Psychedelic retreats are becoming increasingly popular. Whether surrounded by the soothing sound of Jamaican beaches, immersed in the towering rainforest of the Amazon, or among the mountains of California, more people are daring to try psychedelics to embark on a journey that will help them release emotional ballast and have an illuminating vision that gives new meaning to their lives.
An ancient tradition that returns with the endorsement of science
The taboo surrounding psychedelics is fading, in part due to some mental health professionals’ growing interest in them. A couple of years ago, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study on the benefits of psilocybin, the psychoactive ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms, for the treatment of depression.
Earlier, the journal Nature had already revealed that ayahuasca could relieve the symptoms of different mental disorders, depression among them. 80% of affected people showed improvements, and those who continued to use it long-term showed a greater sense of self-transcendence and quality of life.
Of course, it’s still too early to say that psychedelics can be used to promote greater emotional well-being, but many neuroscientists and psychotherapists are excited about the early results. After all, psychedelics have a long history as a tool for promoting transcendental experiences.
In 2008, a group of archaeologists excavating a cave in the Sora River valley in Bolivia discovered a thousand-year-old ritual package that belonged to a shaman of the pre-Inca Tiwanaku civilization. When scraping the artifacts, they discovered psychotropic compounds such as harmine, psilocin and ayahuasca, among others.
Although its use has been linked to shamanism, in reality the ritual use of drugs existed practically all over the world. In a writing from the fourth century BC, Herodotus described the ritual use of cannabis by the Scythians. The ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, celebrated the Eleusinian mysteries with a psychoactive drink called kykeon, which appeared to contain mushrooms with LSD. And in the ancient scriptures of Zoroastrianism, reference was made to a libation called haoma or “elixir of truth” with powerful psychoactive effects.
Today, science has proven that classic psychedelics trigger a cascade of neural connectivity and blood flow to regions of the brain, such as the “default neural network,” altering habitual patterns of brain activity and sense of self. That is why they generate altered states of consciousness and mystical, meaningful, and transcendental experiences, often characterized by deep feelings of connection, openness and unity.
Neuroscientists and psychologists have recognized that such psychedelic experiences could recode the inflexible mental patterns of thought, emotions, and behaviors that often lie at the root of some psychological disorders. By promoting neural plasticity at the structural and functional level, these substances could help “rewire the brain,” produce an emotional recalibration, and help us find new meaning.
However, there are also many reasons to be cautious: psychedelics can cause psychosis or long-term mental health problems, particularly in people with a predisposition to mental illness and when used without any control.
What can you expect from a psychedelic retreat?
People looking for psychedelic retreats often have different goals in mind. There are those who feel trapped in the routine, as if they have not been able to move forward for years hindered by an unknown weight that holds them back, others feel lost and want to rediscover the meaning of life. There are also those who are just curious or want to live new experiences that facilitate a greater connection or foster a “higher” state of consciousness.
Obviously, there are psychedelic retreats of all kinds and practically all over the world, from those that propose a trip with bufo or peyote to those that use psilocybin or ayahuasca. If you are considering going to one, it is important that you research the type of substance it uses and the experiences it usually generates.
Psilocybin, for example, a naturally occurring substance found in several species of mushrooms, often alters consciousness and is usually used to promote a state of self-reflexive and introspective healing. Ayahuasca, on the other hand, comes from the mixture of two or more plants and causes intense visual effects along with a sense of calm, although each experience is different and some people react very intensely.
For this reason, it is also important that there is a doctor who can attend to any emergency in these retreats. In fact, the most professional and safest centers usually ask participants to fill out a medical intake form in which they evaluate their physical and mental fitness before admitting them, precisely to avoid psychological crises and medical emergencies.
Each retreat is different, but the usual thing is that they prepare you over the days for the psychedelic experience. It means preparing both the body and mind, fostering confidence, openness, and a willingness to experience new perspectives. Facilitators might teach you different breathing and transcendental meditation practices to boost mindfulness and self-awareness while helping you clarify your intentions.
After the retreat, integration sessions are crucial. It is a period of reflection and application of what you have learned to ensure that those profound revelations do not disappear, but that you can weave them into your daily life to empower the change you desire. In this way, the retreat will not simply be just another experience, but will become a powerful tool to reimagine your own existence.
However, it is important that you are aware that during these introspective experiences you can find both cherished memories that generate great peace and traumas buried deep within the unconscious. Some attendees experience moments of terror, pain, and searing clarity at the same time.
Psychedelic experiences produce immense physical and emotional vulnerability, so it’s critical to choose the retreat carefully and make sure that the facilitators are truly prepared to deal with those situations.
References:
Jiménez, D. F. et. Al. (2020) Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality of life in naïve users: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study combination. Nature Scientific Reports; 10: 4075.
Carhart, R. et. Al. (2021) Trial of Psilocybin versus Escitalopram for Depression. N Engl J Med; 384:1402-1411.
George, D. R. et. Al. (2022) Ancient Roots of Today’s Emerging Renaissance in Psychedelic Medicine. CultMedPsychiatry; 46(4): 890–903.
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