Legal Psychedelic Retreat Centers

Psychedelic retreats are an excellent option for those yearning to leave behind stressful routines for intense inward exploration.

More and more, people are choosing to attend psychedelic therapy retreats to gain a better understanding of themselves, resolve past issues, handle mood problems, and/or address a lack of direction in life. Psychedelic retreat goers want an opportunity to clear out the mental clutter from daily existence.

Life is busy, work is exhausting, and, time for self-reflection is scarce. Frustration accumulates with every overtime hour, parking ticket, and relationship complication, and the way we handle these life stressors and pressures is often by ignoring or concealing them. Without a consistent meditation/yoga practice, frequent escapes into nature to enjoy the silence and fresh air, and/or a regular stress-reducing exercise regimen, they build up.

Our minds, like any system, need both routine maintenance and the occasional tune-up. The former is a means of prevention, the latter a means of treatment after we’ve noticed we’re in trouble. Establishing consistent habits of investing in mental health preservation requires a comprehensive understanding of their benefits.

Not everyone, however, has the energy or the will put in the time required to adopt a mindset of mindfulness. Some of us need a little assistance.

In psychedelic retreats, we immerse ourselves in a supportive, stress-free setting that caters to all our needs while challenging us to redefine ourselves. The process of expanding our comfort zone is padded with comfort and support from expert guides in the safest possible environment, usually surrounded by nature.

The other main advantage of psychedelic retreats is that the process of preparing for, and integrating the psychedelic experience are integral parts of the itinerary. Guests are advised on all matters involved with preparing the body and mind ready for healing. They are encouraged to open up and share their innermost thoughts and feelings about what they’re going through, and they’re counseled on how to deal with new insights and understandings.

During the retreat itself, guests are cared for by psychedelic therapy facilitators, shamans, or guides — and medical staff is often present in the rare event of an emergency.

There’s always the option that a natural reset in the form of a psilocybin retreat may be the answer.

When your intention is clear to you, you can accurately approach choosing the kind of retreat suitable for your needs. Let’s dive a little deeper into each of the legally available alternatives.

The sacramental use of ayahuasca has been part of indigenous cultures in countries belonging to the Amazon basin for many generations, and today its use in the northern part of South America is completely legal. For this reason, many retreat centers have sprung up over the last few decades, most notably in Peru, but also in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil.

Some of the most well-established ayahuasca retreat centers in South America include:

This slice of Central American paradise is not only good for its beaches and the lush natural scenery. In Costa Rica, ayahuasca is made and distributed in a ceremonial context freely and legally.

Over the years numerous retreat centers have been constructed in order to facilitate sessions and cater to the demand of many who wish to experience the brew in a gorgeous tropical setting rather than in the (sometimes intense environment of the) Amazon jungle.

Some of the most well-established ayahuasca retreat centers in Costa Rica include:

Around the world, the standard upheld by renowned retreat centers is at an all-time high, with safety, comfort, and support as the hallmark values upheld for each guest. These elements create a meaningful, reassuring complement to a psychedelic experience (set and setting).

However, although these centers provide excellent services from vetted maestros; thorough healing practice itineraries that include various cleansing rituals, integrative counseling, and traditional practices such as flower baths; comfortable accommodation and suitable nutrition, they do come at a price that not everyone can afford

Retreat rates are reasonable considering the investment that goes into providing such extensive service, and the potential spiritually transformative value they hold. That said, if the cost feels too high, searching for ayahuasca sessions independently in the Amazon is always an option. Smaller single-shaman or family-run centers are abundant and easy to find throughout Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil.

If you’ve ever considered going on an ayahuasca retreat but worried that it might be a bit too intense a place to start, you’ll be glad to know that legal options for psilocybin retreats are available.

In general, psilocybin is gentler than ayahuasca in the intensity of effects it induces. There is normally no purging (vomiting) involved in psilocybin trips, the visionary aspect is usually not as flabbergasting, and the journeys tend to feel more supportive and kind. Contrastly, ayahuasca has the occasional knack for forcing drinkers to face their deepest and darkest secrets with little choice, but to surrender to whatever the experience brings.

This is not to say that psilocybin does not get intense. Inward exploration always stretches the limits of consciousness in an uncomfortable way; still, it’s not as unpredictable as ayahuasca and, if done in a safe, nurturing setting, is likely to offer a pleasant, loving journey.

Joining a psilocybin retreat is not a time-demanding endeavor. Where ayahuasca retreats often last fourteen days or longer, psilocybin retreats are limited to a few days or a week at most, during which time up to five sessions take place. Led mostly by Western facilitators, these ceremonies have a firm grounding in the process of sharing and integration, and spaces for this work are embedded in the itinerary of most retreats.

Retreats with psilocybin mushrooms take place most readily in Jamaica and Mexico, and are facilitated using psilocybin truffles in the Netherlands.

Due to this amorphous legality, there aren’t that many retreat options available online, but, if one looks carefully, it should be possible to find local teachers offering sessions with this sacred medicine. A few options to check out online include:

San Pedro, or Huachuma, is a psychedelic cactus that induces wild, long-lasting trips that are rooted in the feelings of energetic transcendentalism and universal connectedness. San Pedro is often accompanied with synesthesia and a mystical awareness of the environment and the objects within it. It gives an intensely euphoric sensory experience with profound empathetic overtones and meaningful spiritual insights. Quite the psychedelic for a retreat, isn’t it?

San Pedro grows in dry highlands along the Andes in South America. Coincidentally, its distribution and use largely overlap with that of ayahuasca — it’s mostly consumed ritualistically in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia. It can often be found bundled together with ayahuasca in a single retreat, during which San Pedro is taken during the day, and ayahuasca is taken at night.

As for centers that organize San Pedro retreats, here are a few reputable options:

Psychedelic therapy retreats are something to consider for anyone struggling to reduce stress or to explore the inner reaches of the self. International travel is becoming more convenient than ever, retreat centers are abundant, and their services and amenities are at ever high levels. All you need to do is reach within, understand your intention, and choose your tool and place of rebirth.

We hope that this article can get you started on the right path to healing, for you.

Also, please drop us a line in the comments section below if you have attended a psychedelic retreat, and let us know how it went!

Related posts:

This article originally appeared in the Canarsie Journal on May 14, 2019. It was written by D. Rybenstein: A doctor with a strong passion for healthy living is the best way I can describe Dr. Enrico…

When LinkedIn was founded in 2002, it provided a much-needed social media platform dedicated to helping people build career connections. Over time, however, the site has continued to become overrun…