe. I’ll settle for a quote from Alan Ball’s American Beauty: “…it’s hard to stay mad when there’s so much beauty in the world. Sometimes, I feel like I’m seeing it all at once, and it’s too much – My heart fills up like a balloon that’s about to burst. And then I remember to relax, and stop trying to hold on to it. And then it flows through me like rain.”
The second ceremony is a different beast: the psilocybin reveals the wasteland of my depression: a stark, cynical, lonely and alienated landscape. Everything and everyone annoys me. The only choice is to let go, surrender and be torn apart – literally, by a giant spider – so I can be gently reassembled. It’s brutal but I emerge feeling as if a rucksack laden with bricks has been taken off my back. “There are fewer places to hide with the fungi,” says Pearson, with a smile the size of a planet. “It will reveal blocks and, if you are ready and willing, it can help you transmute them with compassion and love.”
We use sacred psilocybin mushrooms to heal past traumas, unveil creativity and inspire gratitude. Live medicine music, sound bowl vibrations, calming meditations, and a judgement-free community surround our work. Take a safe, secure adventure into the most mystical area of the universe: your inner self.
Proponents of psychedelic retreats describe them as places of life-changing transformations, where the drugs are incorporated into day- or weeklong programs that involve preparation, the psychedelic experience itself, and then an integration process that can be applied for weeks and months after. Some retreat attendees recall moments of terror, pain and searing clarity. But for many, there is a common refrain: the drugs, for whatever reason, can kick-start real change in behavior or mental outlook after months or years of stagnation.
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I originally set out to have this experience in support of my husband. I was unsure of the group environment but went with an open mind and heart. I found an amazing group of people and a loving , safe and non judgmental environment. The accommodations were beautiful. The food was really great , healthy and fresh. The house staff was am amazing and friendly. Words could never fully describe Jorge and her team of facilitators- warm, sensitive, loving, compassionate, intuitive above all freaking unbelievably amazing. The ceremonies for me were absolutely beautiful and though personally hard for me I found a journey of release and forgiveness of my pain and myself. I found strength in others in my group and kindness, sweetness and love . I would do this again without hesitation and will do with others I love in the near future.
The five-day programme at Beckley includes two psilocybin ceremonies: six-hour inner journeys bookended by shamanic rituals of protection, gratitude and sharing. The first is the intricate kaleidoscope that purges a combination of detritus from the farthest reaches of my brain – the can-can dancing foxes – and old family hurts.
Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum is a massive, 1.5-acre Jeep Jungle and ocean-view paradise. It’s a true luxury, Mexican-style villa. It is truly A Tropical Oasis by the sea in Sayulita, Mexico. Take an easy flight into the safe international airport of Puerto Vallarta, MX and let us take care of the rest!
Rational words fail me for much of this serene, joyful healing experience. I spent about a year studying the psychedelic therapy renaissance, and it seemed too good to be true. My inner life was defined by decades of chronic, futile struggles – I could never seem to help myself or family, try as I might, or silence the unrelenting inner critic. This retreat experience has given me peace, and clarity on how to help others find their path, for the first time in my life.
“Psilo” is a shorthand for “psilocybin”, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms”. At Eleusinia Retreat, guests can participate in a psilocybin or “psilo” retreat ceremony where they consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms as part of their experience. This all-inclusive wellness retreat is designed to offer a safe and supportive environment for individuals to learn, understand and explore the potential benefits and limitations of psilocybin use with the guidance of experienced professionals.
To understand how the Sanctum is different, it is important to note that our program is different. We Prioritize the science and neurological benefits behind psychedelics, Psilocybin Retreat Sanctum distinguishes itself from other retreats which exclusively focus on potential spiritual or religious enlightenment. While the Sanctum recognizes the spiritual and religious enlightenment experienced by its clients, the Sanctum’s program also focuses on neuroplasticity, brain health, pain management, and personal growth. Along with teaching techniques and approaches for managing a psychedelic trip itself, the program also empowers guests to incorporate psychedelics into their wellness routine with independence and self-sufficiency. The community atmosphere promotes learning, growth, shared discussion, and general reflection while encouraging spiritual experiences. The program’s support extends well beyond the retreat itself, providing guests with a dedicated private network for communication, questions and discussion beyond the days of the retreat itself, along with updated articles, online classes, research links, and cultivation course videos. The Sanctums’s mission is to equip guests with the confidence, independence, and tools needed to manage their condition and goals independently, while continuing to receive support from doctors and family back home.
Psilocybin is the active ingredient in more than 200 species of magic mushrooms and truffles. Psilocybin-containing fungi grow in environments such as tropical and subtropical humid forests. They are also cultivated indoors by professional and amateur mycologists.
Although psilocybin and the fungi that contain it are still illegal in many parts of the world, the stigma surrounding their use is fading quickly due to the recent surge of positive research studies, anecdotal accounts, and companies championing the use of psychedelics.
Human beings have used psilocybin throughout history for spiritual and personal growth purposes. Ancient rock art in Algeria and Spain depicting mushroom use is estimated to be thousands of years old.
According to the “Stoned Ape Theory” originated by Terence McKenna, an American ethnobotanist and psychedelics advocate, the discovery of magic mushrooms about 200,000 years ago was responsible for birthing language, strengthening community, and the doubling in size of the human brain.
Psilocybin is widely regarded as a safe substance. In a 2010 study that ranked the safety of various drugs based on measurements of how a drug harms the individual and others, psilocybin was shown to be the safest out of 20 substances. It was a full 12x safer than alcohol and more than 4x safer than tobacco. Simple factors such as having a guide present and being in a quiet indoor or secluded outdoor area can ensure safety.
Many suffering from depression and anxiety have benefitted from using psilocybin in a safe setting with proper mental and emotional support. Those who commit to sitting with and developing curiosity about difficult emotions may enjoy tremendous growth and healing with the help of psilocybin. We have worked with countless journeyers whose mental health has improved after incorporating mushrooms into their lives.
Committing to a regular microdosing schedule for a few weeks or months can be a safe and effective start toward establishing long-lasting change. For some, positive results can manifest almost overnight. In contrast, for others, several days, weeks, or months are necessary for the benefits to become apparent. Developing one’s capacity to practice faith, fortitude, and patience amid difficulties is essential to the work.
We recommend taking a holistic approach when working through depression and anxiety, seeking to understand and work with these conditions rather than attempting to rid yourself of them. Along with taking mushrooms, developing a solid support network, establishing healthy routines, and practicing gratitude and generosity is vital.
We use mass spectrometry to test our items. We are happy to share lab reports and strain information upon request.
We prides itself on being a welcoming space for all, and not just those with certain medical conditions. While the program may have been originally designed to cater to individuals with chronic pain conditions, we believe this fact only adds to the level of care and attention we offer to our guests. Catering to individuals with medical conditions means that our Retreat places a premium on providing a safe, secure, and accessible environment to explore the benefits of psilocybin. Whether you’re looking to address a specific medical condition or simply seeking to enhance your overall wellness, Our Retreat offers a welcoming and supportive environment to help you achieve your goals.
At the Sanctum, we know the science behind the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of psilocybin and can coach our visitors on how to leverage them for better health as part of a long term plan.