Walking the Plant Path  A Facilitator’s Guide to Plant Medicine Retreats  by John K. McIlwain      
       
Walking the Plant Path   
   John K. McIlwain 2022  
2           Dedication   This manual is dedicated to those healers, past and present, who, listening to the plants, are bringing healing to a wounded humanity.  They offer us the opportunity to find again our rightful place in the web of life, not as masters of all we survey but simply as sharers in that consciousness that permeates our universe.  May this manual and the work of all who study it bring benefit to all sentient beings and healing to all our relations.        
  Image by NASA   Third Edition (2022)   Copywrite 2022 by John K. McIlwain under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.  Under this license, you may copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format if you give appropriate credit, but only for non-commercial purposes, nor may you remix, transform, or build upon the material.  For more information on the terms of this license, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/,  or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. 

Walking

PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. 

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4         This guide is intended as a resource for those who wish to facilitate and support people in the intentional, lawful, use of plant medicines in a retreat setting.  Some plant medicines are lawful to use in some European countries, and some countries in Central and South America. In the United States, there are beginning to be jurisdictions where the use of plant medicines has been decriminalized, though not yet legalized.  That said, in most of Europe and the US, and many other parts of the world, using, possessing, selling, or giving away plant medicines is illegal and can lead to significant criminal charges and lengthy prison sentences.  The purpose of this guide, therefore, is to help facilitators in jurisdictions where the use of these medicines is legal, to develop the skills and knowledge needed to reduce the potential harm and increase the benefits to the users of these powerful medicines, so they may better support those who have freely and knowingly chosen to engage in the intentional use of plant medicines for their own spiritual,

use of plant medicines for their own spiritual, energetic, emotional, and physical wellbeing.  The guide is not a recommendation to use psychedelics where the laws prohibit their use.     For the privacy of all concerned, the names in this guide have been changed, though all their stories are true.    A note on nomenclature – For simplicity, the term “plant medicine” will be used throughout this manual to refer to all the many varieties of psychedelics and entheogens or empathogens currently being used for healing, spiritual practice, and recreation.  While some are chemicals crafted in laboratories, even most of these are analogues or otherwise based on psychoactive plants or fungi (e.g., LSD).      
5          Contents   Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2  Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5  1.  Becoming a Facilitator, Preparing Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  9  2.  Preparing for the Retreat:  The Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  21  3.  Preparing for the Retreat:  The Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  32  4.  Working with the Retreatants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

with the Retreatants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39  5.  The Retreat Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53  6.  The Ceremony:  The Art of Doing Nothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63  7.  The Day After:  Integration Begins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78  Afterword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84  Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85    Appendix A:  External Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86  Appendix B:  From Sylvia Polivoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  87  Appendix C:  Clearing Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  89  Suggested Readings and Online Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96  About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
        
  Sacred Falls, Ecuador

Walking the Plant Path      Preface    You have before you a guide for setting up and running safe retreats using plant medicines.  Countless people can attest to their power and the benefits of using them in skillfully facilitated retreats.  In many Western countries, including the United States, such retreats are largely illegal except in certain FDA-approved medical studies;

illegal except in certain FDA-approved medical studies; outside of these studies, they are banned by a fearful and restrictive government.  Despite these laws, their use has continued unabated for decades as people continue to seek their power for healing, spiritual growth, as well as recreation.  As a result of the current legal situation the curious and the inexperienced are often forced to take the unnecessary risks associated with using these powerful agents on their own in unsupported environments such as raves, desert gatherings, and musical events with decidedly mixed, if not harmful, results.  The thoughtful, careful, and intentional use of plant medicines in well-supported conditions can bring remarkable benefits; this guide offers a path to this end.  In indigenous traditions it normally takes years of apprenticing with an experienced shaman before one is initiated and authorized to lead retreats with plant medicines.  This is a powerful pathway, and there are a small number of Westerners who have followed it; they deserve great respect.  Few of us in the West, however, have the access, resources, or the time to devote to such lengthy preparation.     There is

or the time to devote to such lengthy preparation.     There is another pathway to facilitate retreats.  For decades Western doctors, therapists, researchers, and psychonauts have explored the intentional use of plant medicines for healing and spiritual growth.  Ralph Metzner, one of the deans of the psychedelic renaissance of the past 60 years, has called these “hybrid entheogenic sessions,” to distinguish them from plant medicine retreats led by true indigenous shamans.    Powerful as it can be to work with an indigenous shaman, the Western hybrid approach is based on a belief that it is the plant medicine and a person’s own inner healing intelligence that is the source of their healing and spiritual growth.  As such, a well-trained facilitator who creates an appropriate setting and supports people as they develop their mental set for the retreat can run a safe, productive retreat that offers the opportunity for personal healing and spiritual growth.   A variety of protocols for these hybrid retreats have been developed over the past 60 or so years.  Most protocols are anchored by the importance of “set and setting,” key principles first identified by Metzner and his companions

principles first identified by Metzner and his companions Timothy Leary and Richard Alpert in their work with psychedelics at Harvard in the 1960s.  The approach to facilitating retreats offered in this manual is based on “set and setting,” and is similar to many of the protocols in these Western hybrid practices.  
3         The number of people in the West interested in working with plant medicine is growing rapidly.  For one thing, recent studies by major universities such as NYU, Johns Hopkins, and Imperial College London have demonstrated that plant medicines, used skillfully, are safe and effective, correcting the misimpression intentionally created by the United States government in the 1960s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.  These studies also show that the plants enable people to heal many mental afflictions far more effectively than currently available psychotherapeutic medicines, as well as showing their potential impact on people’s sense of connection with nature and the divine.    This guide is based on a practical and productive protocol developed for retreats designed especially for Westerners who are generally new to this work, and

for Westerners who are generally new to this work, and who may be skeptical of spiritual or religious trappings, rituals, and the like.  The approach in this guide is intended to help people understand that working with plant medicines is something most people can do safely and beneficially, regardless of personal beliefs or backgrounds,    As an accompaniment to this manual, there are excellent books offering invaluable advice about plant medicine practices, many of which are listed in the Suggested Readings section at the end of the manual.  Two books in particular offer a general introduction to this work, and if you have not read them yet, I recommend reading them along with this manual.  They are The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide by James Fadiman and Ralph Metzner’s Allies for Awakening.    The approach laid out in this manual is not the only way to run safe and effective retreats, nor should you feel constrained to follow the suggestions here to the letter.  Each facilitator will find their own way to run retreats and support people in ways that feel authentic and comfortable to them and their retreatants.     On a personal note – Through this guide, I am attempting to respond to the

note – Through this guide, I am attempting to respond to the plants’ request for help in bringing them to more people for their benefit, and to support the plants in their mission to heal a wounded and failing Western civilization.  It is a privilege to be able to do this work, and it needs to be approached with humility and gratitude.   It is a sacred practice, no matter your spiritual framework.      
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     “But the fact is that the approach to the numinous is the real therapy.  And inasmuch as you attain the numinous experience, you are released from the curse of pathology.”        Carl Jung1    
 1Kingsley, Peter, Catafalque: Carl Jung and the End of Humanity, (London: Catafalque Press, 2020), 118. 

5         Introduction    This manual is intended to be used as part of a program to train people to set up and facilitate retreats using psychoactive plant medicines.  It is not, however, intended to encourage the illegal use of psychoactive plants.  Rather, the intention is to reduce the chances of harm and to enhance the value of the experience of plant medicines for the people already planning to use them.  The manual is

for the people already planning to use them.  The manual is designed for people who have had experience with plant medicines but who are not necessarily licensed or trained psychotherapists.  It is based on several assumptions and underlying principles.  Among these are the following:  • Plant medicines, properly prepared and used, are safe and can provide deep healing insights and spiritual awakenings. • The power, effectiveness, and safety of plant medicines is greatly improved by being used in retreats where the setting has been carefully created to provide a safe and attractive environment. • Working with a trained facilitator before, during, and after a plant medicine retreat enhances the positive effects and significantly reduces the possibility of emotional and physical harm. • A facilitator must prepare themselves by deeply exploring their own inner life before stepping into the role of supporting others. • A facilitator does not need to be trained as a shaman, curandero, vegitalista, or ayahuascero, nor to be a Western-trained and licensed psychotherapist, to safely and effectively prepare and lead plant medicine retreats.  Facilitators do need to prepare

plant medicine retreats.  Facilitators do need to prepare themselves personally and follow certain guidelines and safety protocols.  • Each of us has an inner healer that seeks our greater wholeness and wellbeing.  When the inner healer is combined with the wisdom of plant medicines, we can enter into a healing consciousness beyond our normal one.   The inner healer – The idea of an inner healer comes from the work of Stanislav Grof, among others.  Its premise is that within each of us is a psyche that, when allowed, will move us to physical and emotional wholeness.  This process is greatly enhanced when one is in what Grof calls a “holotropic state”2 induced by plant medicines, among other methods.  2 Holotropic, a neologism coined by Grof, is a “composite word [that] means literally ‘oriented towards wholeness’ or ‘moving in the direction of wholeness’….”   “Holotropic states are characterized by a specific transformation of consciousness associated with dramatic perceptual changes in all sensory areas, intense and often unusual emotions, and profound alterations of the thought process.…  We experience simultaneously two very different realities, have ‘each foot in a

two very different realities, have ‘each foot in a different world.’” Grof, Stanislav, Healing Our 
6           Grof’s concept of holotropic states underlies the guidance offered facilitators in this manual and offers the best understanding I have come across for the extraordinary and mysterious impact of plant medicine retreats.  It explains why skilled facilitators, even though not trained or licensed as psychotherapists, can run successful retreats.  In Grof’s view,   In this form of therapy, the therapist [facilitator] is not the doer, the agent who is instrumental in the healing process, but a sympathetic supporter and co-adventurer.  This attitude is in consonance with the original meaning of the Greek word therapeutes, which means attendant or assistant in the healing process.3   An analogy is often made to the ways our bodies heal from various maladies.  When we break an arm, for instance, the doctor will set the arm back into its proper position, but the doctor is not the one who in fact mends the break.  That is done by our body itself, slowly producing what is needed to mend the two parts of the broken bone back together.  The doctor

the two parts of the broken bone back together.  The doctor creates the conditions in which the body can best do its own healing.  In the case of plant medicine retreats, it is the facilitator who creates the best conditions for the inner psyche to move towards wholeness and wellbeing with the assistance and wisdom of the plant medicines.  How to use this manual   The manual is organized sequentially, as each step in becoming a skilled facilitator builds on the steps before.  Once all the stages of becoming a facilitator and setting up and running a retreat are mastered, it may be helpful to revisit different chapters from time to time, and to continue reading the extra materials mentioned in the manual and the Suggested Readings and Online Resources listed at the end.  Chapter One looks at how we prepare ourselves to become skilled facilitators. This content covers the personal work that needs to be done by anyone considering becoming a facilitator.  After you have read this chapter, if the work called for seems too hard, uninteresting, or otherwise unappealing, then I suggest you consider waiting to become a facilitator until you feel you are ready to dive into this inner work.  Chapter Two

feel you are ready to dive into this inner work.  Chapter Two illustrates how to create a beautiful, safe, and supportive setting for retreats.  The setting will color the entire experience of the retreatants, as they will be in an enhanced state of awareness and wide open to the beauty, or lack of it, in their surroundings. The impact of the setting on the outcome of a retreat has been demonstrated repeatedly.  Deepest Wounds: The Holotropic Paradigm Shift, (Newcastle, WA: Stream of Experience Productions, 2012), 30. 3 Ibid., 73. 
7         Chapter Three is about the medicine and how to work with it.  It is not a guide to various plant medicines but offers some important principles to consider as you work with the medicines you choose.  Chapter Four addresses whom to include, and more importantly whom not to include, in a retreat.  The process of screening applicants involves getting to know them and helping them to prepare themselves for the retreat.  The emphasis is on choosing retreatants with care and developing a relationship of open trust.  Without this trust no retreat can be successful.  Chapter Five looks at how to open the retreat.  It covers

Chapter Five looks at how to open the retreat.  It covers the ground rules that retreatants need to agree to for your safety and theirs, and will help them feel safe and more able to relax into the process.   Chapter Six is about the actual ceremony and what it means to “hold space.”  It covers how and when to intervene in a retreatant’s inner processes, and how to work with the unexpected reactions of some retreatants.  Chapter Seven covers the important follow-on integration process and how to support retreatants after the ceremony.  Integration is the most unappreciated aspect of most retreats, but it is during the weeks and months following a retreat that retreatants have the opportunity to incorporate any insights they gained into their daily lives; without this work, insights become but memories.   A final note   The way set out in the manual to run retreats is safe and effective but is certainly not the only way to run them.  As you do your own exploration with plant medicines, you’ll come across other ways, each with its particular benefits, and some with liabilities.  Study them and draw from each what makes sense to you.  Much of what is in this manual will be helpful regardless of the form

what is in this manual will be helpful regardless of the form your retreats take; little here is hard and fast.  Working with the plants for the benefit of others is a privilege that should be approached with humility and great respect for the mystery of their wisdom and power.  If you choose to take on the responsibility of becoming a facilitator, you have an obligation to continue your own work with the medicines and on your own inner issues, and to continue to read in this area, take courses, study with other more experienced facilitators, and otherwise continue to deepen your experience.  A facilitator’s training is never over. 
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  Tibetan (source unknown)   

9         1   Becoming a Facilitator, Preparing Yourself   Non ignara mali miseris succurrere disco.  No stranger to trouble myself, I am learning to care for the unhappy.  Virgil, Aeneid, Book 1  “I help people as a way to work on myself and I work on myself to help people.”        Ram Dass4   Do your inner work  The first and most fundamental step to becoming a facilitator is to do your own inner work.5  This involves the inner exploration of the parts of ourselves

involves the inner exploration of the parts of ourselves we hide from our consciousness.  It is also the source of great healing and connection with your own personal power.  As it is said in the Gospel of St. Thomas, “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.”   There are many ways to do this work, including working with a therapist, meditation (more on this later), holotropic breathwork, vision quests, plant medicine retreats, and more.  Ultimately, your inner work is what will enable you to be fully present with retreatants regardless of the demons and wrenching issues they are facing.  Facing these parts of ourselves is an ongoing, lifelong work.  Unless you have had the courage to face your own issues and demons, you can easily become upset and activated just when your calm acceptance of another’s struggle is most important.   Ego – In your inner work, you need to explore your ego; how it has been formed from your earliest days (from conception and before) through to the present; and become familiar with its needs and desires, its fears, and attachments.  While this may

and desires, its fears, and attachments.  While this may feel like peeling the endless layers of an onion, the goal is not to get rid of, or kill off your ego, as you need an ego to function day to day; in any event, it’s not going away no matter how hard you may try.  Instead, the point of your inner work is to become conscious of your ego and its ways.  Here is where nonjudgmental mindfulness is so essential.  Your ability to be with others in  4 Quoted in Fadiman, James, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, (Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 2011), 56. 5 For a good, short introduction to this inner work, or “shadow work” as Carl Jung named it, read Robert A. Johnson’s Owning Your Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche, (New York: HarperOne, 1993). 
10        their dark and troubled places, as well as their sublime states, is dependent on the extent to which you can be aware of and witness the urges, fears, and habits of your own ego as they play out in real time.  This will enable you to create space for a retreatant free from your own issues and impulses.6  You may be surprised to find that the most challenging aspect

may be surprised to find that the most challenging aspect of your inner work is accepting your own power.  It is difficult to face our weaknesses, the things that shame us, the embarrassing moments, and the like.  These, however, are not all we suppress as we grow.  It is a significant challenge for most people to accept and own their own power, and to do so in a way that does not inflate their egos.  You will find that coming to terms with your power—and your reluctance to own it—will free a great deal of energy and help you feel confident as you facilitate retreats.7    Developing an ethical grounding – As you explore your inner world and motivations, take time to consider the development of inner ethical guidelines.  There are many “external” ethical guidelines for different retreats, as well as for therapists, ministers, meditation instructors, and spiritual teachers.8  That said, in her book The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship with Clients, Kylea Taylor points to a need for additional “inner” guidelines:  At the time I wrote [the first edition of] the book, most ethics courses were concerned primarily with the law and with professional requirements for obtaining and

law and with professional requirements for obtaining and maintaining licensing.  While this knowledge of external ethical mandates is crucial for the practice of therapy, ministry, medicine, homeopathy, bodywork, education, mentoring, midwifery, or other professional caregiving, it is also important for us as licensed professionals and leaders engaged with healing and the personal evolution of clients, students, and patients to conduct an on-going internal self–examination of our own values and motivations.  By paying such close attention to ourselves in relationship, we discover our ‘Inner Ethics.’ The two approaches, internal and external, to ethics are complementary.9  There are too many stories of facilitators, shamans, spiritual teachers, meditation teachers, therapists, and the like who have abused their positions of trust.  Taylor’s book is an essential tool in understanding this area of paramount importance for a facilitator.    Projections – As a facilitator you will be subject to the temptations provided by the projections10 of clients, and it is easy to believe the wonderful things they may say about  6 For a short but powerful discussion of the

may say about  6 For a short but powerful discussion of the importance of doing this inner work for anyone in a healing role such as a facilitator, read Abdi Assadi’s A Healer’s Handbook: A Guide for the Beginning Practitioner (Austerlitz, NY: Abdi Assadi Inc., 2020). 7 For a good, short introduction to owning your strengths, read Robert A. Johnson’s Inner Gold: Understanding Psychological Projection (Kihei, HI: Koa Books, 2008).  8 Appendix A has links to examples of “external” guidelines from different fields. 9 Pp. xxv- xxvi 10 Psychological projection is a defense mechanism in which the human ego defends itself against unconscious impulses or qualities (both positive and negative) by denying their existence in themselves while attributing 
11        you.  It may be delightful to be told you are a wise healer, but it quickly becomes dangerous when you start believing your good press.  Conversely, it is also dangerous to believe the retreatants when they project their self-judgments onto you or transfer onto you their negative feelings about parents or siblings.    The issue of projections and transference is complicated.  It is hard for

and transference is complicated.  It is hard for retreatants to avoid developing projections onto a facilitator.  Often, you become the parent they always wanted, or conversely the cruel and harsh parent who always abused them. You may be seen as the perfect lover, or the man or woman who abused and abandoned them.  They may see you as the wise elder or teacher the retreatant always sought, or the teacher who once betrayed them.  The variations are limitless, and often neither they nor you are fully aware of them.  As a facilitator, you will be the focus of various and changing projections.  You become the embodiment of the participants’ own strengths and weakness, the image of their hopes and fears.  It is tempting to believe the compliments, and it is painful to hear negative projections.  Naturally you need feedback, both positive and negative, to get a sense of how well you are doing, and as encouragement to keep doing this work.  But it can be hard to sort out what is real and what is a projection.  The answer lives in the moment, and you always need to ask, “Is this a fair compliment (or criticism), or is it a projection or transference that I simply need to note and let go of?”  Whenever you sense a

that I simply need to note and let go of?”  Whenever you sense a retreatant holding you in especially high regard, be cautious.  It is entirely possible that they are simply setting you up to take the blame later for any disappointments they have in their experience of the retreat.  If you are the wise and powerful healer, then if they do not experience what they expected, you can just as easily be the weak and ineffective healer who let them down, or even caused them harm; it’s a knife edge to walk.  Issues to explore are your own experiences with praise and criticism.  To what extent do you still need praise and affirmation?  Do you have a strong enough sense of your own self-worth to be able to accept criticism and take it in stride?  And of course, you need to explore your own projections, as you may find yourself projecting onto the retreatants; this is natural and not problematic if, and only if, you are alert to this possibility and are able to keep it from driving your relationship with the retreatant.   One further note on projections: retreatants will often offer high praise to a facilitator after a powerful and healing retreat, thinking, mistakenly, that it was the skill and wisdom of the

mistakenly, that it was the skill and wisdom of the facilitator that brought them their healing. In fact, it was their own inner healer, working with the plant medicines, that brought healing; their healing occurred through their own commitment and willingness to work through any difficulties that arose.  It is important to  them to others. For example, a bully may project their own feelings of vulnerability onto the target. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_projection  
12        remind them of this and help them see that they are the ones truly responsible for the results of the retreat.  This helps them sense their own self-agency, which is important for their integration work ahead, and for claiming responsibility for their lives in the future. As Benjamin Disraeli said, "The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to [them their] own."  Self-compassion – As you do your inner work, you may feel that you fall short of being the person you wish to be.  You will likely find times when you realize that some aspect of your interactions with a retreatant or someone else came out of your own ego

with a retreatant or someone else came out of your own ego needs.  You may have acted out of fear, a sense of being a savior, delight in exercising power, the need to feel that you are a guru, or a sense of embarrassment or shame triggered by something someone said or did.  When you notice this, please be kind to yourself; none of us are perfect.  You are only called to do your best, and to keep practicing and doing your inner work.     For many of us in the West, being kind to ourselves is not easy since we live in a deeply judgmental and competitive culture.  We are judged by many people as we grow up, and often are still harshly judged even as adults.  We have been taught to believe in the illusion of “perfection,” a standard we are all inevitably going to fall short of.  We come to internalize this belief in “perfection” as well as often cruel early judgments and become our own harshest critics.  Interestingly, this trait amazed many Asian Buddhist teachers when they first came to the West.  They had rarely encountered such a sense of self-blame in their Asian students.  Being kind to ourselves, developing some level of self-compassion, is not selfish, and in fact is directly related to our ability to be

selfish, and in fact is directly related to our ability to be compassionate towards others.  As the American psychiatrist M. Scott Peck said:  I believe it will become clear that not only do self-love and the love of others go hand in hand but that ultimately they are indistinguishable.11  For this reason, offering kindness and compassion to the retreatants starts with kindness towards yourself.  Kristin Neff, a leading researcher into self-compassion, describes it as follows:  Self-compassion involves acting [with compassion] towards yourself when you are having a difficult time, fail, or notice something you don’t like about yourself.  Instead of just ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip” mentality, you stop to tell yourself “this is really difficult right now,” how can I comfort and care for myself in this moment?  11 Peck, M. Scott, The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth (New York: Touchstone, 1978), 83. 
13        “Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when

self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings… [Emphasis hers.] … Perhaps most importantly, having compassion for yourself means that you honor and accept your humanness. Things will not always go the way you want them to. You will encounter frustrations, losses will occur, you will make mistakes, bump up against your limitations, fall short of your ideals.  This is the human condition, a reality shared by all of us. The more you open your heart to this reality instead of constantly fighting against it, the more you will be able to feel compassion for yourself and all your fellow humans in the experience of life.12 In short, regardless of what a parent, a teacher, or a boss may have told you in the past, or what you may tell yourself now, we are all worthy of kindness and compassion, even though none of us are “perfect,” nor ever will be.  In fact, the whole concept of “perfection” is a mental trap, an elusive state impossible to achieve, and one that all too often prevents us from simply doing the best we can with grace and kindness to ourselves and others.  As the Buddha is reported to have said, “There is absolutely no one in all the many

to have said, “There is absolutely no one in all the many universes more worthy of your love than you are.” Mindfulness meditation – Certain kinds of meditation can support your inner work, and the development of self-compassion in particular.  Buddhist insight, or vipassana meditation, is particularly well suited to build inner awareness and the ability to observe, without judgment, our bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts.  This practice has ancient roots in the Buddhist tradition, and has also become a secular practice in the West.13   Mindfulness meditation is one of the most effective ways of developing the mindfulness, sense of presence, and insight into your own thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations that are critical as you sit with retreatants.  It takes patience and persistence to develop a regular daily meditation practice, but the effort is rewarded richly.  It is not the only way to develop nonjudgmental awareness, and you do not have to have a meditation practice to become a facilitator, but you may well find it a very helpful practice to have.    If you do not already have a meditation practice, there are many books, podcasts, online talks, and free

there are many books, podcasts, online talks, and free meditation apps to work with.  Joining a local meditation group with a good teacher also can be very supportive, especially in the early days of practice.14    12 https://self-compassion.org/ 13 For example, MBSR, or mindfulness-based stress reduction.  See, e.g., an article on the Psychology Today website by William Baum—https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/crisis-knocks/201003/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-what-it-is-how-it-helps 14 Tara Brach has a good booklet on beginning meditation, and a number of guided beginner meditations.  There are many other fine teachers online as well. A simple daily practice of 10 to 30 minutes is all that is 
14         Some meditation practices, based on insight meditation, can also help you develop self-compassion.  One of these is the Buddhist practice of RAIN, explained beautifully by Tara Brach in her book Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN.  Another Buddhist practice that can soften our feelings towards ourselves is metta, or loving kindness, meditation.  Sharon

is metta, or loving kindness, meditation.  Sharon Salzberg, one of the leading teachers of Buddhist insight meditation in the West, is a master of this practice, and you may find her videos helpful.15  Why do I want to be a facilitator?  A part of your inner work is to explore your motivations for becoming a facilitator.  Anyone who takes on the care of others, whether as a facilitator, therapist, minister or priest, meditation teacher or yoga instructor, or any similar role, needs to be clear about their own motivations.  The personal dynamics of these roles can be subtle, and it is natural that some motivations may be more beneficial than others, particularly when dealing with people in vulnerable and altered states of consciousness.16  Facilitating plant medicine retreats brings many rewards, the most important of which are non-monetary.  There is great satisfaction in supporting people as they work to heal wounds acquired in childhood and throughout their lives, engage with the spirits, experience their interconnection with nature and the sacredness of life.  There can be painful moments of great intimacy with people, and times of joy and laughter.  There is the heartwarming

and times of joy and laughter.  There is the heartwarming satisfaction of supporting the work of the plants as they seek to change the destructive path of our civilization, working with one person after another.  There can also be an energetic “contact high” from being in proximity with retreatants as they open to other levels of consciousness.  What other motivations might you have?  Some of the more problematic ones include:  • To be seen as a guru, a wise teacher; • To feel a subtle sense of power over others; • To serve your own self-healing; • To be at the center of attention; or • To be seen as a “cool” person who works with plant medicine.  Motivations such as these distort your relationship with the retreatants, shifting it from an intimate one between caring people to one in which a facilitator is seeking their own ego  needed to build a habit of internal mindfulness during the day, and is a great support while sitting with retreatants.  15 For example, here is a link to of one of her loving kindness meditations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeeDo-c3lDI.    16 For more on this, see Assadi, op. cit. 
15        gratification.  These motivations,

K. McIlwain 2022  
15        gratification.  These motivations, however, rise naturally from your ego, which is always seeking gratification and self-enhancement.  They are a problem to the extent that you are unconscious of them.  Through your own awareness of these ego-driven motivations, you can avoid acting them out with retreatants.    There are some other motivations that are even more problematic.  One of these is the desire to make money.  In itself, this is not a problem, and you deserve to be compensated fairly for your time and expertise.17  The issue of money can be especially problematic if retreats are to be your primary source of income, where it can affect the way you screen applicants and how you market your services.  Make sure that you continue to screen applicants carefully and avoid encouraging people to keep coming back for retreats they may not need or want.  Also, during the time you are working with a participant in connection with a retreat, you should avoid offering them any goods or other services, such as becoming their spiritual teacher or coach.    An even more troublesome motivation is the use of the facilitator role to find sexual partners.  If that is part of your

role to find sexual partners.  If that is part of your motivation for being a facilitator, don’t facilitate retreats or work with retreatants in any way.  You should consider working with retreatants only when you can be certain that whatever sexual attraction you may feel towards them will not be acted on before, during, or after the retreat.  Retreatants are in a vulnerable and trusting state, and you will find at least some of them drawn to you sexually, often projecting onto you an image of power and sexuality that can be enticing to them.  You may find yourself drawn to this seeming mutual attraction, but understand that no retreatant is in a position to give you true consent to any sexual activity –  either before, during, or after the retreat.    As a facilitator you are inevitably in a position of power vis-à-vis retreatants; once established, this power imbalance is hard to dispel.  This is why even after a retreat it is inadvisable to establish a sexual or intimate relationship with a retreatant.  If, however, after the retreat you and the retreatant both desire such a relationship, wait at least six months.  In the meantime, seek out a therapist to help you both sort out the issues

seek out a therapist to help you both sort out the issues raised by this imbalance.  And you must not facilitate any more retreats with that retreatant.   What skills do I bring to be a facilitator?  A final part of your inner work is to make an inventory of the attributes and qualities you feel you bring to the role of facilitator.  This includes things like education and training, spiritual practices, and personal qualities.  It also includes your honesty and integrity; your care, kindness, and compassion; your ability to be present with, and patient and accepting of, the frailties of others; and your gratitude for what all of us who live on this beautiful planet have been given by nature, Mother Earth, the Divine, or whatever you hold sacred.  You have many qualities to bring, and as you list yours, keep in mind that where you find yourself less than perfect, you are only human, and to continue to work building your strengths.   17 There is a brief discussion of monetary compensation in the Afterword. 
16        A simple self-assessment exercise – At some point as you do your inner work, take some quiet time alone and make a list of all the attributes and

quiet time alone and make a list of all the attributes and skills you have that you feel will make you a good facilitator; then make another list of the areas where you feel you need to develop further.  Be as honest as you can with yourself; there is no need to share these lists with anyone else.  If you have someone you trust, you might choose to share the lists with them for their feedback.  While it can be confronting, it is a useful way to identify our own blind spots.      Supporting yourself physically and mentally   Supporting others in retreats is deeply rewarding.  It also takes time and energy, more than you might think at first.  Sitting in silence during a retreat and maintaining presence while watching attentively as the retreatants do their inner work is tiring.  It takes effort to remain fully present.    So, it is important that you take care of your mind and body.  This takes both intention and attention, but remember that you aren’t preparing for an Iron Man competition.  Bring some effort, but not too much; keep it enjoyable, and follow the advice the Buddha gave Sona, a musician:   The Buddha asked the monk Sona, “Is it true that before you became a monk you were a musician?”  Sona replied that it

you became a monk you were a musician?”  Sona replied that it was so.    The Buddha asked, “What happens if the string of your instrument is too loose?”                “When you pluck it, there will be no sound,” Sona replied.  “What happens when the string is too taut?”   “It will break.”  “The practice of the Way is the same,” the Buddha said.  “Maintain your health, be joyful.  Do not force yourself to do things you cannot do.”  Suppose you, like Sona, were a musician and played cello with the New York Philharmonic.  You would take great care of your cello, and make sure it was tuned and ready to play.  You would also keep your body ready so you could play at your peak when the time came.  As a facilitator, it is our minds and bodies that are our instruments, and we need to keep them in tune, and ready when they are needed.  Physical and mental readiness come from many places. A few important aspects to consider follow:  
17        Rest and sleep – It is important to get enough rest and sleep before a retreat.  When you are tired you lose the mental plasticity needed to roll with whatever may arise during a retreat; you can become short-tempered, depressed, more easily triggered, or simply

depressed, more easily triggered, or simply inattentive.  Get the sleep you need and give yourself enough time between retreats to be well-rested and grounded.  Do your best to slow down during the days before a retreat and allow yourself some space to check in with your body, mind, and emotions.  If at all possible, don’t come to a retreat directly after a stressful week of work, or after a morning busy with other tasks.   Nutrition and exercise – Eat well and care for your body.  Watch your sugar and caffeine intake, as too much of either can give you a jittery high (followed by a crash) that makes it hard to be calm and present.  Manage your consumption of alcohol and other drugs so you can be fully sober and present for the retreat.  If you can’t manage alcohol, cannabis, or other drugs, hold off facilitating retreats until you can.  Exercise is obviously important for good health.  Walking or running, especially in nature, is a great way to give yourself time to contemplate life, as well as providing good cardio exercise.  Yoga, chi gong, tai chi, and other practices keep your body loose, open, and the energy flowing.  As always, though, find safe places to walk and run, and don’t push your body

find safe places to walk and run, and don’t push your body beyond its comfort zone; no heroics are needed.  The right amount and type of exercise will help you to relax and sit quietly for the hours of a retreat.  Your energy is a central component of the retreat, and retreatants will pick up on it, consciously or unconsciously.  If you are calm and at ease, they will feel safer and be better able to relax.  Time in nature – Many of us have grown up or live in cities, and find that, even if we love to vacation in beautiful places, time in nature is not always comfortable.  Take time to be in nature even if it is only to go to the park and sit under a tree.  As Mary Oliver says, we can find nature all around us…  Praying   It doesn’t have to be the blue iris, it could be weeds in a vacant lot, or a few small stones; just pay attention, then patch   a few words together and don’t try to make them elaborate, this isn’t a contest but the doorway    
18         into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak 18   Nature is a wonderful healer and heart opener.  Its impact is subtle for most of us, as Western culture has disconnected us from what was once a direct relationship.  We have been

us from what was once a direct relationship.  We have been taught to experience the nature around us as things, objects to be used for our benefit, to monetize, to buy and sell, with no regard for our impact on the natural world.  Plant medicines come from the natural world as messengers, reminding us that we are intricately interwoven into the fabric of the natural world to the point that, when we harm it, we harm ourselves.  Good ways to connect with the natural world include “forest bathing”19 and participating in a vision quest. If you are interested in a vision quest, check out Meredith Little and her School of Lost Borders.20  She is one of several guides who lead Westerners in this ancient practice.  Spending time with art and listening to or playing music are also ways to open and connect ourselves to the power and beauty of our world.  Personal support – It is important to consider your own personal support network.  Do you have a partner in running retreats?  What support do you have in your own personal life, a spouse or partner, or a close friend who understands what you are doing and supports it?  You need a few people with whom you can discuss the ups and downs of this work.21  It is

whom you can discuss the ups and downs of this work.21  It is particularly important to find someone who can be a “supervisor.”   This does not have to be a formal supervisory relationship, just someone who is more experienced in the use of sacred medicines and in running retreats, someone you can ask questions of and review your retreats with.  They can also help when, inevitably, complications arise.  An on-call therapist – If you are not a trained psychotherapist, it is helpful to find one who is familiar with working with plant medicines and is willing to be on call and available during a retreat.  There can be times when you need a professional to talk with about a retreatant. You may need advice on how to support someone who is going through a really hard experience, or help you to decide if professional medical help is called for and the participant should be taken to an emergency room for care.  (As will be discussed later, you should always know where the nearest emergency room is and how to get there.)  These situations can be confusing and challenging; having a professional therapist to consult can be the difference between a successful retreat and a problematic one.  18 Thirst (Boston:

retreat and a problematic one.  18 Thirst (Boston: Beacon Press, 2006), 37. 19 For example, this article in The National Geographic describes Forest Bathing:  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/lists/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health/ 20 http://www.schooloflostborders.org/content/meredith-little 21 There are Facebook pages for people offering integration services that can be helpful in connecting with others in this field, though, for obvious reasons, it can be harder to find those who are facilitating retreats. 
19         Spiritual practice – A spiritual practice connects us with that which is sacred, that which is larger than us.  It is not necessary that you have a regular spiritual practice, but it can help.  You are asking retreatants to open themselves to a level of consciousness where many of us encounter energies or beings that are not of this physical world.  You may or may not have experienced these yourself, but you need to honor any of these experiences retreatants may have.   If you do not have a spiritual practice, I invite you to consider looking for one that feels right for you.  There are many pathways,

for one that feels right for you.  There are many pathways, some simple, some elaborate – all beneficial.  Only you can determine which is best for you at this time in your life.  First Aid and CPR Training – On a practical level, it is good for you, or your co-facilitator if you have one, to have some basic first aid training.  This can be helpful in initially assessing a situation if it looks as if there may be a medical emergency, and to help provide basic care while either taking a person to the emergency room if they are in a condition to ride in a car, or while waiting for an ambulance to arrive.  The Red Cross has a simple, basic online training course that covers these basics.22  Final thoughts – You are never done preparing yourself for this sacred work.  So how do you know you are ready to begin?  There is no test you can take, license you can apply for, or board that will certify you.  This is a decision you will have to make for yourself, though discussing your readiness with a seasoned practitioner can be helpful.  At some point, when you feel ready, you will need to test the waters, co-facilitate with other more experienced facilitators, or start with solos or a small group, and see how it feels.  You

or start with solos or a small group, and see how it feels.  You likely will make mistakes along the way, most of which generally will be harmless and help you see where you need more inner work.  Just be cautious and try to avoid finding yourself in a situation where a mistake could have a serious consequence for the retreatant or for you.  Continue to do your inner work and working with the plants.  At the same time, continue to educate yourself by reading books, listening to talks by experienced facilitators, and following the research into these medicines.  As you work with yourself and with the retreatants, you will discover your own wisdom, and create your own ways of preparing yourself and of working with others.  There is no graduation on this path, though you will feel your competence grow.  As it does, it leads to a growing humility in the face of the mystery of the human soul, the power of nature and plants, and the beauty that is all around and within us.  As you prepare yourself, give thought to where you would like to offer retreats.  Do you have or know of a safe, attractive place for retreatants to let go, become vulnerable, and  22 You can find the Red Cross classes at

vulnerable, and  22 You can find the Red Cross classes at https://www.redcrosslearningcenter.org/s/become-certified.  
20        open themselves to the beauty and challenges of life?  The next chapter goes into these issues in some depth.        
 Hilma af Klint   

21        2   Preparing for the Retreat:  The Setting   Now that you feel personally ready to host a retreat, there are several things to consider next.  Do you want to work alone or with a partner?  What size retreats do you want to host?  Where do you want to host them?  In this chapter we’ll consider each of these questions.    Working alone or with a partner – Regardless of how many people will be in attendance, for your first few retreats it would be wise to work with an experienced facilitator.  This will give you comfort, easing any anxiety you may have, which is particularly important as any anxiety on your part will be telegraphed to the retreatants, potentially undermining their own sense of safety and security.  If there is no one anywhere near where you live who has experience with these retreats, consider finding someone with experience who will

consider finding someone with experience who will “partner” with you over the phone or video conference as you plan and prepare your first retreats.  Ask them to be available especially as you screen participants and during the day of the retreat.  Even if you never call them during the retreat, they will serve as a lifeline for you if the unexpected happens (as it so often does on these retreats), and the rest of the time they will help allay any anxiety you may be feeling.  Even after you have run a number of retreats there are several reasons you may still wish to work with a partner.  It is comforting to have the sense of support an experienced partner brings, and their skills and intuition can complement yours.  It is also helpful to find a partner who identifies with a different gender.  This may help balance the energies in the room and improve the chances for a positive and comforting presence for all the retreatants.  Just make sure that the retreatants are comfortable with the presence of each facilitator’s gender.  For male facilitators, it is also important to have a woman in or near the retreat room if there are one or more women among the participants.  People are vulnerable during plant

the participants.  People are vulnerable during plant medicine retreats, and women are likely to feel more comfortable knowing a woman facilitator or support person is nearby.  Also, if you are a man working with female participants, having a woman partner with you can help protect you from being wrongly accused of sexually approaching a woman participant (or vice versa).  You also need to be alert to people’s gender sensitivities.  If you or one or more of the retreatants is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, it is best to discuss the situation openly with the retreatants as you screen them, which is discussed in Chapter Four.  Even after you have gained some experience, if you are planning a retreat with more than two people, consider working with a partner.  I know skilled facilitators who can run large group retreats productively and safely by themselves, but I would not recommend this to anyone without substantial experience.  Whenever you have more than two or three 
22        people, it is simply best to have a partner.  Retreatants often want to walk or sit outside, or move around inside, and someone needs to keep an eye on them for their safety.

and someone needs to keep an eye on them for their safety.  It is not unusual for another retreatant to need support at the same time.  Even if you only plan to have one retreatant, two facilitators can work with a solo retreatant with great effect, as is being done in many of the research trials.   If you are not a therapist, you may find having a therapist with you is a great way to learn more about working with people in these altered states.  The same could be true if you work with someone with shamanic training, or a holotropic breathwork facilitator.  These are aligned practices and bring complementary skills.   Working with a partner can be very satisfying, but it takes some time and effort to create an effective partnership.  You both have to develop trust in each other and agree on the overall approach to the retreat.  For instance, do you both agree that your roles are to “hold space” rather than to intervene with retreatants if they are having a hard time and are struggling?  In other words, all the decisions you would make on your own now need the agreement of your partner or, alternatively, you and your partner need to develop a level of trust where one of you can delegate to the other decisions in

trust where one of you can delegate to the other decisions in particular areas.  This takes time, getting to know one another, and talking through your combined approaches to the retreat.    If you do plan to have a partner, you should always let the retreatants know who they are ahead of time to avoid surprises.  On one occasion, I know of a facilitator who was working with a partner who was a psychotherapist. Her partner realized at the beginning of the retreat that one of the retreatants was a former client.  While this came as a surprise to both, the therapy happened some years prior and was considered successful by both.  It worked out well, but you just never know, and last-minute surprises are to be avoided whenever possible.     Sizing the retreat   Your choice of venue for the retreat will depend in part on the number of people you anticipate attending.   On the other hand, if you don’t have a choice as to venue, you need to size the retreat so everyone has comfort and privacy in the venue you’ll be using.   It is best to begin with one or more solo retreats, retreats with only one participant.  As you gain experience, and if you are so inclined, you could begin to host small group retreats.      Solo retreats –

could begin to host small group retreats.      Solo retreats – Such retreats have some definite advantages and can create an intimate experience for the retreatant.  It is the format used in FDA-approved trials being run by MAPS and various universities with psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA.  Solos allow for attention to be focused on the single retreatant, which can be helpful for people who are new to plant medicines.  Furthermore, the privacy of a solo retreat is appropriate for those in sensitive positions who want anonymity, and for those concerned about exposing certain 
23        issues in front of others.  There is also more flexibility to co-create the experience with the retreatant in planning the timing, music, food, etc.    Small group retreats – Small retreats, those between two and eight people, are an ideal size for plant medicine work.  For one, the group generates a supportive energy not present in solos.  Retreatants pick up on this energy, often consciously but sometimes without realizing it.  Another advantage is that retreatants always have different and unique experiences, which can benefit the other retreatants during the

which can benefit the other retreatants during the integration process.  Small group retreats are a great way to form or build community.  If the participants are all already members of a group and know one another, their bonds can deepen as their own openness and empathy increases.  By the end of the retreat, even in groups of strangers, you will find a growing sense of community, and on occasion the retreatants will exchange email addresses to stay in touch.   As an example, plant medicines are even being used to help young Palestinians and Israelis retreating together form bonds and reduce ancestral conflict.23   There are a couple of ways a small retreat can be run.  It can be “open,” where the retreatants talk freely with one another.  This works well if the people already know one another, and if there is space for those who may want to go off by themselves for a while.  The other way to run a small group is to invite (encourage) each person to find their own private place, lie down, put on eyeshades, and go inside to work with the medicine on their own, in effect “staying in their own lane.”  Towards the end of such a retreat, participants will have plenty of time to talk with one another if they

will have plenty of time to talk with one another if they wish.  Certain ground rules are particularly important in group retreats, especially open ones.  These include rules about confidentiality, no touching without permission, and no sexual activity of any kind.   Also, you need to keep an eye out for the ‘retreat guru,’ the person who begins to explain, preach, or proselytize, or who begins to market their ideas, skills, or products.  Retreats are no place for these activities; they are annoying and distracting, especially as people are open and trusting, with their powers of rational discrimination weakened.    Large retreats - Retreats with more than eight or ten people are large.  They can be difficult and confusing, with too many conflicting energies and not enough support to feel safe.  If you do want to run one, I encourage you to have at least one experienced partner working with you and to seek additional guidance on how to run them safely and effectively.   23 There is an article on the use of plant medicines to help heal the Palestine-Israel conflict at

medicines to help heal the Palestine-Israel conflict at https://maps.org/news/bulletin/articles/438-maps-bulletin-winter-2019-vol-29,-no-3/7951-can-psychedelics-play-a-role-in-making-peace-and-healing-cycles-of-trauma.  As noted in the article, there are a number of special protocols that have been developed for working with groups in conflict; you should study these carefully before attempting one yourself.  
24            Choosing the venue   It can be convenient to offer retreats in your home if you have the space and there are no distractions such as kids or barking dogs around.  If your home meets the requirements set out below, working at home is probably the easiest way to organize everything you need.  Be sensitive to the fact that some retreatants may have allergies to cats, or phobias around animals, so let them know ahead of time if there are any cats, dogs, or other animals in your home or wherever you choose for the venue.  Even if your own home works to host retreats most of the time, there may be occasions when you may want to or need to hold a retreat somewhere else.  Some facilitators like to rent a place for a couple of

else.  Some facilitators like to rent a place for a couple of days, perhaps through Airbnb.  If you do choose a place with which you are not already familiar, you need to visit the site yourself ahead of time to make sure it will work well physically.    Whether the space you have chosen is in your home or elsewhere, think of it as sacred and worthy of great respect, as it is going to be the cradle for the extraordinary experiences people will have during the ceremony.  To honor a space as sacred requires spending time in it inhabiting it mindfully.  Some facilitators go so far as to talk with the space, enrolling it and the energies and spirits it holds to support the ceremony and the participants, while listening to what it has to say.  Is it alive, spacious, inspiring, responsive, and welcoming?  Does it need to be energetically cleansed?  If the place does feel heavy or dark, there are various practices from different traditions to revive the aliveness of a space, but simple practices like playing sacred music, lighting a candle or incense (to be aired out before the ceremony), drumming, or ringing a bell can accomplish this as well.  Be especially careful if you choose to rent a place, as there can be

careful if you choose to rent a place, as there can be a lot of residual (and not necessarily benign) energy left behind by previous renters.    How does the light play around the room, and how will it play as evening comes?  What are the strong points of the space and what are its weaknesses?  How might the weaknesses be worked with?  Are there objects or furniture that should be removed or just moved about for energetic and visual balance as well as making the space flow better?  Sit and lie down where the retreatants will be; what will they see and feel?  Will the space accommodate retreatants when they first arrive with nervous energy, and also later on as they settle deep into the medicine?  You have spent plenty of time in various spaces when doing your own medicine work, so you can draw on these experiences to guide you.  This is intuitive:  trust your instincts and pay attention to how you and your body feels as you move thoughtfully around the space.    
25        Some facilitators further prepare the space by inviting in the spirits of the seven directions,24 asking them to bring their strength and wisdom to benefit all who participate in the ceremony.  Don’t

to benefit all who participate in the ceremony.  Don’t worry if you feel uncomfortable with this; just focus on your intentions for the retreatants, and offer a quiet prayer or blessing for the space and the ceremony to come. Regardless of your own personal spiritual path and practice, remember that the space is sacred and should be honored.  Sometimes a retreatant may ask you to come to their home to facilitate the retreat.  An advantage to hosting a retreat in the participant’s home is it may help them to relax and feel safe in the familiar environs.  On the other hand, this same comfortable familiarity may also have uncomfortable memories or unpleasant energies for them, which might cloud their retreat experience.    In some cases, it is not possible for the retreatant to travel due to illness or physical limitations.  In those cases, offering the retreat in the participant’s home is the best and maybe only alternative.  Cathy’s story – Cathy sought a retreat as she was suffering from Stage IV cancer and was in hospice care at home.  After discussing the challenges of leaving her home for a retreat, it was agreed that it would be easier on her to stay in her home.  All her supporting medical

easier on her to stay in her home.  All her supporting medical equipment was there, and she had ready access to her health care providers.  The facilitator packed up the medicine, an overnight bag, and food for later in the night.  They brought their own portable sound system in order to avoid the pressure of figuring out how to run an unfamiliar system, and to ensure that they could connect to Spotify playlists.  The result was successful, a retreat that met her desires and eased her experience as she approached the end of her life.  If you will be facilitating the retreat at someone’s home, it is always best to visit it ahead of time if you can.  If not, spend time talking with them to understand the layout.  Always find out who will be present in the house during the ceremony.  If people other than those participating in the retreat will be there as well, you need to know who they are, why they will be there, and whether they have had experiences with plant medicines themselves.  You need to make sure that they understand what will be happening and that they are not intrude on the retreat.  Having others around is especially problematic if they have not had their own plant medicine experience.  I know of

have not had their own plant medicine experience.  I know of instances where an inexperienced person, out of care and concern for a struggling retreatant, became upset and attempted to intervene in ways that were harmful to the retreatant, and undermined the facilitator’s relationship with the retreatant; I do not recommend allowing inexperienced people around a retreat if at all possible.  You also need to feel comfortable and safe with their presence if you are a woman, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, or otherwise  24 The seven directions are the four points of the compass, the earth below, the sky above, and the Divine within. 
26        potentially vulnerable.  This is a situation where having a partner would be helpful and assuring to you.  Find out what their sound system is (though I recommend bringing your own portable system).  What are the facilities for food?  If you plan to spend the night, is there a private bedroom for you?  Unless you live right nearby, I suggest you spend the night there in case the retreatant comes upon a difficult time late at night and wants support; also, this way you can be there in the morning for an integration

this way you can be there in the morning for an integration session with them.  You will find it helpful to make a list of all the equipment, food, and clothes you want with you to reduce the chance of missing something you’ll need when you get there.   As you consider where to hold a retreat, keep in mind that retreatants become very sensitive to their surroundings and can be strongly affected by them.  Here are some of the basic elements to consider as you choose and prepare the venue.    Comfort and beauty – Plant medicine retreats are not vision quests, where people are encouraged to go beyond their physical limits.  Instead, retreatants need enough physical comfort to provide support as they quietly explore within or work together as a group.    The physical comfort and beauty of a retreat space includes several factors:  • It’s important for the venue to feel inviting, warm, harmonious, and peaceful. Carefully chosen artwork, pictures of nature, colorful wall hangings, and flowers and plants can all help create a sense of peace and safety.  • Ideally, you should be able to easily control the temperature of the room.  Retreatants are frequently cold and want to be under one or more blankets, so

frequently cold and want to be under one or more blankets, so the venue needs to be warm but not hot.   • There should be comfortable mattresses or couches with pillows and blankets, allowing for each participant to lie down individually; some space for participants to move around; and, wherever possible, access to outdoor space and nature.  The lighting should be soft, especially at night, when small LED candles can create a gentle, inviting atmosphere.  Make sure small flashlights are available after dark.   • If there is a fireplace or wood stove in the main retreat space, keep a fire going (unless the weather is too hot).  We all have ancient memories of sitting around fires, even those of us who grew up in cities and live in apartments.  Indigenous communities hold that fire is alive, and a spirit with whom we can communicate.  Some of the most moving times at retreats can be sitting before a fire in deep contemplation.    One facilitator who was trained by indigenous shamans runs his retreats in spaces without a fireplace.  He simply lights a candle at the beginning of the retreat to 
27        invoke the spirit of fire and invite it in.  • Make sure the space

the spirit of fire and invite it in.  • Make sure the space is clean and decluttered.  It can be helpful to create a space set aside for an altar that retreatants can use to place personal objects if they wish.  Consider removing personal family photographs or items you do not wish to share or might be activating to retreatants.    • If possible, for group retreats there should be breakout or private space outside the main gathering space.  Retreatants may need privacy if they are going through something difficult or because they are being impacted by something someone else is going through.  • Make sure there are large bowls available with towels for the participants.  Some medicines are more likely to stimulate purging, but any retreatant on any medicine may feel the desire to purge at some point.    • The bathroom facilities should be nearby, clean, and equipped with lots of toilet paper, paper towels, soaps, towels for each individual (different colors help), and shower supplies.  Sometimes participants feel it is refreshing to shower late at night or in the morning.  Make sure that whatever supplies you place in the bathrooms are unscented, as retreatants can become overly sensitive to

unscented, as retreatants can become overly sensitive to smells.   Privacy – The question here is not whether the retreat should be private – of course it has to be.  The question is, how private does it need to be?  There are several things to consider.    • It needs to be free of chance intrusions by outsiders, or, if there is the possibility of an unexpected visit, there should be someone who can manage any visitors in a way that avoids impacting the retreatants and the space where the retreat is being held.  You might consider a “Do Not Disturb” note at your door and subtle barriers to the property to keep any wanderers away.   • The retreat space needs to be as free as possible from distracting noises, though it is rare to find a place with complete silence unless you are out in the woods.    o Ann’s story – Outside noises can cause unexpected reactions among retreatants.  I know of a retreat where a neighbor decided it was the perfect time to rebuild their wharf.  Periodically, a large compressor would start up, reverberating through the retreat space and drowning out the music.  It upset the facilitator despite their best efforts to be unaffected.    The next morning during integration Ann, one of the

The next morning during integration Ann, one of the retreatants, said that she had noticed the facilitator’s reaction to the noise and was sorry for their upset. Her own experience, she said, was quite different and positive, and she 
28        had even appreciated the outside noise.  It reminded her of all the noise in her life and contrasted with the peaceful periods when the compressor was not running.  It made the music that much more beautiful for her, teaching her that she needed to find quiet times for herself in the future.    This is a great example of how someone can skillfully navigate unexpected circumstances—a skill not everyone has.  Still, I don’t recommend noisy environments where possible.  • There needs to be visual privacy, so outsiders can’t see into the retreat space.   • Ideally, there is outdoor space that is private and safe where retreatants can go.    Safety – The venue needs to be clean and physically safe.  Just as important, however, is that it feel safe for the retreatants.  Everyone arrives with some degree of anxiety, as they are opening themselves up to the unexpected and being asked to give up control to the medicine.  The

and being asked to give up control to the medicine.  The safer the venue feels emotionally, the easier it will be for them to manage this anxiety and let go of their natural need for control.    • It is important to know the location of the nearest medical facility.  Should someone have an unexpected physical reaction or a very severe emotional one and need medical attention, it can be less upsetting to drive them to an emergency room than to call 911 and have an ambulance and, possibly, the police arrive.  As mentioned before, it is important to know the way to an emergency room ahead of time, and, if it is a group retreat, also important to have a partner so one of you can stay with the remaining retreatants while the other drives to the emergency room.    • If retreatants are going to arrive by car, consideration should be given to where they can park their cars overnight safely.  Wi-Fi – In this age of technology, most retreatants will expect there to be Wi-Fi so they can check in with others when they arrive and during the following morning.  It is good to let them know ahead of time if Wi-Fi will not be available.  Wi-Fi also is helpful for providing music:  with a broadband connection25 to the Internet, you

music:  with a broadband connection25 to the Internet, you can have access to a virtually unlimited range of music.  Music – If you plan to use music during the retreat, and most facilitators do, consider the equipment on which it will be played and the sound quality.  There is a more in-depth discussion of music, and what to play, later in Chapter Five.    If you are holding the retreat in a place you have used before, like your home, you should be confident about the quality of the sound system and how to run it.  If you are going to a  25 Defined as a minimum of 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload speeds. 
29        new venue, like a friend’s or retreatant’s home or an Airbnb, and you are not familiar with the sound system, I suggest bringing your own high-quality portable system.  Unless you’re an audiophile, the last thing you need as you set up a retreat in an unfamiliar setting is to have to figure out a new sound system.  Keep in mind that not all sound systems, even high-quality ones, connect to the Internet, which is essential if you plan to pull your playlists from Spotify or another online source.  Portable systems vary widely in quality and price; the

Portable systems vary widely in quality and price; the technology is always improving, so if you don’t already have a portable system you like, go to Wirecutter26 or another website that reviews audio products, and follow their recommendations.  • Sonos27 sound systems provide rich, high-quality sound.  They are highly portable within the house, easy to set up and use, and can be controlled from a computer or smart phone.  Once set up, you can have access to many music services, including Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, and more.  This gives you ready access to the many playlists that others have posted online for plant medicine retreats.   • Some participants may ask to bring their own playlist.  This is fine for a solo retreat but can be sensitive for a group retreat unless the other members of the group approve of it.  If you do anticipate using a retreatant’s playlist, you need to understand how you will access it and play it.  If it is on Spotify or another online source, that should not be a problem.  As with all playlists new to you, it is good to listen to it beforehand if possible (see Chapter Five, pp. 62-63); the music may be great but entirely inappropriate for a retreat, especially if the

entirely inappropriate for a retreat, especially if the retreatant is new to working with plant medicines, or hasn’t done so for many years.   Nature – Even though Western culture fails to recognize it, the human connection to nature is profound.  Research has shown that people in hospitals heal more quickly if their room has a window that looks out on a tree or a field.  Even patients in hospital rooms without a natural view but with images of nature on the walls heal faster than those without these images.28   Plant medicine is a gift of nature.  It gives us the ability to experience our deep interconnection with all life around us.  This doesn’t mean every retreat must be held deep in the mountains or forests—though these could be powerful venues if all other aspects needed to hold a successful retreat are met as well.  Even a little space outside, like a terrace or a balcony where retreatants can walk or sit, helps open them to the larger natural world.    If there is no outdoor space available, then windows looking at trees, flowers, or gardens can be helpful.  At the very least, if neither outdoor space nor windows onto nature are  26 https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/ 27

nature are  26 https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/ 27 https://www.sonos.com/en-us/home 28 For example, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21165860/ 
30        available, have large images of nature, such as forest paths, the seashore, or mountains hanging in the retreat space.  You can buy large posters for reasonable prices online.29  Plants, flowers with little or no scent, and natural objects like rocks and shells can help bring nature into the retreat space.   Food – If retreatants are staying overnight, you will need to provide food for the evening and the next morning.  To do this, you need to ensure that there are sufficient kitchen facilities to store, prepare, and serve food.  Neither the food nor the kitchen needs to be elaborate, but the kitchen does need to be clean and properly equipped.    It is also good to have water bottles for each person, as they frequently forget to bring one.  Be sure as well to have, coconut water, a sports drink, or other electrolyte balancer.  Although it is important that retreatants drink plenty of water, they can drink too much and risk hyponatremia, a potentially dangerous condition where the salt

a potentially dangerous condition where the salt levels in the blood become diluted by the water.  This is easily treated with coconut water or a sports drink towards the end of the evening, something that should be offered to all retreatants in any event.  Some medicines will tend to cause some retreatants to have facial or jaw cramps.  Offering them Tums or calcium in other ways can often alleviate this discomfort.  Likewise, if a retreatant experiences a headache, as some may, suggest they take some ibuprofen for their comfort.  It is wise to let retreatants know ahead of time what food will be offered, suggest they bring any specialty items they need personally, and check on food allergies.  A healthy chicken soup during or vegetarian soup is simple and filling.  Some facilitators offer a roast chicken for retreatants to pick away at late at night, as chicken is filled with tryptophan, which helps rebuild the serotonin supply in the brain.  Avocados, fruits, cheese, humus, guacamole, and other snacks are good to have as well.  Retreatants often are not hungry in the evening but may want to wander into the kitchen later for a midnight snack, so leave some food out for them for later.  In the

snack, so leave some food out for them for later.  In the morning, a full-service breakfast of eggs, granola, fruit, toast, coffee, and tea is often welcome.    Next up, the medicine.  Once you have chosen the size and site for the retreat, it is time to consider the plant medicines you will use.  The next chapter discusses choosing the medicine and considerations around how much to offer each retreatant.        29 For example, https://www.allposters.com/-st/Natural-Landscape-Posters_c907_.htm  
31          
     Hilma af Klint   

32        3   Preparing for the Retreat:  The Medicine   You’ve determined the size of the retreat and perhaps chosen a partner to work with.  You’ve decided on a venue and are ready to set it up to provide the positive and safe environment most conducive to a successful experience by the retreatants.  Now it’s time to consider what medicine to offer.  In this chapter we’ll review some basic rules around choosing and offering plant medicine, and suggestions on the amount(s) to offer.  Before delving into this subject, it is important to keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules here.  Each

keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules here.  Each person has their own unique emotional and physical body and will respond to a medicine in their own unique way.  If you offer the same medicine to a group, each participant will have their own, individual experience quite different from the others.  Moreover, people will respond to a medicine differently each time they take it.  For these reasons, choosing the medicine to offer is both an art and a science.  Always approach this choice carefully and conservatively, especially before you understand any given person’s tolerance or ability to work with a large dose.  One additional issue around medicines that may come up from time to time is whether you as facilitator should, or could, take the medicine along with the retreatants.  There are indigenous shamans who do this in order to access healing spirits or otherwise find ways to help participants.  For Western facilitators, unless you have a partner who is experienced and who is not participating with the medicine, this can be highly risky.  Frequently during a session something will occur requiring your attention.  For example, a retreatant may have an unexpected reaction to

example, a retreatant may have an unexpected reaction to the medicine or a health issue, or there may be some unanticipated outside intrusion.  If you are participating in the medicine, you may have powerful and beneficial insights, but your powers of rational choice will be quite limited.  There are moments in many retreats where a clear head and thoughtful action on your part can keep something small from becoming a bigger incident.  After all, you are there both to keep the participants safe as well as to ensure that they feel safe.  Many participants will not feel really safe unless they know at least one facilitator has abstained from the medicine.  And, until you are quite experienced, you simply are likely to be less effective supporting the retreatants.  The prudent and responsible course of action is to abstain from taking the medicine, at least until you’ve hosted number of retreats, and only if you have a partner not on the medicine.      
33        Choosing the medicine   This is a huge topic, complex and dependent on many variables.  The number of psychedelics is large and growing.  For instance, as of June 2020, Tripsit had a webpage with

For instance, as of June 2020, Tripsit had a webpage with information on 543 psychedelics,30 while Erowid, the vault that has edited, stored, and categorized tens of thousands of “trip reports” since the late 1990s, tracked over 700 different psychoactive substances.31  Just about every medicine has its own unique profile, which can vary somewhat from batch to batch.    You may not have much choice of the medicine to offer, given that so many are still illegal and hard to source safely and reliably.  If you are having a hard time sourcing a medicine, you might begin with psilocybin mushrooms, as they are both available and not hard to grow.32  Further, mushrooms are less likely to be adulterated with other substances than other frequently available medicines, like MDMA and LSD.  Also, they are the safest of all psychoactive substances.33  As you design an experience for the retreatants, if you have a choice of medicines, selecting what to offer is an art.  Do your research in books and online, and talk with other facilitators.   There is a lot of good (and not so good) information on this subject,34 and it is important to sort through enough of it to have a real feel for what you are offering.

enough of it to have a real feel for what you are offering.  Only a few basic aspects can be touched on here.  Ultimately, you need to experience the medicines yourself that you plan to use, and with time they will offer you the information about them that you need.   Ralph Metzner, one of the deans of plant medicine work, states two guiding principles for this work:   (1) No one should be given the substance, or be persuaded to take it, against [their] own wishes or without full disclosure of possible risks and benefits.  An obvious corollary of this principle is that under-age juveniles, who are assumed to be less capable of making informed judgments, should not be induced to take these substances.   (2) No one should consider providing a session to others with these substances who has not had personal experience, preferably repeated.35  30 http://drugs.tripsit.me/ 31 https://www.erowid.org/psychoactives/ 32 Assuming, of course, that they are legal in your jurisdiction.  See, e.g., The Third Wave for information on how to grow them https://thethirdwave.co/psychedelics/shrooms/grow-psilocybin-mushrooms/ 33 A series of charts on the relative safety of various psychoactive

of charts on the relative safety of various psychoactive substances can be found at https://www.google.com/search?q=safety+of+psychedelics&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS805US806&sxsrf=ALeKk02U-YBzsF54N7pF0YZojcqDjyKp2g:1596386027474&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjI0t2w-fzqAhWjl-AKHZ6JAxgQ_AUoA3oECA4QBQ&biw=1426&bih=717#imgrc=uJt0XPTa1m3vcM 34 Both The Third Wave (https://thethirdwave.co/) and Erowid are good sources. 35 Metzner, Ralph, Allies for Awakening: Guidelines for productive and safe experiences with entheogens, (Berkeley, CA: Regent Press,  2015), 13. 
34         By this second rule, he means that you must have personal experience with the medicine you are offering.  You need to know firsthand how it works.  If at all possible, you should try the medicine from the same batch you plan to offer so you can assure the retreatants it is safe.  Before you try the medicine, however, you need to test it for unwanted additives, especially if it is LSD, MDMA, or another chemical analog of a plant medicine.  Mushrooms, dried or fresh, are less likely to be adulterated or have other chemicals mixed in with

to be adulterated or have other chemicals mixed in with them.  Dance Safe has kits you can buy online to test most medicines.36  Not following Metzner’s first principle, i.e., not disclosing what medicine you are offering to a participant, can have unfortunate consequences.  There is always the possibility that a retreatant has had this medicine before and had a bad physical reaction to it.  There is also the question of who, ultimately, is in charge of the retreatant’s experience.  It is important that the retreatant feel and be responsible for choosing to attend the retreat and taking the medicine.    Plant medicine retreats are about building a sense of self-agency for the retreatants, taking responsibility for their own retreat, their experiences, and their lives.  It is important to keep reinforcing this with the retreatants each step of the way, as it is ultimately their inner healer that heals them and awakens them to the larger world with which they are intimately interwoven.  If a participant is fully informed about the medicine and takes it freely, then if they have a difficult experience, they know that it was their choice to take the medicine; this makes it harder for them to

choice to take the medicine; this makes it harder for them to blame others and act the victim.  There are also, of course, many ways to combine medicines which can provide deeper, more relaxing and opening sessions.  Again, this is a topic beyond the scope of this manual.  Further understanding should come from studying trip reports on Erowid or The Third Wave, and talking with other facilitators or other experts to understand the combinations you are considering.  It is also important to try the combination yourself.   The medicine you choose will also affect the length of the ceremony.  Some medicines, like LSD, can take many hours to be metabolized, and a ceremony using it needs to be begun late morning unless you wish to stay up late into the night sitting with the retreatants.  Others, like psilocybin, will be metabolized in three to four hours, in which case it can work well to begin mid-afternoon so that it is evening when the retreatants are fairly stable again and soon ready for sleep.  The length also depends on whether you are combining medicines or offering additional amounts through the ceremony.   So, in considering the medicine, decide how long you want the ceremony to last and

medicine, decide how long you want the ceremony to last and when you want to schedule the retreat to begin.  36 https://dancesafe.org/  
35         If you are planning to offer a multi-day retreat, there is an art in scheduling which medicine to offer each day.37  It generally works well to begin with a lighter medicine, perhaps MDMA, to help people arrive, relax, and become comfortable with the venue and any other retreatants who may be present.  Then each day you might offer more powerful medicines or larger amounts as retreatants are ready to move into deeper realms of consciousness.  Keep in mind that MDMA, once offered, won’t be very effective for the next several days, as it takes time for the brain’s chemistry to rebalance to the point where it will be effective again.  Determining how much to offer – This is as much of an art as deciding which medicine to offer.  Again, there are few helpful concepts to understand.    First, always measure the dose carefully; do not “eyeball” the amounts.  There are inexpensive but accurate and reliable small electronic scales available on Amazon and elsewhere that make it easy to weigh solids; liquids can be a bit

that make it easy to weigh solids; liquids can be a bit tricky, and generally need to be measured by volume.  You should measure and prepare the doses well before the retreat begins.  Small plastic pill cases are handy for containing each measured dose.  Just make sure each case is labeled as to substance and size of dose.    There are some who recommend determining the dose size based on the body weight of the retreatant.  This may be helpful in extreme cases, where someone is very small and lightweight, or, conversely, very large or overweight.  Generally, however, body weight has little effect on the impact of a medicine, and other factors, such as a person’s physiology, are more important.  Age may be a factor in dosage as well.  Many older people tend to be more sensitive to plant medicines, and so if they are not already sufficiently experienced to be able to choose the amount they want with confidence, it is best to offer them a smaller amount at first.  Once you, and they, see how they are handling the medicine, you can offer them more if they wish and you feel they are able to handle it.  You may also find that people with a fair amount of experience with plant medicines have become more sensitive to

with plant medicines have become more sensitive to the medicines and need or want less. Women may also be more sensitive to medicines than men, but not always.  The monthly ebb and flow of hormones can have a significant effect on their experience.  Ralph Metzner reports that he was in a group session with a woman who was menstruating.  She was relatively experienced and took a normal dose, but soon went into an extreme state of being “spaced-out” and disconnected from her body.  She did come back after a time, but  37 Multi-day retreats involve considerable planning beyond choosing the medicine.  This guide is focused on one-day retreats and does not discuss the many aspects that need to be considered to run a successful multi-day retreat. 
36        the sense of the group afterwards was that menstruating left her especially sensitive to the medicine, and that in hindsight she probably should have been given a lighter dose.38   For this and other reasons, unless the retreatant is quite experienced, it is always prudent to begin with a lower dose with anyone you have not worked with before.  You can titrate their doses, increasing them gradually,

You can titrate their doses, increasing them gradually, either from one session to the next, or during a single session.  This is the safest and most effective approach in the long run.  In this way the retreatant can work with you to modulate their experience. Effective dose, full dose, “heroic” dose – Generally, doses are categorized as a low but effective dose, a “full” dose, and a “heroic” dose.  Definitions of each of these levels can be found on the Erowid website or in Metzner’s book.  Many people with considerable experience with plant medicines prefer working with the low but effective dose.   This effective dose can relax you and help you feel safe, though you may not experience the psychedelic displays you would at higher levels.  Even at these moderate levels, though, the plant medicine is still working and can support an experienced retreatant as they explore their life and will open them to their deep connection with nature and other people.   The standard or “full” dose for most medicines is well established.  For instance, three grams of powdered dried mushrooms, or between 80 and 125 mg of MDMA, is generally considered an appropriate dose for most people, depending on

an appropriate dose for most people, depending on sensitivity and age.   There are also retreatants who want to take more than a full dose, often called a “heroic” dose, because these larger doses can test the courage of even the most experienced retreatant.  Before considering offering more than a full dose, be sure you know the medicine’s safety parameters.  For example, LSD39 and mushrooms are physically safe at very large doses if there is a sober person to keep a close eye on the retreatant.  MDMA, however, can be physically dangerous past a certain amount.  Each medicine has its own “not to exceed” level, so make sure you know what it is. Beyond staying well within a medicine’s safety limits, you should only consider allowing a heroic dose if the retreatant is experienced with the medicine and able to handle it physically and emotionally, and if you plan to keep a close watch on them.  In these circumstances, it should be safe.  Still, it may be best for them to begin with a low or full dose, and then wait at least an hour and a half before taking more, if they still feel the urge to do so.  Be careful not to let people get too far ahead of their experience level.  Also, it may be good to let them know

their experience level.  Also, it may be good to let them know that at higher doses they may disassociate and be unable to recall  38 Metzner, op. cit., 154. 39 E.g., Bache, Christopher, LSD and the Mind of the Universe: Diamonds from Heaven, in which Bache reports on twenty years of heroic doses of LSD (500 to 600 micrograms), all to see how far into what he called the Universal Mind he could travel--not something most of us should ever consider! 
37        the experience.  This undermines one purpose of the retreat, as they will later be unable to integrate whatever they saw or experienced during their journey.   Peter’s story – During one retreat, a retreatant, Peter, was unable to lie still for more than a few minutes before he would jump up again and wander around.  The medicine was dried mushrooms, and he kept asking for one more gram.  Finally, Peter had taken four grams, a considerable dose, but he asked for one more.  The facilitator was reluctant at first but, knowing how safe mushrooms are, they agreed to give him one more gram on the condition that he go into another room, put on his eyeshades, and stay quiet.  When they checked on him, he was finally

and stay quiet.  When they checked on him, he was finally deep into his inner experience.  Sometimes a larger dose is just what a retreatant needs to break through their resistance to the medicine.   Cannabis – As cannabis becomes legal in more parts of the world, including Canada and many states in the U.S., there has been growing interest in using it for more than partying, listening to music, or getting the “munchies.”  Many of the various strains of cannabis now being grown can provide a powerful psychedelic experience at the right dosage.  Because of this, some facilitators are beginning to use cannabis as their medicine of choice, with intentionally formed groups coming together for healing and exploring.40 Cannabis can also be helpful at the beginning of a retreat for some, as a light dose can ease natural anxiety before moving into the deeper waters of other medicines.  At the end of an evening, cannabis can soften the reentry into the day-to-day world and help retreatants sleep.  Be thoughtful about this, though, as not everyone reacts positively to cannabis, either because of their prior impressions that it is only a party drug, or because they have a negative physical reaction

drug, or because they have a negative physical reaction to it. Selection of retreatants – You’ve done your own personal homework, you’ve decided on a venue that provides a positive setting, determined the size of the retreat and whether you wish to work with a partner, and selected the medicine or medicines you want to work with.  It is now time to focus on the retreatants themselves, how to select them, and prepare them for the retreat.  This is the focus of the next chapter.   
 40 For example, Psychedelic Cannabis: Breaking the Gate by Daniel McQueen. 
38              
  Tibetan sand painting   

39         4   Working with the Retreatants  The work of screening, selecting, and preparing participants for the retreat takes time and care.  During this process you will establish the basis of your relationship with them and (hopefully) develop mutual trust.  Take all the time you need to do this well.  In this chapter, we will go over how to screen people for a retreat, and how to support them as they get ready for their adventure.    The set    The set refers to the spiritual, energetic, emotional, mental, and physical conditions of

energetic, emotional, mental, and physical conditions of the retreatant.  Damon Orion writes in the Psychedelic Times:   Set . . . is a little more nuanced [than setting] and has to do with your personality and mental state going into the experience.  [Timothy] Leary41 divided set into two subcategories—long-range and immediate.  While long-range set has to do with the established characteristics of “the kind of person you are—your fears, desires, conflicts, guilts, secret passions,” immediate set encompasses the attitude you have going into the experience.42  Screening the retreatants – There is not much a facilitator can do about a person’s long-range set—the basic, established characteristics of a potential retreatant.  This is one reason why it’s important to screen people who wish to attend a retreat.  You can’t change a person, but you can choose whether to include them in a retreat.  Thoughtfully exercise this discretion not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of the applicant and others who may be in the retreat.    No screening is perfect, and some applicants may lie or bend the truth if they feel complete honesty might prevent them from joining the retreat.

honesty might prevent them from joining the retreat.  Most experienced facilitators rely more and more on the subtle inner stirrings of their gut and intuition.  They will, occasionally, decline to work with someone even though there is no logical reason to exclude them, just a feeling of discomfort and a lack of energetic resonance with the person.  Remember, no one has a “right” to be in your retreat; it is a privilege you may do your best to extend to all who apply, but you are the final arbiter of who joins and who does not.  If  41 Leary, Timothy, Alpert, et al., The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead, (New York:  Kensington, 2017). 42 https://psychedelictimes.com/achieving-set-in-set-and-setting-4-principles-make-most-of-your-psychedelic-experience/, accessed June 1, 2020.  
40        you and the retreatant are unable to develop a relationship of mutual trust and comfort, you should not be working together.  Trust is at the very heart of running a safe and effective retreat.  Working with these plant medicines is about relationships—with the plants, with ourselves, with one another, and with all

the plants, with ourselves, with one another, and with all our relations throughout the great web of life.  Most of our emotional wounds come out of challenging or unsafe traumatic relationships as we grow up, or as a result of an abusive relationship as an adult.  We need healthy, accepting, and caring relationships to heal these wounds.    Studies have shown that, regardless of the particular modality the therapist uses, the most important part of psychotherapy is the relationship the therapist and the client establish.43 A facilitator is not a therapist, but the same principle applies: the success of a retreat depends on mutual trust.  Establishing this trust is a process that takes time.  Each interaction with retreatants – screening, answering questions, supporting them as they get ready, and facilitating during the retreat itself – is an opportunity to deepen this sense of mutual trust.  There is no one thing you can do to establish this trust; it grows out of your own honesty, integrity, and compassion for the retreatants, qualities people will begin to sense.  You can’t make up being trustworthy; you simply have to be trustworthy.   A note on self-disclosure – As you begin to

be trustworthy.   A note on self-disclosure – As you begin to work directly with retreatants you will find that there will be times when you feel that it might be helpful to share one or more of your own experiences.  Be thoughtful and intentional about this.  Always keep in mind that from your first to your last encounter with retreatants the relationship is about them, not you.  No matter how interesting your life is (at least to you), it is their life they are exploring with support from you.  That said, you may well have experiences that offer an important model for them, or that may offer them reassurance in one way or another.  Sharing some appropriate and related aspects of your life also may help develop their sense of safety and openness, which is at the heart of effectively working with them.  Whenever you do disclose aspects of your life, though, be sensitive and maintain appropriate boundaries.  It is one thing to be somewhat vulnerable and open, quite another to disclose that which should remain personal and private.  In other words, use stories from your life as part of your tool kit, intentionally brought in when they can be most helpful to the relationship and the work the

they can be most helpful to the relationship and the work the participant is doing.  In order to give potential retreatants some sense of who you are and whether they might like to work with you, consider developing a website with a full professional resume as well as an outline of your personal spiritual path.  You might include essays on related subjects and suggested readings.  I suggest you don’t discuss plant medicines on any website you develop, though there are facilitators who do.  If you want to talk about plant medicines on a website, I suggest saying only that you can offer advice on their legal use and will support someone’s integration afterwards.   43 https://www.mentalhelp.net/blogs/understanding-the-therapeutic-alliance/ 
41         Who should not attend a retreat – Sylvia Polivoy has run ayahuasca retreats for over twenty years at her facility in Brazil, Spirit Vine.44  She writes:   Over the course of many years I have learned to identify those people who are not good candidates for an Ayahuasca experience. People who have tendencies to inflate their egos and who do not respect boundaries tend to be disruptive in the sessions

respect boundaries tend to be disruptive in the sessions and to disturb others. I want participants in the ceremonies who can follow the agreements that we have about their conduct.  I will not accept those who are not able to stop their drug and alcohol use during the retreat.  I try to screen out those individuals who are psychotic or who may be suffering from a “spiritual emergency.”  Since we are doing group sessions, I also want to make sure the participants are neither psychopaths nor sociopaths.  Those people who are suffering from bipolar disorders should not do Ayahuasca.45  Her comments apply just as well to retreats using other plant medicines.  Keep in mind, psychopaths and sociopaths make up five percent of the population.  They can be hard to spot, as they can be charming, intelligent, and have no hesitation about lying to get what they want.  If you have any sense that an applicant might fall into these categories, keep them out of your retreats; err on the side of caution, and don’t take unneeded risks.    Likewise, anyone who is psychotic, or has psychotic tendencies, should not attend plant medicine retreats.  There is an important and not widely understood distinction,

is an important and not widely understood distinction, however, between someone who is psychotic and someone who is experiencing a “spiritual emergency.”  This is not the place to go into what “spiritual emergence” is, nor the distinctions between psychosis, spiritual emergency, and spiritual emergence, important as they are.  There are two books I recommend reading to gain an understanding of spiritual emergence and spiritual emergencies, and how they differ from a psychosis that needs medical attention:  • Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis, Stanislav Grof and Christina Grof, editors. • The Call of Spiritual Emergency: From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation by Emma Bragdon  Someone who is going through a spiritual emergence, as described in these books, can often get great benefit from a retreat, and handle the experience well.  These distinctions are generally not obvious during the screening process, so take all the time you need with someone until you feel confident that the applicant is appropriate and can handle the retreat.  44 Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center - https://spiritvineretreats.com/ 45 The quotation

- https://spiritvineretreats.com/ 45 The quotation comes from a paper by Dr. Polivoy that was downloaded as part of the Guiding Presence, a series of interviews with facilitators conducted by Michael Ziegler – https://theguidingpresence.com/. The full paper can be found in Appendix B.  
42         You should develop your own protocol for screening participants.  The one discussed here usually involves at least three meetings or phone calls with every retreatant before the retreat.  During this process, look to see if there are any reasons a person should not attend, such as personality disorders, medical issues, or medicines that are contraindicated.   You also should look at the level of their experience with plant medicines, and their therapeutic and spiritual background.  All along, try to get a sense of how you relate to each other, and how open to the experience they are; stay away from the “experts” who tell you all about how experienced they are and how they know all about how to do this properly; as has been said many times before, you can’t fill an already full cup!   A note on priming – As you begin to work with potential retreatants, keep

– As you begin to work with potential retreatants, keep in mind that, inevitably, you are beginning to prime them for the retreat.  Priming, in and of itself, is neither positive nor negative; whether it is positive for the retreatants depends on the content and context of the priming.  Priming, according to Psychology Today, “is a phenomenon in which exposure to one stimulus influences how a person responds to a subsequent, related stimulus. These stimuli are often conceptually related words or images.”46  In other words, what you say and how you say it to potential retreatants from the very first interaction begins to prime them for the retreat.  This priming continues through all your interactions with them, and includes the setting and the music (which is one reason why Stanislav Grof finally decided on silence to avoid the music further priming the retreatants).  There is just no way to avoid this process, and it has much to do with why the setting is such a critical part of the experience of a retreat.  You just need to be aware that how you are with retreatants from the beginning through the retreat is affecting them for better or worse.  So be mindful of what you are saying and how you

or worse.  So be mindful of what you are saying and how you are saying it from the beginning as you work with potential retreatants.  The first meeting or call – The first time you meet with a potential retreatant is often quite informal.  During it, the talk may be about how and why they contacted you, and what their experience is with psychedelics. Respond to their questions as fully as you can, while trying to assess who they are and whether the retreats you offer might be appropriate for them.  Try to sense as well whether they are really who they say they are, and how honest they are being with you.  I don’t know a perfect way to determine this, but at some point in the conservation you will (hopefully) begin to feel comfortable that they are being honest.  You might consider also looking for them on social media to see if their profile fits with what they have shared with you, or whether it looks problematic.  The next issue is whether you feel good personally working with them.  Hopefully, the answer is yes, but sometimes it won’t be.   46 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/priming  
43        George’s story – The first meeting a facilitator had

43        George’s story – The first meeting a facilitator had with George was at a local coffee shop.  George was bright, knowledgeable about psychedelics, and quite clear what he was looking for. Still, the facilitator left the meeting feeling uncomfortable and felt they didn’t want to work with him.  His energy and ego were barely in control, and he felt so anxious that they worried he might need to try to control the retreat to manage his fear.  Even though facilitators don’t exert a lot of control over the experience of the retreatants, there still needs to be a clear understanding that the facilitator is the one ultimately in charge of process and safety.  If a retreatant challenges this, they can create tension and disrupt the retreat.  In the end, they decided not to work with George.  Later on, they talked with another facilitator who had also come across George, and had also declined to work with him for much the same reason.  At the end of this first “getting to know you” meeting, the applicant is either clear they want to attend a retreat, are uncertain, or know that they aren’t interested (though they may not say so at that time).  Sometimes they want to sign up right then.  Even if they know

Sometimes they want to sign up right then.  Even if they know right then that they want to attend the retreat, I suggest asking them to sleep on it for a day or so and then send you an email confirming their interest.  Everyone is subject to second thoughts or “buyer’s remorse,” so you want them to take time before committing.  If they are frustrated by this delay, you might tell them about Rolling Thunder, a Native American elder and medicine man, who said he never made an important decision in less than three days.    The second meeting or call – Once the person confirms their interest, schedule a second time to meet for a thorough screening.  Though they may not realize it, the retreat has begun for them at this point.  Most people begin to experience excitement about this adventure, and anxiety about where it will take them, especially if this is their first guided retreat.  Their hopes and fears will emerge as they plan for the retreat, all of which is part of the experience and, in a mysterious way, the workings of their inner healer beginning to prepare them.  Start by letting them know that you’re going to ask them a number of nosy, intrusive questions for their safety and yours.47 Allow the

questions for their safety and yours.47 Allow the conversation to be a relaxed but intentional review of the screening questions, often in a random order as your conversation wanders from issue to issue.  The applicant will often answer questions by telling rambling stories about themselves and their lives, all of which give a fuller sense of who they are.  You can ask the applicant to raise any issues that come up for them, and to talk about any past experiences they feel are relevant.  Most of the time, though, you should simply listen and let them talk, inserting a question as needed to keep the conversation on track.  As they talk, take careful notes for future reference.48  47 Appendix C has two lists of screening questions.    48 I suggest you take notes from each conversation you have with retreatants, whether before or after the retreats.  As the number of people you have worked with grows, there is no way you will be able to remember 
44         If someone is in therapy, ask them about their therapist and the kind of therapy they offer, and if their therapist has a positive attitude towards the intentional and careful use of psychedelics.  Ask them if

intentional and careful use of psychedelics.  Ask them if they have talked with their therapist about the retreat, and if they haven’t, insist they do so beforehand.  If they say their therapist does not support their use of psychedelics, then it is useful to know why.  Is it because the therapist understands psychedelics and believes it would be harmful for the applicant, perhaps fearing it might trigger a psychotic break or manic episode?  Or is it that the therapist may have little knowledge of psychedelics?  In that case, you might suggest they find another therapist who is knowledgeable.  Most forms of therapy can be very beneficial but spending years in cognitive behavioral (CBT) or dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) can cause a problem for people new to psychedelics.  These therapies train people to manage dysfunctional urges and reactions, which can be helpful in their daily lives.  Unfortunately, though, this ability to control uncomfortable feelings can make it hard for someone to relax when they first feel the medicine come on, even though this is an important moment to let go and allow the medicine to take over.    Catherine’s story– Catherine had had many years of both CBT

Catherine’s story– Catherine had had many years of both CBT and DBT when she showed up for her retreat.  She needed to move chairs and rearrange the room in which the retreat was held to suit her ideas, and acknowledged that she had to have control over everything.  Her control was so complete that no matter how much medicine she took, she was unable to relax and open to it.  After two hours, she just got up and marched out the door, refusing to stay despite urgent requests that she not leave.  Fortunately, Catherine did get home safely, and called to say she was safe and had had no problems driving.  This is why it is wise to insist that people agree at the beginning to stay until the very end, or, if an emergency does arise for them, not to leave until you’ve determined it would be safe for them (see the discussion of ground rules in Chapter Five).  The experience with Catherine also shows that people who are deep into CBT or DBT may not be able to relax into the medicine and let go.  This is not true for everyone in CBT or DBT therapy, but it is at least a yellow flag you should explore closely with them.  Health issues – Unless you are a medical doctor, don’t provide advice to an applicant about whether any of

don’t provide advice to an applicant about whether any of their health issues might make a retreat problematic for them.  Instead, ask them to check with their doctor about this, though you may also want to check on their condition discreetly with a friendly doctor.  This is an area to be cautious about, and not to assume too much.  Retreats are stressful to the body, as well as the mind and emotions.    who each person is, what their background or issues are, and even whether they’ve attended a retreat you’ve hosted.  You might consider keeping these notes on paper in a notebook, and not on your computer, to protect them in the event your computer is hacked. 
45        In particular, watch for cardiovascular issues, and make sure you know if the person is taking medication for these conditions.  If they are, they should check with their cardiologist beforehand, and should avoid using MDMA or any plant medicine with amphetamines in them, as they raise the heartbeat and increase blood pressure.  Asthma and COPD are also conditions to watch for, as the stress of a retreat can trigger a breathing issue (if you do admit someone with one of these conditions, make

(if you do admit someone with one of these conditions, make sure they have their inhaler with them).  An issue that arises from time to time is the use of various psychiatric medicines like SSRI’s and MAOI’s for anxiety and depression.  Virtually all of them are contraindicated for working with plant medicine; some may dull or block the impact of the plant medicine, while others can trigger potentially dangerous reactions such as serotonin syndrome.  People will come to you who are using one or more of these medicines, so you need to become familiar with them and research their interactions with the plant medicine you plan to use.49  Most of the time, people using these medicines should avoid a retreat while they are on the medicine.  There are exceptions, such as if a person is on a very low dose of an SSRI, but if you do decide to work with such a person you should discuss the pros and cons with them openly from the beginning.  This is an area where it can be helpful to have a friendly and experienced medical doctor to consult.    Additionally, if someone is on a psychiatric medication, they need to carefully titrate off it well before the retreat, as simply going “cold turkey” can cause emotional

retreat, as simply going “cold turkey” can cause emotional and physical distress.50   They should come off this medication only with the knowledge of and under the supervision of the doctor who prescribed it.  Then they need to wait for several weeks after their bodies have metabolized the medicine so it can recover a natural balance of neurotransmitters in their brains.  In one situation, a retreatant had been using an SSRI for several years and had just titrated off it a few days before the retreat.  The result was that he simply was unable to experience the medicine.  It is possible that he was one of the rare people who was biologically resistant to plant medicines, but it is far more likely that he should have waited for four to six weeks before coming to a retreat.  Menstruation – Occasionally a question may come up about whether a woman should attend a retreat while she is menstruating.   I know of no physical reason why she should not attend a retreat, though she may be more sensitive to the medicine.51 That said, it may be more challenging for her to attend while menstruating, if menstruation affects her energetically or emotionally, leaving her less able to work with the medicine.     49

leaving her less able to work with the medicine.     49 Tripsit has a chart of drug interactions that can be a helpful place to start your research (https://wiki.tripsit.me/images/3/3a/Combo_2.png).  Discussions of various combinations can also be found in chat rooms on the Internet.  These can be helpful, but, as with all information on the Internet, you need to double- and triple-check what you find there.   50 Whether someone should come off a psychiatric medication just to participate in a retreat is something they need to discuss with their therapist and/or the medical professional prescribing the medicine. 51 See Chapter Three: Determining How Much to Offer for a brief discussion of this issue. 
46        Expectations – Sometimes someone new to this work comes expecting a “cure-all” experience of the kind they may have read about somewhere.  It’s important to explain to them that for most of us most of the time, the healing and awakening available from working with plant medicines is real, powerful, and a process.   Often that process includes more than one retreat (with you or with other facilitators) and active work integrating these

other facilitators) and active work integrating these experiences.  If they are coming to heal deep trauma or treatment-resistant depression, or have other serious emotional or spiritual challenges, they should be encouraged to keep working with their therapist before and after the retreat.  If they don’t currently have a therapist who understands and knows how to support someone working with plant medicines, urge them to find one who does before the retreat.  Frankly, because ceremonies can stir up strong and disorienting reactions that can be harmful or even dangerous, you would be wise not to work with people with major issues until they have the support of a good therapist.   In a few cases applicants with advanced-stage cancer may ask to participate in a retreat to help with anxieties and end-of-life fears.  In this case, I suggest taking time to discuss how the retreat might affect their treatment, and whether their treatment might make the retreat risky for them.  It may be impossible to fully assess the risks because there is not much research in this area.  There are, of course, the controlled studies NYU and others have conducted with psilocybin therapy for patients with

have conducted with psilocybin therapy for patients with advanced-stage cancer, which have had largely positive results for the patients’ emotional well-being.  Since the studies suggested that psychedelics may not cause physical harm or further degrade health, you both may feel comfortable going ahead with the retreat.      Spiritual practices – People often have loose or no religious affiliations, though they will often have some form of formal or informal spiritual orientation or even practice.  Exploring their spiritual practices, or lack of them, gives you insight into their emotional and mental orientation.  For instance, if someone has a regular meditation practice, it suggests they may be more open to relaxing and allowing the medicine to guide them through the retreat than someone without this training.  Conversely, someone with a strict orthodox religious orientation may become upset with any experiences they have working with the medicine that might challenge or threaten their faith or beliefs.  The point of asking people about their spiritual and religious orientation is simply to understand how they approach life and the world, not to engage with them about

approach life and the world, not to engage with them about it one way or the other.  Each of us is on our own path, and as a facilitator it is important to be open to and accepting of all spiritual or religious practices and beliefs, even if they directly contradict your own.  The facilitator’s role is to hold people safely, not to encourage them to see the world as you do, or even to follow practices you may believe would be beneficial for them unless they want to.  The one exception to this “non-interference” role regards mindfulness or insight meditation.  This type of meditation provides a strong grounding for the inner experiences of a retreat and may also suggest how much silence to weave in along with the music.  
47        People who meditate regularly are often well served by periods of silence to deepen their experience, while others may find themselves disoriented during long periods of quiet.  It is not necessary for anyone to practice mindfulness meditation, but it is a practice that can be supportive both during and following a retreat.  It is a way of training the mind to relax, to let go of judgments, and to be simply aware of thoughts,

to let go of judgments, and to be simply aware of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations as they occur.  It may be appropriate to mention this to a retreatant, but don’t go beyond gentle encouragement, and make sure they know they will be fine without this practice.  Just make yourself about whether or not they are meditators.  Emotional and personal support – It’s important to get a sense of the social context in which the applicant lives.  Do they have a partner?  Have they discussed the retreat with their partner, and does their partner support what they are doing?  If they have not yet talked this over with their partner, insist they do so before the retreat.  If they appear reluctant to talk with them, point out that their partner will notice significant differences in them after the retreat.  Telling their partner what they are planning to do in advance will be far less unpleasant than trying to explain it afterwards.  It is also helpful to understand the person’s relationships with parents, siblings, and kids, as these may be issues they will wind up working on.  In some cases, applicants have few close family relationships, in which case ask about close friends with whom they can

in which case ask about close friends with whom they can discuss the retreat afterwards to help with their integration.  In short, who are the members of their “community.”  A final note on screening – No matter how carefully you screen people, sometimes someone slips by and causes a problem later.  Do your best during this initial screening but know that there are no guarantees.  Instinct, caution, minimizing risks, luck, and the protection of the spirits are all essential.  The story that follows shows how missing a few early cues can create problems later.  Sam’s story–Craig, a member of a men’s group, asked if he could invite his good friend Sam to join for a weekend, and the group agreed to have Sam come.  A member of the group screened him, though in a somewhat casual fashion as it turned out.  Sam had little to no experience with psychedelics and was in his late seventies.  Though overweight, he seemed robust, and told the person screening him that he was healthy.  During Saturday afternoon, however, while on plant medicine, he fainted and lost consciousness.  At one point, no one could find a heartbeat.  He did recover to the point where he could stand up, but then kept fainting and falling.

where he could stand up, but then kept fainting and falling.  In the end, he was taken to the hospital, and, fortunately, when the medics checked him over, they found nothing wrong.  He recovered on his own and was released.  Nonetheless, it was quite a scare for the group.    
48        It was found out later that he was on a medication for atrial fibrillation, a potentially dangerous heart condition.  Given this, he should not have come to the retreat without the prior approval of his cardiologist.  Sam also failed to mention that he had recently had a very similar fainting incident, another sign that a weekend on plant medicine would be unwise.    Working with the retreatant pre-retreat – In The Psychedelic Experience, Timothy Leary wrote:  Immediate set refers to the expectations about the session itself.  Session preparation is of critical importance in determining how the experience unfolds.  People tend naturally to impose their personal and social game perspectives on any new situation.  Careful thought should precede the session to prevent narrow sets being imposed.52  It is helpful to have a third meeting or call with each retreatant a week or

to have a third meeting or call with each retreatant a week or so before the retreat.  During this session, check with them to see how they are feeling about the upcoming retreat, if they are still healthy, and if there have been any major life issues that may color the retreat experience for them, like the death of a parent, friend, or beloved pet.  By this time a certain level of mutual trust should be established.  If you sense there is still some hesitation on their part, encourage them to raise any concerns they may have.     Intentions – Part of a retreatant’s mental set are their intentions for the retreat.  Anyone considering a retreat with a facilitator usually has a reason for wanting to attend.  They may be curious or have one or more goals in mind such as facing difficult life issues, healing, and/or having a deep spiritual experience.  Some people are very clear about what they hope to get from the retreat, while others are more uncertain.  Even if you’ve discussed it with them before, it’s helpful to ask applicants why they want a retreat, as it gives you a sense of where they are and what is going on in their lives at that time.  If they do have specific intentions, it can be helpful to keep this in

have specific intentions, it can be helpful to keep this in mind for later when you work with them during the integration process, discussed in detail in Chapter Seven.  At the same time, it is good to remind them that there are no guarantees about what they will experience during the retreat, and to be prepared to relax and let the medicine and their inner healer lead the way.  Plant medicines have a way of taking charge and working with the person’s inner healer with a wisdom deeper than the person’s conscious intentions.  Because of this, Stan Grof, after years of guiding retreats, said that he has not found focusing on intentions helpful.53  In his experience retreats are just as effective when no attention has been paid beforehand to the retreatant’s intentions by either the facilitator or the retreatant.  The medicine and the retreatant’s inner healer will guide them and offer  52 Leary, et al., 2017, op. cit., 84. 53 The Guiding Presence - https://theguidingpresence.com/  
49        them the experiences they need with little or no intervention from their conscious mind or the facilitator. A recent experience supports Grof’s view.  Susan’s

A recent experience supports Grof’s view.  Susan’s story – Susan called a facilitator she had worked with before, saying she had been given some mushrooms by a friend and wanted to use them by herself for an afternoon session in her backyard.  She wanted advice about how best to do this safely.  Normally, you should not encourage someone to use mushrooms without a facilitator, or at least a sober friend to act as “ground control,” but in this case the facilitator had worked with Susan in the past and knew she was very stable and grounded.  She said, as well, that her husband would keep an eye on her.  So, she and her facilitator discussed the pros and cons, and how best to proceed.  The facilitator said he’d be available by phone if her husband had any questions.  When he asked her what her intention for her session with the mushrooms were, she said it was just to hear whatever they had to say.  Early the next morning she emailed the facilitator to say that she was disappointed in the experience because she had received no messages, no teachings, no openings; all she experienced was bliss and deep relaxation as she sat by her pool on a beautiful spring afternoon.    Susan was a driven, type A person, one who

spring afternoon.    Susan was a driven, type A person, one who has been a successful entrepreneur while raising a loving family.  Knowing this about her, the facilitator suggested to her that perhaps this sense of peace was the teaching for her.  Later that day Susan called the facilitator and said that she had come to realize that the message from the mushrooms indeed was for her to relax and enjoy more.  Once she realized this, she started to receive a number of teachings about her life and ways for her to arrange it in less stressful ways.  She had begun her afternoon with the mushrooms by just being open to them without any specific intention, and came out with a powerful message, delivered in an entirely unexpected way.  The plant spirits don’t always talk with us; often they create experiences, offer metaphors and images, and find all sorts of creative ways to open us to their wisdom.  Intentions, then, may be useful in supporting a retreatant, but they should be held loosely.  It can be just as powerful to walk into a retreat wide open to whatever experiences the medicine and your inner healer have in mind.     Expectations – Inevitably most retreatants come with expectations of what they will

most retreatants come with expectations of what they will experience during the retreat.  These are neither good nor bad but have the potential to cause problems during and after the retreat.  The best you can do is to alert retreatants to the challenge of expectations, acknowledge that expectations are natural and inevitable, and let them know that what they will experience is not likely to be what they expect.  I tell them my rule on expectations, namely that I can be certain of only one thing about the future: What I expect to happen, won’t.  
50         If they are experienced, they are likely to know that what happens during a ceremony is largely unpredictable.  For people new to plant medicine ceremonies, expectations are trickier.  Most likely they have read or seen a movie or video about these retreats and the extraordinary experiences someone has had (there’s a certain subtle competitiveness in these kinds of “trip reports”).  Their expectation, then, is probably that they too will have a dramatic opening to the “higher realms.” The fact is that these “extraordinary” experiences are just that – out of the ordinary.    No matter what you say,

are just that – out of the ordinary.    No matter what you say, some retreatants will not really believe you and will be waiting during the ceremony for whatever it is they are expecting.  Then when their expectations are not met, they will be disappointed with the ceremony and very possibly with you as well.  More importantly, they may well miss the actual healing and awakening that the plants have offered them.  If at some point they complain that they are not having or did not have the experience they thought they would, help them look at the actual experience they are having.  Remind them of the wisdom of the Rolling Stones:  You can't always get what you want But if you try sometimes, you just might find You get what you need  Help them understand that in fact what they are experiencing is just what they need at that moment in their lives, not what they expected or wanted, and to understand that working with the plants is a process, not a quick one-time fix.  The more they can open to what they are in fact experiencing, letting go their expectations and disappointments, the more they will benefit from the retreat.    Finally, for those who do have an extraordinary experience, they may face a letdown

have an extraordinary experience, they may face a letdown following the retreat.  As they return to daily life, they may be depressed for a while by the routine quality of their days.  Remind them that a extraordinary experience does not make an extraordinary life – that’s the work each of us does every day.  A welcome letter – It can be helpful to send retreatants a welcome letter a week or so ahead of the retreat with logistics such as the address, where to park, and what to wear.    Suggest they wear warm, comfortable clothing and bring a change of clothes as they may get sweaty during the retreat.  Ask that they dress modestly, nothing revealing or enticing.   This letter is a good place to include suggestions on what to eat the day before and the day of the retreat.  Some facilitators put a heavy emphasis on diet.  Do your research and determine how you wish to approach this.  Most facilitators suggest retreatants avoid dairy the morning of the retreat and avoid food for three to four hours before the retreat begins, both of which help the medicine to be absorbed, and reduce the likelihood of an upset stomach.  If someone has a blood sugar issue, they may need to eat more often, which is 
Walking the

issue, they may need to eat more often, which is 
51        fine, but encourage them to keep it to the minimum they need.  They should take all their regular medicines (but no psychiatric meds, of course).  You might describe in the letter the place where the retreat will be held so people have a sense of their surroundings beforehand, which may reduce some of their natural anxiety.  Invite them to bring their own pillows and blankets if they wish, but let them know that you will have everything they will need.  Invite them to bring any photographs or personal objects they might want to place on the altar.  Ask them for an emergency contact, and include your phone number so a family member or friend can contact them in an emergency.  Also ask them to not wear perfume or scented hair wash, as many people can become very sensitive to smell during a retreat.  In the letter you might suggest that retreatants:  • Take lots of antioxidants as food, juices, or supplements before and after the retreat;  • Take L-tryptophan or 5-HTP every night for several days before and after to help rebalance their serotonin system;  • Increase their calcium/magnesium intake,

system;  • Increase their calcium/magnesium intake, especially if they are women;  • Drink a lot of water the day before and the morning of the retreat so they will be well hydrated; and • Try out their sleep meds in advance so they know they will work if they need them: o Ambien (zolpidem), Xanax (alprazolam) and Ativan (lorazepam) are generally OK as sleep medications. o Others like Trazodone or St. John’s wort should be avoided.  Next up – While the retreat effectively began for the retreatants once they signed up, the period from when they arrive until they take the medicine is an important and sensitive time for them and for you.  In the next chapter we’ll go over their arrival, helping them settle in, reviewing the ground rules, and resolving any last-minute question and issues.        
52        
  From The Red Book by Carl Jung   

53         5   The Retreat Begins   When the day of the retreat arrives, you (and your co-facilitator, if you have one) are center stage.  If you have planned well, then you should have only a last few things to get ready, and so you can relax before the retreatants arrive.  In this chapter we’ll cover

before the retreatants arrive.  In this chapter we’ll cover welcoming the retreatants, going over the ground rules, providing a context for the retreat grounded in the indigenous roots of working with plant medicines, and finally offering the medicine to each participant.  Take time to prepare yourself – You may find that on the morning of the retreat you feel anxious about whether it will be successful for the retreatants.  You may find it helps when this anxiety arises to remind yourself that your role is mostly to prepare the setting, run the music, and hold the space, while the success of the retreat is in the very capable hands of the plant medicines and the retreatants’ own inner healers, not you.  Just relax and do your own job, and the retreat will be successful if you have prepared carefully.   Take a shower, sit quietly, and assess your emotional state, notice any anxiety or excitement, and breathe, coming present into the moment for a while.  You should consider how you want to present yourself to the retreatants, knowing that how you are dressed, and your level of composure, sends a subtle message to the participants.    Some facilitators like to don ceremonial clothes as an

Some facilitators like to don ceremonial clothes as an indigenous shaman or curandero might do.  This would be most appropriate if you have decided to set a shamanic context for the retreat.  If you do choose to wear some form of special attire, please be careful that wearing it doesn’t quietly inflate your ego, making you feel special and separate from or better than the participants.  No one should pose as a shaman or medicine person who has not been trained and acknowledged as such by a real shaman of whatever tradition.     Alternatively, you might want to dress more conventionally with plain, clean, casual clothes.  An advantage to dressing in this way is that it can help people unfamiliar with plant medicine retreats feel more comfortable.  It, in a sense, helps normalize something that is quite out of the ordinary for most people.  Dressing in ordinary clothes sends a signal that this kind of retreat is something ordinary people can do, and that one doesn’t have to become a “shaman” or otherwise be someone special to participate.      Welcoming the retreatants – Once everything is ready for the retreat – the food, the medicine, the music, and the room – the next step is to welcome the

the music, and the room – the next step is to welcome the retreatants as they arrive on the day of the retreat.  They are likely to arrive excited and anxious, and there will be a certain amount of nervous energy in the air.  This is normal, and your first job is to help people settle in.  A good way to begin to do this is to walk them around the place 
54        where the retreat will be held so they know the lay of the land: where the ceremony will be, where they will be sleeping, and where the bathrooms are.  Let them know where they can put their belongings, and if there is Wi-Fi share the access with them so they can check in at home if they wish.  Make sure they have a phone number where they can be reached in an emergency and that they have shared it with a family member or friend who knows where they are.   At this point, ask the participants to turn off their cell phones once they have had a chance to check them.  It’s best for the phones to be turned off completely, not put on silent or airplane mode, to reduce the temptation to check them from time to time, and to reduce distracting electrical emissions during the retreat.    Once everyone has arrived and begun to settle in,

retreat.    Once everyone has arrived and begun to settle in, offer herbal tea and/or water, and gather everyone in a circle.  They are likely to feel somewhat anxious and shy if they are in a group of strangers, so invite them to introduce themselves with their first name and anything else they may want to add. This is also a good time to ask if anyone has any questions about the retreat so that any lingering uncertainties can be addressed directly.    It is helpful to go over the schedule of when and where there will be food and refreshments and to handle any other logistical issues that may come up.  Again, ask if there are any questions.   The next step is to go over the ground rules.    Ground rules and agreements    You should take whatever time you need to make sure that the ground rules are understood, and that everyone is comfortable with them and has agreed to them.  Make sure participants understand that these rules are for their safety, as well as yours.  It is good to remind them that this is their retreat, and your job as a facilitator is to support them and keep them safe.  Let them know that most of the time when you invite them to do something, or not to do something, these will be suggestions they are free

not to do something, these will be suggestions they are free to follow or not.  That said, there may be a time when you will give an instruction that needs to be followed for their safety; ask for agreement to follow such an instruction without argument or resistance.   The following is a list of some basic ground rules.  You may have additional ones appropriate for your retreat and location.  Confidentiality – This is a good rule to start with, as it begins to create a container, a sense of privacy and safety for everyone.  You might suggest that the rule here is like “Vegas rules,” what goes on here stays here.  Another somewhat more formal model of confidentiality is what the English call the Chatham House Rule.  This simply says that it is 
55        acceptable after the retreat to share someone else’s experiences and what they said, but neither that person’s name and identity, nor anyone else’s at the retreat, can be revealed.  You should also remind participants that it is important not to discuss their experiences at the retreat with others casually, sharing it only with a few people close to them.  If participants have a friend or family member who is

them.  If participants have a friend or family member who is interested in attending a future retreat, ask them to check in with you first before sharing your name, address, or contact information with them.    This is also a good time to make clear that there is to be no recording, audio or video, nor should photos be taken at any time during their stay with you.  The same goes for notetaking during the ceremony or the following integration circle, except for notes about their own experiences or insights.    You should assure participants that you will hold everything that is said in strictest confidence, but, at the same time, there is no legally sanctioned confidentiality as there is with a lawyer, a doctor, or a therapist.  Most retreatants will easily understand the importance of confidentiality, but make sure there are no questions or hesitation about this.      Staying until the end – Ask the retreatants to agree to stay until the end of the retreat, both so they can gain the full benefit of it and for their safety.  In fact, some facilitators request retreatants to hand over their car keys (and phones) at this point, though this can make some retreatants feel trapped and especially

this can make some retreatants feel trapped and especially vulnerable.   Whether or not you request everyone’s car keys, make sure they understand that the request to stay until the end does not mean that they can’t leave early if an emergency arises.  Be clear that if they do need to leave before the end, you will help them leave as soon as it is safe for them to do so, but not until then. This rule can be particularly sensitive for some who may feel they are being trapped in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable place.     Don’s story – Don was looking for a retreat.  During the screening he mentioned to the facilitator doing the screening that during his last experience, a three-day retreat in which the participants were told not to go outside.  During the first evening, he began to feel claustrophobic and wanted to go outside for air.  When he tried one of the doors, it was locked.  One of the facilitators reminded him that he could not go outside.  He said that he suddenly felt trapped and that he was being held against his will.    At this point Don panicked and managed to find his way to the kitchen, where he found an unlocked door.  He left and ran through the dark to a neighboring house; he was able to use the phone

the dark to a neighboring house; he was able to use the phone and call a cab to get home, leaving all his clothes and things behind.  The next day one of the facilitators called him at home to check that he was all right, and to arrange to send his things back to him.  
56        Don was extremely upset about this episode and talked about how afraid he had been that he had fallen into some sort of cult.  While that could have been possible, it is more likely that there was a good reason those holding the retreat did not want people walking outside, either because of the neighbors or because they needed to keep an eye on everyone.  Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that they handled this restriction with sensitivity, which may have been at least a part of what triggered Don’s panic.  The lesson here is to be sensitive to the need some people have to feel a certain degree of control and not to be “locked in.”  Coming back into your body – Another, somewhat related ground rule is asking the retreatants to come back into their bodies if they should find themselves in another realm with beings who invite them to stay, and not to walk through a door marked death if they find one.  I

and not to walk through a door marked death if they find one.  I first came across this ground rule reading about the work of Ann Shulgin, the wife of Alexander Shulgin, the developer of MDMA and similar substances.  Ann was a therapist and would use her husband’s medicine with her clients.  She always insisted her clients agree to return to their bodies if they were invited to remain in an “upper realm.”    Mary’s story – Well into one retreat Mary suddenly sat up and insisted the facilitator write down everything she was saying, which the facilitator agreed to do.  Normally, it is best to encourage people to leave notetaking until later at night when they are well through the prime of the experience, but Mary was insistent, and it seemed wisest to accommodate her.  She said that she had been led to a place with powerful beings who explained to her that they were responsible for creating and controlling all life, or something to that effect.  Not only that, but that she herself was one of these beings and could remain with them to help them with their work.  She found this to be an exciting and attractive opportunity, but accepting their invitation would mean that she would not return home to her body.

would mean that she would not return home to her body.  Fortunately, she declined their invitation and decided to return to her body for the time being.     You might remind the retreatants that while we may be spiritual beings, we are here now to experience life as an embodied being on this wonderful small planet for the duration of our natural lives.   Touch – Touching a retreatant in a skillful way during the ceremony can have a positive impact on a retreatant, especially if they are struggling.  Everyone is sensitive to being touched, and it can be powerfully healing, or it can trigger a strong negative reaction from a memory of abusive or unwanted touch from the past.  For this reason, it is important to ask the retreatants to let you know if they do not want to be touched at all.  As this can be a sensitive issue for them, speak to them individually and privately about this if you are facilitating a group.  Remember that even if someone at this point says they are open to being touched, don’t touch them during the ceremony until you ask them again before touching them.  
57        If you have training in a somatic healing method, such as healing touch, reiki,

in a somatic healing method, such as healing touch, reiki, massage, or the like, you may want to offer this to a retreatant if appropriate.  This can be a great service to them if they have agreed to it beforehand.54  Sexual feelings – These are natural and healthy energies, and will often come up for some retreatants, especially in a group retreat or with a facilitator they find attractive.  It is a good practice to validate these feelings by making it clear that it is entirely acceptable for the feelings to come up.  Explore them, be curious about their origin and what it is that triggers these feelings.  While sexual attraction is acceptable and normal, it is entirely unacceptable to approach anyone in a group, or the facilitator, with the idea of engaging sexually with them with even so much as a touch.  This is an area in which many people have been traumatized and can be easily reactivated and deeply upset.  You might take a moment here, if needed, to remind participants to remain dressed in a comfortable but modest fashion.  Later in the evening, if there is an already established couple who wishes to explore sexual feelings, and if there is a place private enough for them to do this without

if there is a place private enough for them to do this without disturbing the others, that can be acceptable.  Beyond that, though, there should be no flirting, touching, or inviting others into even “innocent” sexual play.     Interacting with others – As mentioned earlier, group retreats come in two basic forms:  one where everyone is invited to “stay in their lane” and go into their own inner space, and the other where it has been agreed beforehand that the group can be together to talk and work as they see fit.  In both kinds it is important to emphasize that no one should seek to talk with anyone other than a facilitator without getting the other person’s permission.  Point out that it is always acceptable for someone in either kind of group to be silent, or to go off on their own, working with the medicine in quiet.   You should let them know that if they see someone in the retreat who seems to be having a difficult time, it is natural to want to go and help.  Ask them if this does occur, please do not try to be comforting or helpful.  Most likely the person struggling will be able to handle whatever has come up for them, and if they do need help, it is the facilitator’s job to support them.  Instead, this would

the facilitator’s job to support them.  Instead, this would be a good opportunity for each participant to notice what happens to them when they see someone else struggling.  What is it in you that urges you to intervene—your normal human compassion, or some unresolved issue of your own that their distress triggers, or perhaps both?   You should also suggest that as the ceremony winds down, they may feel like talking with you or with other participants.  This is fine, but suggest that they keep the conversation light and leave a discussion of their experiences until the morning.  For one thing, let them know they are still in the midst of the process; more is likely to unfold overnight.   54 Touch is also discussed below at page 72. 
58         No harming – Ask them to agree not to harm themselves; others in the retreat, including the facilitator(s); or any physical property.  Ask them not to do anything that might disturb the neighbors, and to be quiet if they go outside.   Meeting the unexpected – It can be helpful to remind the retreatants that they are and will be safe, and that you are there to be by their side if they become fearful or upset.   Suggest to them

their side if they become fearful or upset.   Suggest to them that, if they have an unpleasant encounter with a frightening being or upsetting emotion, to be curious about it and ask what the being or emotion has to teach them.  It can be helpful for participants to find where in their body the fear or upset resides, and to breathe into that area.  Such experiences are all part of the healing process; no harm will come to them, and no matter how bad the experience, it will be over in time.  Purging – Let the retreatants know that at some point in the ceremony they may have an urge to vomit.  A medicine like ayahuasca is very likely to induce purging, but any medicine may cause someone to feel the need to vomit from time to time.  Whether or not there is anything in the retreatant’s stomach to bring up, purging is considered beneficial in plant medicine retreats, a powerful and effective way to get rid of old, unneeded, trapped energy.  Tell them that while it is uncomfortable and may be embarrassing for them, it is perfectly acceptable and there will be a bowl and towel nearby for them to use.  Tell them that not only will you be happy to help them, but you will also even encourage them.     Setting a context for the

you will also even encourage them.     Setting a context for the retreat – It can be helpful both for people who are new to working with plant medicines and those with experience to have a short review of the origins of this practice and the ancient roots of plant medicines.  The current practices of working with plant medicines in the West draw from tens of thousands of years of indigenous experience from around the world.  They also draw from decades of practices developed by researchers, psychiatrists and psychotherapists, and others in the West, both during the days when these medicines were legal, as well as over the years since they were made illegal.  One point of offering such a broad context for the retreat is that it demonstrates that the retreatants are not alone in doing this work.  For many newcomers to these retreats, it is a step out of their ordinary lives, a step that many of their friends might not understand or even approve of.  In truth, however, tens of thousands of people around the U.S. and Europe have been pursuing this work successfully for decades, and the retreatants are stepping into a practice with a long, successful history.  This context simply is not something that

history.  This context simply is not something that everyone knows, and even if they do, it helps to be reminded of these deep roots and the many who have gone before them as they prepare to enter another realm.   Going over intentions – One final step before settling into the medicine is to give the retreatants the opportunity to share their intentions for their retreat with the group if they wish to.  Most facilitators find it can be helpful for the retreatants to review their intentions for the coming experience.  That said, as was discussed earlier, not all facilitators feel that it is helpful.  So, you can decide whether you feel it best for the retreatants to be clear about 
59        their intentions and, if so, whether it will be helpful for them to articulate them at this point.  Whether or not you invite the retreatants to talk about their intentions, this is a good time to remind participants that it is best to let their intentions go for now.  The medicine and their own inner healer/spirit/psyche are far wiser than the rational mind and will take them where they need to go, regardless of whether or not that is where the retreatants want to go; the

whether or not that is where the retreatants want to go; the medicine will, in its own mysterious way, address their intentions, but this may not be clear until days or weeks later.  The point is that this is the time to let go of intentions and also of expectations.  Most people can’t really let go of goals and intentions completely, but encouraging them to do so at this point can at least help participants to open themselves to whatever may come during the ceremony itself.   Choosing the music – The use of music to support retreatants grows out of the indigenous shamanic tradition.  In these retreats a shaman may sing special songs or prayers (known as icaros in South America) to guide the retreatants’ experience and to help heal them.  Most facilitators in the U.S. and Europe don’t have this kind of training, and so must choose between silence and pre-recorded music.  Fortunately, there is a wide variety of music appropriate for retreats to choose from, much of it on Spotify, Apple Music, or other online sources.    It is good to talk with the retreatants either before they arrive, or as they are settling in for the retreat, to see if they have any strong music preferences or dislikes.  Most people

have any strong music preferences or dislikes.  Most people are pretty flexible about the music unless they have been on a number of retreats and developed strong preferences.  There are those, as well, who have a strong preference for classical music.  There are also a few who prefer silence, which is why it is always important in a group retreat to have one or more breakout rooms, one of which can be the silent room.  Keep in mind that plant medicine retreats have a very different arc than other methods of accessing other realms of consciousness.  Holotropic breathwork, in particular, is driven by music to a large extent, and breathwork guides spend years learning how to develop special playlists for these sessions.  They often begin with hard-driving music that helps move people into a deeper state.  Music like this would likely be upsetting in a plant medicine retreat.  Music designed for ketamine sessions, which are fairly short, is also unlikely to work well for the longer arc of psychedelics such as psilocybin, MDMA, or LSD.    For this reason, be careful in choosing playlists from the Internet, and listen to them before using them.  Feel free to create your own playlist.  If you do, here

them.  Feel free to create your own playlist.  If you do, here are some guidelines:  • Most of the music should have no words, and if there are words, they should not be in a language that the retreatants understand.  Understandable words will draw their attention away from the inner work they are doing. 
60        • Generally, the music should be soft, with a gentle rhythm.  Music for massage or meditation can be good if it is not too bland, and much music from the east, like certain Hindu chanting or Sufi music, can be excellent.   There are some playlists with classical music, but be sure to listen to these beforehand, as classical music can become quite driving and distracting. • If you are building a playlist, make sure it is long enough for the whole afternoon and evening unless you plan to work with the music during the retreat, changing it and its sound or tempo as the energy of the room suggests (which only experienced facilitators with a strong sense of music should do). • Music during the first hour or two can be somewhat more vigorous than later in the session.  As people settle deeper into the medicine, the music should support this by becoming softer,

the music should support this by becoming softer, more relaxing, and deeper. • Nature and water sounds can be very soothing, especially during the deeper parts of the retreat.  Sometimes periods of silence to contrast with the music are effective.  This can be particularly helpful to retreatants who have strong meditation practices, as they are usually comfortable with silence.  Others may be disconcerted by an extended period of quiet, so you need to be thoughtful about including silence, and watch how people react.   Stan Grof has another approach altogether to music.  He has found that any music is an intrusion into the retreatant’s experience, and he prefers white noise in working with psychedelics.  That, of course, is not the case with holotropic breathwork (created by Grof and his wife Christina) which, as noted above, is driven throughout its several phases by the music.  Generally, however, most retreatants find the right music supportive and calming, helping them to relax and be present as they explore inside.    Offering the medicine – Once all these important preliminaries have been completed, and everyone is settled, it is time to offer the medicine.  You might start

is settled, it is time to offer the medicine.  You might start with 400 mg of theobromine, an extract from the cacao bean that opens the blood vessels and the lungs, lowering blood pressure and providing a relaxed alertness.  It acts as a “potentiator,” as one of my teachers called it, and can help ease the retreatants’ path into the medicine.  It is legal and readily available. By this time, the retreatants should know what medicine is being offered or what the choices are, and have had the chance to discuss this with you during one or more of the pre-retreat calls.  It is good to confirm each retreatant’s choice with them, and to discuss the dose they want.   It is worth repeating an essential earlier point:  Never give a plant medicine to someone who does not wish to have it or does not know exactly what and how much they are taking.   When you are offering medicine in a dry form, as a pill, capsule, or dry powder, offer it to each participant in a bowl.  There is no need to make a big ceremony about this unless you feel it would support the participants.  Even without a ceremony, however, the simple act 
61        of offering the medicine in a well-chosen and

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61        of offering the medicine in a well-chosen and attractive bowl, so participants actively reach in to take the medicine in their hands and place it in their mouths, reinforces the sense of personal choice.    Settling in – With the ground rules covered, the music selected and playing, and the medicine offered, it is time to settle into the ceremony.  Your role changes from being the planner, arranger, screener, and greeter or host to a very different role, that of being what is often called the “space holder.”  This is a significant transition and shift from a doing role into a non-doing one.  We will explore this in the next chapter.  
62        
 From The Red Book by Carl Jung  

63         6   The Ceremony:  The Art of Doing Nothing  We come now to the heart of the matter, the ceremony itself.  Retreatants have received their plant medicine, and are waiting for it to come on, a process that can take 20 to 40 minutes or more, depending on the medicine.  You will notice that some people may sit somewhere comfortable, walk around the room, stare out the window, or go outside to walk or sit.  Some may want to keep talking with you

outside to walk or sit.  Some may want to keep talking with you or talk with one or more of the others if it is a group.    You may notice a certain level of anxiety or nervousness among the retreatants during this period as they await the transition, the point at which they first notice the effect of the medicine.  This “coming up” period is a good time to suggest they sit in meditation, or if they are not meditators, to at least sit or lie down in silence.  At some point you will notice that the medicine is beginning to affect them, either by watching their behavior – eyes dilated, yawning, sighs – or you may feel a subtle shift in the energy in the group, perhaps even before they do.  At this point invite people to come back to their mattresses and lie down quietly, put on their eyeshades or eye pillows, relax, and let go.  This can be a good time for people to turn inside for a spell, even if the group has agreed to be open to conversation during the session.  Some quiet time at the beginning can open them to the medicine and allow them to be more open to the group.    This is a sensitive time for the retreatants, and you should be gentle in your suggestions, helping them ease through the transition.  Some participants

them ease through the transition.  Some participants may feel anxious as they feel the medicine come on, and may even feel fear, especially if they are new to plant medicines.  A quiet and kind invitation to lie down and go inside can be comforting for them, especially if it comes as they are beginning to feel the bodily sensations from the medicine.  As they transition into the medicine, your role transitions into being the sitter, the holder of space, the guiding presence.   Holding space – the guiding presence  The simplest way to describe what it is to “hold space” is to say that it is a way of being fully present to all that is going on in the retreat space without doing anything.  Full presence includes being aware without judgment of all that is going on around you in the room, of anyone who may be walking around outside or in another room, and of what is going on inside you.  It is awareness of the retreatants and self-awareness of your own inner experience, all without judgment.  As in mindfulness meditation, it includes both inner and outer awareness with acceptance of what is.    
64        Leary, in The Psychedelic Experience, describes the

64        Leary, in The Psychedelic Experience, describes the facilitator’s role at this point as follows:  The key issue here is the guide’s ability to turn off [their] own ego and social games – in particular, to muffle [their] own power needs and [their] fears.  To be there relaxed, solid, accepting, secure.  The Tao wisdom of creative quietism.  To sense all and do nothing except to let the subject know of your wise presence.55  If you are a meditator this is a good time to settle into mindfulness meditation; you will find that you can sense the energy in the room grow and shift in ways that can support and deepen your meditation.  It can be a lovely, peaceful time for you.  Being present also means being present in this moment.  The best way to do that is to bring your awareness to your body for the simple reason that our bodies live only in the present moment.  The past is an intellectual construct of memories, while the future is made up of our plans and worries.  Memories, plans, worries are all in the mind, while the body simply lives in the Now.  It is not the time to be lost in memories, plans, or fears; there will be plenty of time for that later.  So, mindfulness meditation, bringing your awareness

So, mindfulness meditation, bringing your awareness repeatedly back to the simple, essential act of breathing in and breathing out, and opening your awareness to all that is happening inside and around you will help to keep you in the present for your retreatants.  As time passes you may find yourself anxious about what is happening for the retreatants as they lie or sit.  Is the medicine working, and are they feeling its effects?  Where is it taking them, and is there something you should do for them?  If you’ve done all the preparatory work well, you can remind yourself that even though there are no outer signs, the medicine is working and doing just what it should in each individual.  You may not know this for sure until later in the evening or the next morning, but trust the process and the medicine.  It can feel frustrating or boring that there is nothing for you to do, but that is your best contribution most of the time.  Trust that the participants will be fully aware of you, and that your solid, quiet presence is an anchor for them.  No matter how bored you get, however, do your best to stay present.  Some people knit or do something else they can do with their hands while staying alert to the room

they can do with their hands while staying alert to the room and the retreatants.  Reading a book, working on your laptop or phone, emailing, and texting are not productive or supportive things to do; they take your attention from the room and into a different, unconnected space.  As one facilitator said, “Sitting for people in a retreat is like being a cop on the beat-- hours of boredom with moments of excitement!”    What to be on the lookout for  While you are sitting holding space, most of the time there is little for you to do, as your role as a facilitator is generally to avoid intervening with whatever processes the retreatants are going through.  There will of course be those instances when it is  55 Leary et al., op. cit., 89. 
65        appropriate and advisable for you to intervene and work with someone.  Your role then becomes much like that of a psychotherapist with a client.  You will need to find a balance between becoming too empathic on one hand, and too distant and cold on the other.  This “therapeutic alliance” is something all therapists are trained in during their education.  Even though you are not officially a therapist (unless you do happen

you are not officially a therapist (unless you do happen to be licensed as such56), you will be playing a therapeutic role as you engage with a participant. Here are some brief suggestions on how to find the appropriate balance in these situations, offered by a group of experienced psychotherapists:  • Things to do: o Remember that the participant’s story is not yours.  In other words, keep some emotional and intellectual distance, and remember that whatever their story is, it is not for you to fix but for them to experience and work through themselves. o Stay curious about the participant’s story, ask the occasional question, ask them to expand on brief and passing comments or anything you don’t understand.  Don’t assume you’ve seen this all before, for while each person’s story may have many common elements with the stories of others (we are, after all, all human beings), each person’s story is also unique to them. o Give the participant empathy, but not sympathy.  These are both words with loose definitions and overlap to some extent.  Empathy can be seen as the capacity to understand or feel what another person is experiencing from within their frame of reference – the capacity to

from within their frame of reference – the capacity to place oneself in another's position.  Sympathy, on the other hand, is close to this but includes expressing sorrow or even pity at their situation.  It is one thing to say that you can understand that they are in pain and can feel its intensity (if you do), but it is not helpful to them to say how sorry you are for them.  Offering sympathy shifts your role from being supportive to being patronizing. o Ask the participants if they need anything, such as water or a blanket; or suggest they sit up, walk outside, or visit the bathroom. o Just being present with the participant – sitting by their side in silence or, with their permission, holding their hand – can often be the wisest way to support them.   • There are a few things this same group of therapists encourages you not to do, such as:   o Don’t give advice or try to help them “fix” the problem.  If the participant asks you what you think they should do, gently and caringly turn the question back on them by asking them what they  56 If you are a therapist, it is important to remember that this is not a therapy session.  Thus, the interventions should remain minimal, unless of course that was the stated goal

remain minimal, unless of course that was the stated goal from the beginning of the retreat. 
66        think they should do.  Very often the person will have something in mind, which they may share with you.  Unless it is way off base, encourage them and say that that makes sense and may be helpful.  If the response is that they simply don’t know what to do, suggest that the person sit with the question, allowing an answer to come to them in time.  Your job here is to support self-agency, and the person’s own ability to manage their life and resolve the issues that arise.   o Don’t say that the same thing happened to you or, even if it is similar, share your own experience, as this takes the attention away from the retreatant and focuses on you.  It can break the flow of their work.  If the participant is of the belief that no one has ever experienced what they have been through, or is going through now, it may be helpful to tell them that others have had very similar experiences, that they are not the only one who has faced this type of crisis.  This can sometimes help people feel less alone and less abnormal.  The truth is that almost any experience your retreatants are

truth is that almost any experience your retreatants are going though is part of the normal human condition, though most people do not have the courage to face into it. o Don’t say, “I know how you feel,” because in most cases you don’t.  Even if you have been through a very similar experience at some point in your life, your own reactions may have been quite different than that of the participant. o Don’t say, “I hear you,” or “whatever.”  These are meaningless phrases, all too often used to put people at a distance and show a lack of care.  Be simple and clear in your language; retreatants will appreciate you for this. o Finally, don’t assume anything.  What participants tell you may or may not be the whole truth, or even true at all.  There will always be more to the story than will come out during a retreat, which is a good reason to stay curious and assume nothing.   As you sit holding space, there are certain things to keep an eye out for:  The struggling retreatant – On occasion a retreatant may begin to struggle, and you may wish to intervene or provide support.  This is the time to remember that the first principle of holding space is the same first principle in medicine: Do no harm.  What does that mean

first principle in medicine: Do no harm.  What does that mean in this context?  It means to take a close look at why you feel you should intervene with a person.  For instance, is it because you are nervous, or perhaps feel the need to justify your role as the facilitator?  Is it to prove that you have the answer to someone’s dilemma or problem?  Or is it for some other reason that has to do with you and not the retreatant?  Perhaps their discomfort is triggering a sense of discomfort in you.  Are you uncomfortable around people who are crying, or rolling around moaning, or twitching, or groaning?    
67        This is a good time to scan your body to see if there is tension anywhere, or the physical manifestations of anxiety or fear.  If you notice tension or anxiety, do just what you would advise a retreatant to do:  Breathe into the tension or anxiety, and allow it to relax.  Be present with your body before deciding if there really is something that the participant needs from you.  Be aware also of your facial expressions.  Any anxiety or fear you may be feeling may well express itself in the way you are holding your body and especially in micro-expressions in your face.

body and especially in micro-expressions in your face.  Retreatants, if they are struggling, will look to you and quickly pick up your discomfort from these micro-expressions.  This can instantly break the bond of trust between you and undermine your ability to support them.  It can even lead them to turn on you, no longer holding you as the trusted facilitator but as someone potentially harmful to them.  These are circumstances when all your inner work either pays off or not.  You might also bring to mind the phrase “Why Am I Talking?” (which can be shortened to W.A.I.T.), a very helpful reminder to pause and consider who it is who really needs this intervention.  It is normal for us to want to respond and try to alleviate someone’s suffering, and in most circumstances that is a humane and compassionate response.  However, a ceremony is a very different circumstance.  Here people have intentionally placed themselves in a process to be open to a new and deeper relationship with themselves.  They have chosen to be open to old wounds and traumas in order to free themselves from painful emotional weights from the past.  Doing this is most often hard, painful, and challenging, yet immensely

most often hard, painful, and challenging, yet immensely worthwhile and freeing.  From the outside it may look painful—and in fact may be painful to the participant—but in all but the most extreme circumstances the person is well able to manage the process.  The worst thing you could do would be to stop this process, even out of kindness.  Stopping the process all too often means aborting the work they have been doing, with the result that they experience the pain without achieving the healing result that comes as the process runs its course.   There are subtle ways to support someone in these circumstances without speaking to them and stopping their process.  Sometimes it is enough to move over to them and sit by their side without saying anything.  If you feel the need to say something, it can be helpful to simply remind them that they are in fact fine, even in the midst of a hard time, and that you are there with them.  If you feel they need more support, you could ask them if it would be helpful if you put a hand on their shoulder or arm or held their hand (remember, never touch someone without asking permission).  This can provide all the emotional support they need to continue working through

emotional support they need to continue working through whatever issues or memories are arising.  Some people are helped by talking, so you might ask if they want to tell you what is going on.  You don’t have to fix it; just listening can be a corrective experience.  If they need more help, you could suggest they take off their eye mask, if they are wearing one, and sit up with eyes open for a few minutes to allow them to get grounded and to take a breather.  After a couple of minutes of this, encourage the person to lie back down and go back inside.  Assurances that they are safe and doing very important work for their own healing can be very helpful.  
68        As you can see, there are no hard and fast rules here, just guidelines that require you to trust your instincts.  Just remember that if you are not sure what to do, doing nothing is often best, at least until it becomes clear what action, if any, might be helpful.  You will do less harm by doing nothing than by doing something wrong.  When someone is going through a tough patch in a group retreat, it is good to keep an eye out for the impact they are having on the other participants.  Others may try to move close to the

the other participants.  Others may try to move close to the struggling retreatant and want to help them by holding them or talking with them.  If you see this, go to the participant who is trying to help and gently ask them to go back to where they were, reminding them that it is not their job to care for the other participants and that you will do anything needed.    Even if other participants are not attempting to help, an old wound of theirs may be triggered and they may become upset.  In this case you might move next to the activated person and remind them that the other person is all right even though it may not look that way at the moment.  You might remind the person that this is an opportunity for them to look inside at their own reactions to another’s seeming distress and see what it is that is urging them to intervene.  The desire to intervene and help comes up more often for women, both because they tend to be more empathic than men, and because they have been cast in the role of caretakers all their lives.  Remind women that this retreat is time to be cared for and to care for themselves, not to take care of others.  How to actively support someone – There will be instances when your intuition will suggest

– There will be instances when your intuition will suggest that a person does need some active support, or it may be that they will ask you for help.  Again, the best advice is that less is more.  As suggested before, it may be sufficient to simply move over and sit next to them on the floor by their mattress if they are lying down, or to walk with them if they are moving around.  If they agree, a hand on their shoulder or arm, or simply holding their hand, may be what they need.  In some cases, the person may want to talk with you, which presents a challenge and an opportunity.    In a ceremony, generally the best thing you can say to someone who tells you about the dark experience they are going through is assurance that, as frightening as it may be for them, they are and will be all right.  If a memory of a past trauma has arisen, remind them that they have already survived whatever it was that caused the trauma; the trauma is over and in the past.  Whatever is being seen, heard, or felt, affirm that what is arising is of benefit and suggest they allow rather than fight whatever is presenting itself.  In fact, their best strategy is likely to be to turn into the experience, and to ask any troubling beings what it is they

experience, and to ask any troubling beings what it is they are here to teach or show them.  Suggest being curious about their fear, to look past it to see what it is covering up.  Often, what we fear is something that is trying to emerge for our own benefit.   We fear the arising itself, and that we will be overwhelmed and unable to handle what is seeking the bright light of consciousness.  Remind the person that they will be able to handle whatever it is that is troubling them.    
69        Another way to help a person through this situation is through assurances that however frightening or bizarre, their experience is a normal part of the healing process.  The plants and their inner healer have many ways of working with us, most of them nonverbal. The images and beings are generally metaphors for deep issues that need to open up so the healing light of awareness can be brought to bear.  This is a challenging but normal part of the process, and strange though this may appear to the participant, it is quite normal most of the time.   Whatever you do, don’t argue with the person, or deny the reality of their experience. Make sure they know they aren’t crazy or going out of

Make sure they know they aren’t crazy or going out of their minds, which some may fear.  If it becomes too intense and feels unmanageable, ask the participant to open their eyes and look around at things and describe them to you.  This will help ground them again, and they may then be able to go back and face whatever is emerging.  Sometimes a retreatant will complain that they are looping, that their thoughts are running in an endless circle that they’re unable to stop.  There’s no quick fix for this sometimes, but when it does come up, do what you can to break the pattern of their thinking. Suggest to them to pay attention to the sensations in their body, or to open their eyes if they are closed, get up if they are lying down, and walk around.  You might engage them in a brief conversation on a totally different topic until they are sufficiently distracted from the looping to go back to their inner work.  One retreatant found herself looping towards the end of the night; she simply put on her headphones and turned on Audible and the book she had been listening to before the retreat.    Wise advice is available on supporting people experiencing challenging plant medicine experiences.  There is, for

challenging plant medicine experiences.  There is, for instance, a MAPS manual on this subject, which is on their website and well worth reading.57  You can also pick up valuable advice from the experienced facilitators interviewed on the Guiding Presence online program.58   The role of touch – As discussed above under the ground rules, touch will have a powerful impact on someone deep in a ceremony.  It can be very healing, and it can also be deeply upsetting, all depending on the person and the circumstance.  It is a powerful but double-edged sword.  Therefore, you should never touch anyone without asking their permission first.  Placing a hand on someone’s shoulder or arm is a way of giving them comfort that they are not alone and that you are there with them.  It can give them needed courage to continue in their process.  Gentle touch can also shift the energy in the body, especially if it is stuck.  If permission is given to touch, you might ask if they are feeling tension or pain and, if so, where. Then, assuming it would be appropriate, touch that part gently.  While touch can be a powerful healing tool, it can backfire, as there is always a risk that the retreatant has experienced sexual or

always a risk that the retreatant has experienced sexual or other physical trauma.  Even if they have not told you  57 https://maps.org/resources/responding_to_difficult_psychedelic_experiences/101-how-to-work-with-difficult-psychedelic-experiences 58 https://theguidingpresence.com/  
70        about them, and even if they don’t remember them right then, many retreatants have had experiences of physical abuse.  Without obtaining their permission to touch them first, even a gentle touch can quickly trigger an old fear and anger.  It may send a person into a dark tailspin as they suddenly re-experience something they may be unable to identify or process.  You can quickly lose their trust, shifting the person’s attitude towards you into one of fear, misplaced anger, and resentment.  So, you should be attentive and alert for any negative reactions even when touching someone with their permission.    Purging – There may be times when a retreatant begins to feel nausea and the need to purge.  Some medicines are more likely than others to stimulate nausea.  Regardless of the medicine, however, there will be times when a participant

medicine, however, there will be times when a participant may break into a sweat and need to purge.  When you see this, bring them the bowl and towel you have at the ready, or, if there is time, help them to a bathroom.  It is wise to have a second bowl handy to switch out, as well as a cool, wet facecloth.  Purging is not something to worry about, as it is usually quite beneficial, if uncomfortable, to the participant.  Embarrassment and shame will frequently come up around loosing bodily control.  Constant encouragement and assurance that this is well within a normal reaction will be very supportive.   Purging is most often both a physical and an energetic release.  Old energies that need to be discarded are coming up along with whatever is in the stomach; blocked emotions and past wounds are being healed.  The best thing you can do is to be with the participant, affirming the hard work being done and encouraging them to let go and purge as fully as they can.  Even if nothing physical is coming up, they should be encouraged to go through the physical actions of purging, as this will help release the old energies.    Hydration and hyponatremia – It is important for retreatants to stay hydrated during the

It is important for retreatants to stay hydrated during the ceremony.  Some facilitators recommend that people drink enough water before the ceremony to make sure they are well hydrated, as they believe that the cells in our bodies won’t absorb water while under the influence of the medicine.  Others say to encourage retreatants to keep drinking during the ceremony.  Whichever way you choose, do keep an eye on people, making sure they are well hydrated before and/or during the retreat.  This also means to keep an eye out for the retreatant who has not urinated for several hours.  People often lose the body sensations that signal that it’s time to urinate, and in fact they can have trouble urinating with some medicines.  Keep in mind that retreatants may not be steady on their feet; it is good practice to accompany them to the bathroom to make sure they don’t lose their balance on the way.  Some medicines may also make it hard to urinate; let people know to take their time and be careful.  Occasionally when someone is feeling nauseous but is unable to purge, or is showing signs of a headache, mental confusion, restlessness, spasms, cramps, or hot flashes followed by feeling cold, they may be

cramps, or hot flashes followed by feeling cold, they may be suffering from hyponatremia.  This occurs when they have been drinking too much water and the salt level in their blood has become diluted.  This can be easily and quickly resolved by giving them an electrolyte balancer such as coconut water or 
71        a sports drink like Ultima or Gatorade.  Whether or not they develop hyponatremia, every retreatant should be offered an electrolyte balancer towards the end of the ceremony.   The psychotic break – On rare occasions you may see a participant losing touch with reality and completely disassociating.59  They may even experience or enter a different reality and have a psychotic break.60  Most of the times this happens, it will resolve itself within the course of the retreat itself.  Only in the most extreme cases will it last overnight; if it doesn’t resolve itself in the morning, the person may need medical intervention.  If they are not a danger to themselves or others, though, it may be better for them to avoid this if possible.  In either event, the break is likely to resolve with no ill aftereffects in a couple of days at the longest.  The first

aftereffects in a couple of days at the longest.  The first thing to do when you believe someone has a psychotic break is to determine if, in their altered reality, they present a problem to their own safety or the safety of others.  Are they relatively calm and manageable, or are they, for instance, angry and raging?  As long as the person is safe and manageable, the best thing to do is to let the process play itself out and to be with them.  This means accepting their altered reality for the moment, joining them in a conversation based on what they are experiencing.  In other words, don’t try to argue them out of their reality, as this is only likely to inflame the situation or further upset them.  Keep an eye on the person, talk with them as needed, and if they are safe and quiet, allow the process to continue to unfold.  Joe’s story – Towards evening on a cold winter day, in the midst of a group retreat, the facilitator looked out the window and saw Joe standing outside by himself.  The retreat room was quite warm, and Joe was dressed only in a light T-shirt as he stood in the growing cold and dark.  Given how cold it was outside, the facilitator was worried that he would get hypothermia, so they went out to

worried that he would get hypothermia, so they went out to invite him back into the room.  They found him visibly upset, and when they asked him why he was outside, he said, “I don’t deserve to be in the room with everyone else.  I’ve done so many bad things I can’t be inside with everyone else.”    The facilitator replied, saying, “Whatever you’ve done, you’ve done nothing wrong during the retreat, and we all still love you, and want you to come inside and be with us.”  He was adamant, though, and refused to budge.  Then he said, “I’ve been so bad that I’ve shat my pants.”  He then reached into his pants pocket and pulled up his hand covered in a thick, viscous dark brown substance.  Fortunately, the facilitator had  59 Disassociation, or dissociation, is a break in how the mind handles information. A disassociated person may feel disconnected from their thoughts, feelings, memories, and surroundings. It can affect their sense of identity and perception of time; a disassociated person often has the sense of being outside their body.  60 A psychotic break, as used here, is similar to dissociation but involves the person being in their body but experiencing a reality different from and with little or

experiencing a reality different from and with little or no connection to their actual reality. 
72        the presence of mind to bend over and sniff the “shit” on his hand.  Lo and behold, it was a rich and delightful dark chocolate.    “Well,” the facilitator said, “That’s amazing.  You’re able to shit wonderful dark chocolate!  Now come on inside, or I’ll go in and get you a coat so you won’t freeze.”  After some more discussion about how bad he’d been, he slowly turned and came inside.  During the rest of the evening he sat quietly by himself, and by late evening he was back in touch with ordinary reality.   When to call for support – As mentioned earlier, it is important to have a seasoned facilitator or, even better, a therapist experienced with plant medicine work to serve as backup and/or supervisor.  Ideally, they will be aware of when you are running retreats and agree to be available to you by phone.    Assuming you have such an adviser, call them for support whenever you feel uncomfortable with a situation or in over your head.  During the first retreats you facilitate you should have a more experienced facilitator with you; the two of you will be able to

facilitator with you; the two of you will be able to manage most of the circumstances discussed above.  That said, there is always the possibility that a situation may arise that even an experienced facilitator may feel is beyond their capacity to manage, or where they are uncertain what to do.  For instance, a retreatant might dissociate completely for the entire ceremony and be completely out of touch with you or their surroundings, or have a severe, uncontrollable reaction to a deep trauma, or is having intense hallucinogenic projections on you.  Situations like these are likely to resolve of their own accord, but until they do, they can make you feel very uncertain.  Moreover, your discomfort is likely to exacerbate the situation.  So, even if you only call your backup to relieve your mind, do it.   There is no shame in being cautious and asking for another opinion or advice.    Ending the experience – If an occasion occurs when it is clear that someone is in over their head, it may be desirable to bring the medicine experience to an early end.  This can also occur if someone requests it and says they are having too difficult a time to continue. Depending on the medicine and the level of the dose,

Depending on the medicine and the level of the dose, ending a session early can be tricky.  When you choose the medicine you want to work with, it is good to learn about how others have handled bringing the experience to an early end.  Using a benzodiazepine like Lorazepam or Xanax may be helpful but can also increase the intensity of the experience or trigger a negative reaction, depending on the medicine.  Often just encouraging the person to open their eyes, or to sit up, or to get up and walk around, especially outside, is enough to settle them down and reground them in conventional reality.  Stay with them and see if you can engage them in light conversation, all the while assuring them that they will be all right, that the process will end soon, and that they are safe.  The medical emergency – If it becomes clear that a participant does need medical intervention, either because they are having a psychotic break that is more than you can handle safely, or because of a serious medical problem that has arisen, don’t hesitate to 
73        take them to the nearest emergency room.  It is best for you or an assistant to drive them to the ER if that is possible,

or an assistant to drive them to the ER if that is possible, which it may not be if a person in a psychotic break is becoming violent.  Driving the person to the hospital avoids having an ambulance—and possibly the police—arrive in the middle of a retreat.  Note that when someone is taken to the ER, it is best to be open and frank with the medical personnel.  If they ask, let them know what the person has taken.  Their charge is to heal their patients, not to report questionable activity to the police as long as the person is not going to hurt themselves or others.  Uncomfortable as it may be, openness is the best policy, and it is generally safe.61   Underdosing – On occasion it may look like a participant may not have an effective dose.  Someone may complain after an hour or so that they feel nothing or ask for more of the medicine.  There can be several reasons for an inability to feel the effect of the medicine:  • Physiology – Every person has their own physiology, and thus their own sensitivity to different medicines.  Therefore, it is always best to begin with lower doses for people new to plant medicine work and titrate up as you note their responses.  Often people new to this work ultimately need a higher

Often people new to this work ultimately need a higher dose, but you should increase their doses only when you have seen how they handle the lower doses.  • Inability to let go – There are those who for one reason or another are simply unable to let go into the experience, having developed so much self-control that they can override the medicine as it tries to come on.  The result can be anything from feeling nothing to what is in effect a knockdown struggle against the medicine, a classic way to have a “bad trip,” as it was called back in the 1960s.  Sometimes a higher dose can help the medicine break through for these highly controlled individuals.  There are those who are simply too controlling or fearful, or who lack enough trust in the process and the medicine to let go and yield.   • Psychiatric medicines – SSRI’s and MAOI’s for depression and anxiety can depress or even fully suppress the impact of some plant medicines.  It is possible that the person is on one of these but failed to let you know this when you screened them, fearing that disclosing this information would keep  61 Note that anything you say to the medical professionals may end up being repeated to the police and could be used against

end up being repeated to the police and could be used against you.  Therefore, if you are uncertain about the legality of the plant medicine(s) involved in the local jurisdiction, it is better to say nothing about who administered it, where it was administered, or how you know what you know.  You can simply say that from what you understand, the person ingested a certain substance, and report how they are behaving.  If the police do become involved, the best policy is to politely decline to answer any further questions, and say you want to speak to a lawyer first.  See https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/stopped-by-police.  
74        them from the retreat.  Each psychiatric medicine takes a specific period of time to clear the body.  If someone has not allowed sufficient time for this process, their experience of the plant medicine can be affected.   It can take weeks for the effect of an SSRI or another psychiatric medicine to wear off completely.  In assessing whether someone is fully off the medicine, find out the half-life of the medicine.  This is the time it takes for the body to metabolize and flush out one half the medicine.  Then multiply the

and flush out one half the medicine.  Then multiply the half-life by five and add a couple of weeks.  If the person is within this time period, the person’s body may not yet have fully rebalanced and be open to the impact of the plant medicine.  • Ineffective medicine – It is always possible that the medicine you have offered them has lost its kick.  The only way to know this for sure is to have tried it yourself recently.  Of course, if everyone in the retreat is not feeling the effect of the medicine after an hour or more, then probably the potency of the medicine is to blame.   Overdosing – While underdosing can be frustrating and disappointing, you need to be careful if you try to correct the situation by increasing the dosage, as it is possible to overdose most medicines.  Overdosing can also occur when a participant is eager to keep taking more and more medicine, wanting to go deeper into the experience or, as some will seek, to talk with gods or angels.    There is also the unhappy possibility that you made a mistake in measuring out the doses.  There’s a story, perhaps apocryphal,  about someone who misplaced a decimal point in measuring out a dose of LSD and wound up taking 1,000 micrograms instead of

a dose of LSD and wound up taking 1,000 micrograms instead of 100.  Thankfully in this case, unlike many other medicines, LSD is safe at very high levels, and so the person was physically fine after the experience, though they said it was quite a ride – at least what they could remember of it!    The impact of overdosing can range from someone having a far deeper and harder experience than they bargained for to a situation where the person is in physical danger, depending on the medicine.  As above, LSD is physically safe in much higher doses than it makes any sense to take.  For instance, many (but not all) people begin disassociating after 300 micrograms, with the result that they can’t remember the experience.  Mushrooms are also safe in amounts far larger than it makes any sense to take for an effective retreat experience.  Because LSD and mushrooms are both physically safe at high levels, it is generally safe to offer more to experienced retreatants who ask for it, though you should keep a close eye on them.  Other medicines are not necessarily that safe.  MDMA in particular needs to be dosed in limited amounts to be safe, and much more than 200 milligrams can be problematic.  Each medicine has its

200 milligrams can be problematic.  Each medicine has its own particular safe range; be sure you know that range before you offer it at a retreat.   
75          Self-care    While you are sitting holding space for retreatants, watching over them and on occasion supporting them in one way or another, you also need to be aware of and care for yourself.  Here are some things to keep in mind.  Emotional boundaries – There is a subtle area of boundaries to be aware of, namely your own emotional boundaries.  We all need emotional boundaries to establish who we are and, just as importantly, who we are not.  The more self-aware you are, the better chance you have of having clear, healthy boundaries that enable you to discern what emotions belong to the retreatants and which belong to you.  This becomes important as you sit for others who are opening up their inner selves, often leaving them upset and vulnerable.  Even if you are not sitting physically close to them, or holding their hand or talking with them, you may feel the pull of their sadness, fear, or anger.  You need to pay attention inside yourself to see to what extent your own emotional state is being impacted by

to what extent your own emotional state is being impacted by what another is going through.  There is nothing wrong with feeling empathy or compassion for the retreatants who are struggling; in fact, your natural empathy is part of what makes you a good facilitator.  That said, you also need a balance and a certain level of detachment from the retreatants.     You may well find that the experiences a participant is sharing remind you of an experience you have had, and the feelings you experienced then, or even that are strongly present now as you remember it.  In this case, it is important to be able to let this experience, and the feelings it triggers, go for now, even if you want to tuck them away and work on them later.  This is the retreatant’s time, not yours, and the more open and spacious you are inside, the more room you have to be present with them.  This can require creating a certain emotional distance from the retreatants without diminishing your sense of compassion and  care for them.    Energetic protection – Many if not most retreats release a lot of energy in the participants, including dark and negative energy.  You are likely to feel some of this energy as you sit holding space, even if it is

some of this energy as you sit holding space, even if it is for only one person.  Some people are more sensitive to these energies; if you are, this is a time to be attentive to your own boundaries.  It will be important to distinguish between the flow of your own energies and any of the retreatants’ energies you are picking up.  Try to note which energies belong to you and which belong to the retreatant(s).  Just noting this distinction begins to separate you from the retreatants’ energies, giving you some space of your own.  Pay attention to what is occurring in your own body, as this may give you a sense of what is going on for the retreatant.  Do your best to let this free-flowing energy move through and around you, rather than getting stuck.  There are things you can do if you find the combined energies from retreatants and those being released within you becoming disturbing and distracting.  The most important thing 
76        you can do is to become grounded.  This simply means being fully present in your body and the room, and fully aware of what is going on inside of you and around you.  If need be, get up and move around, take off your shoes as you walk, and step

up and move around, take off your shoes as you walk, and step outside for a few minutes if you can.  This is a good time to take some deep, cleansing breaths, and to use various breathing techniques from prana yoga.62     You can also brush your hands down your body, arms, and legs several times while visualizing the energy being sent into the earth to be absorbed and composted.  You might also take a few minutes to do some qigong, as this practice intentionally opens up your energy and moves it around beneficially.  One friend of mine who has spent considerable time studying martial arts finds he is able to let the energy of others simply flow past and around him rather than into him, where it gets absorbed.  He often uses his hands and arms to direct the flow of the energy past him on either side.  There are many other techniques, so find ones that work best for you and practice them ahead of time.  Your goal is to remain open to the energies in the room without absorbing them or allowing them to get them stuck within you, thus clouding your perception and judgment.  And if it has been a particularly energetic ceremony, you may well want to take some extra time at the end to cleanse and ground yourself before

extra time at the end to cleanse and ground yourself before retiring for the night.   The ceremony ends   At some point most of the physical effects of the medicine will wear down.  In most cases, though, the retreatants will continue to feel its presence softly through the evening and the night.  Some may wish to walk around, talk, or eat; others may wish to remain quiet and lie on their mattresses.  It is a lovely time.    Once you are certain that the retreatants are all back from their adventures and able to manage themselves, you are off duty, though you need to remain aware of them and their needs.  You may want to eat and/or to go to bed, both of which are fine.  It is best to sleep in the same house as the one the retreat is being held in, as it is possible that someone may need your support at some point in the night.  For this reason, let the retreatants know where you will be sleeping, and that they are welcome and encouraged to call you at any hour if they need you.  Some participants may want to talk about their experiences with you or with other retreatants.  There are no rules against this, and people are free to do what they wish.  That said, it is good to suggest that, while chatting is fine, they wait until

to suggest that, while chatting is fine, they wait until the morning to reflect  62 There are several types of prana yoga that can be done while you are sitting and breathing quietly, though the techniques that are louder should not be done in the room with the retreatants.  There is plenty of information about these techniques online, but the best way to learn them is to be trained by a good yoga teacher. 
77        on their experience, as they are still in process even if it feels like the experience is over.  A great deal can unfold over the night.  In this time, offer participants coconut water, an electrolyte, or a sports drink to help balance their system and reduce the chance of a headache.  If they do have a headache, suggest they take an ibuprofen and drink plenty of water.  As you settle in for sleep, remember that even though you may have been sitting still most of the day holding space for the retreat and feel as if you have not “done” anything, you have expended a surprising amount of energy.  Do what you can to get a good night’s sleep, as you will be back on call in the morning as people rise, have breakfast, and gather around for an integration session,

breakfast, and gather around for an integration session, all of which is covered in the next chapter.        
   
78        7   The Day After:  Integration Begins   In conversation with many people about the topic of integration, I have discovered that this is a subject that is often only briefly addressed, although I consider it more important than the non-ordinary experience itself.  The question is: how do we bring the non-ordinary into the ordinary?63         The morning after a retreat is the first day of what is in many ways the most important part of the retreat – the process of bringing the experiences and teachings into each person’s day-to-day life, integrating insights and experiences into who they are and how they live.  A spiritual experience doesn’t make a spiritual life; this only happens when these experiences infuse daily life.  For this reason, many facilitators believe that the preparation for and the experience of the retreat is only the first half of the experience, and that at least half the value comes in the days, weeks, and months that follow.    For those who continue to pay attention and actively work on integrating all they experienced,

and actively work on integrating all they experienced, this is a rich and often challenging time.   In many indigenous communities, people integrate their experiences by simply being a part of a community that holds them and understands the experiences they have been through.  In fact, community is probably the most powerful way to support ongoing integration of plant medicine retreats.  In the West, however, we live in a highly individualized world where this kind of close community is rarely available.  The best you can do for most retreatants is to encourage them to find a small, knowing, and caring group of family or friends to share these experiences with.    Breakfast – If the retreatants have slept over, in the morning they will slowly gather for breakfast.  It is likely that they will be fairly fresh despite not having had a lot of sleep.  Again, this is a time for casual conversation; some participants, if it is a group, may begin to share stories with each other.  Encourage them to eat, as they may not have eaten much the day before.   Introducing the integration circle – When breakfast is over, invite the retreatant(s) to gather with you.  If it is a group, it works well to sit in a circle so

with you.  If it is a group, it works well to sit in a circle so everyone can be seen and heard.  The circle configuration is connecting, inclusive, and powerful for sharing.     63 Personal email from a psychotherapist. 
79        Group integration ground rules – If it is a group retreat, there are certain simple guidelines and ground rules for the integration circle.  These include:  • Let participants know that they do not have to share anything they don’t want to, but that what they do share will be a gift to the group.  Even though sharing ceremony experiences with others can be helpful in integrating them, such sharing is best done on a very selective basis and should only be with people who understand the nature of these experiences. Trying to explain the plant realm to those who do not understand it or have not had any experience with it is difficult and can have the effect of sapping the experience of its power.  • No cross talk.  Ask each person to listen carefully and respectfully to the others as they talk and not to interrupt.  If you have a larger group, you might consider using a talking stick, a traditional Native American way of managing a

stick, a traditional Native American way of managing a conversation in a group.  Only the person holding the stick can talk.  • Do not provide advice or suggestions to other people.  This is a time to listen and absorb what is being said.   An exception to this is if someone in the group asks the group for suggestions or asks if they have had a similar experience.    • Remind everyone of their agreement to follow the Chatham House Rule, meaning that things that have occurred or been said during the retreat may be shared with others, but names of participants are never to be used, nor should any information be given that might allow them to be identified.    Creating a context for integration – Before opening the floor to the participants, it is helpful to put the integration process in context as a significant, important, and vital part of the experience begun with the plants.  This is a good time to remind the participants that the unfolding process is just beginning and at least half of the experience is still ahead of them.  Here are some of the things you might mention to help prepare them to deepen their integration in the days and weeks ahead:  • In the teachings of some of the indigenous communities, it

• In the teachings of some of the indigenous communities, it is said that once you have ingested a plant medicine the spirit of the plant will continue to reside in you, acting as an ally for the months and years ahead.  • Remind participants that the plant spirits do not always talk in words.  Often, they create images and even circumstances in our lives that are messages intended to help deepen or extend the teachings and experiences they offered during the ceremony.  In other words, the plant spirits frequently speak through metaphor, and it behooves us to be alert and open to anything out of the ordinary in the days ahead.   
80        • Another aspect of the mystery is the role of synchronicity, a concept first introduced by Carl Jung.  In simple terms it is a meaningful coincidence, the occurrence of events that have no obvious causal connection but have a significant meaning, such as when someone gives you just the book you need though they had no idea why it is important to you.  Let them know that in the days following the retreat they may find they are experiencing more synchronicities than they normally would.  • Encourage both mindfulness

than they normally would.  • Encourage both mindfulness meditation and journaling as valuable tools in the days ahead.  New openings and deeper insights often arise during meditation as well as through journaling.  Both will be beneficial even to those who are not regular meditators or daily journal writers.  You might suggest that these practices be taken on for the next two weeks as tools that may become regular practices, depending on what emerges.  • Remind participants of the importance of self-care in the next week or two.  Encourage them to take it easy for a couple of days if possible.  It is good to mention that they may find themselves somewhat unsettled, sad, or depressed for a day or so, and that that is normal as well and will pass.  They have just had a very intense experience and stepped out of their daily lives; daily life may feel bland and even boring for a while.  Also, they have moved a lot of energy in their bodies and may feel depleted as the body rebalances its energies and neurotransmitters in the brain.   •  Practices such as yoga, massage, reiki, qigong, and other energy work are especially valuable in helping the body reorganize itself energetically.  • Spending time in

body reorganize itself energetically.  • Spending time in nature is also a good way to honor the plants and to open to the healing of nature.  • Recommend that participants give themselves some time before making a major life decision, and to give themselves a month or more before trying to meet up with someone with whom they’ve made an emotional connection during the retreat.  • Prepare participants for finding themselves reverting to old patterns, which again is totally normal.  Remind them that they now can distinguish these patterns as old and often unhealthy behaviors, and that now, with gentle attention, they can open the way towards creating new patterns of thinking and acting.    The facilitator’s role in integration – Your role as a facilitator of the integration process, whether the morning after a ceremony or later if you continue to work with the retreatants, is a delicate balance.  You are not their therapist (unless you indeed are their 
81        therapist and they your client), yet you have, at least in theory, developed a relationship of great trust with the retreatant.  As they discuss their experiences during and following the

As they discuss their experiences during and following the retreat, you may have insights or see relationships they miss.   How much of this should you share, and how should you share it if you do?  There are no simple answers to these questions, and it all depends on the retreatant, the insight or relationship you see, and your relationship with them.  Generally, the most powerful insights for people are what they discover for themselves, and your role is largely to help them stay awake to the teachings of the plants.  Sometimes it can help to make suggestions as to what a participant might be missing, and see if the suggestions resonate with them.  Be delicate and do not try to push your insights – no matter how certain you are.  It is much like helping someone interpret their dreams.  Your interpretation of another’s dream doesn’t mean anywhere near as much as how they themselves interpret the dream images, although often talking about a dream with another can spur insights.   Similarly, you can often help someone best by just asking questions or asking them if they think two seemingly unrelated events or images might be connected in some way.    In short, be careful when you feel certain that you

some way.    In short, be careful when you feel certain that you know the true interpretation of another’s experiences during the retreat and after.  Remain open and curious, and watch how your ego may wish to play the role of the savior or the fixer.  This is a time for considerable humility, and once again, it is far better to say less or even nothing than to push your own interpretations.  When in doubt, remain silent and let the silence be the teacher.  If you are asked for your opinion, turn the question back, asking them what they think.  Often, the person will have a good answer to their own question and is simply hesitant to share it without your prompting.     Final thoughts  The closing ceremony – It can be lovely to have a simple ceremony at the close of the integration circle.  This is a way of physically marking the shift from the retreat space to the world of consensual, day-to-day reality.  It can be as simple as standing up, forming a circle, and holding hands while offering thanks to the plants and to each other for being the container for their experiences.     Your own self-care following the retreat – After the retreat is over and the participants have left, it is time for your own self-care.  This

have left, it is time for your own self-care.  This is a good time to walk in nature, take a nap, or do whatever other self-care practices work for you.  All the practices you have recommended to the retreatants will work for you as well.  You have expended a great deal of energy maintaining deep presence and will most likely experience both immediate fatigue as well as very low energy the next day.  Give yourself space and time to rest.   
82        Finally, if you are familiar with various practices for cleansing energy in a room, this is a good time to do so, releasing any negative energies left behind by the retreatants.64    Now that the formal aspect of the retreat is over, it is good practice to talk over the retreat with any co-facilitators or assistants who might have worked with you.  Explore with them, and on your own, what seemed to work well and what might have been done differently.  Each retreat is one more set of experiences, and no two retreats are ever the same.  Each adds to the rich body of experiences on which to build in the future.     This is also a time to acknowledge yourself, your hard work and training, and your passion and commitment to the plants

and training, and your passion and commitment to the plants and to our fellow humans.  Each retreat brings healing and awakening that resonates far beyond the few individuals who participated, and adds to the healing of each of their families and communities, easing the suffering of our greater humanity.  Each retreat, as well, is a gift from the plants for which we all need to be deeply grateful.  Thank you for your work on behalf of us all and for the difference you make to the well-being of all our relations.        
 64 As was mentioned in Chapter Two, there are various practices from different traditions to clear out negative energy, but simply playing sacred music, lighting a candle or incense, drumming, or ringing a bell can accomplish this as well.  
83        
  
84          Afterword    What to charge for your services – You have every right to charge for your services in facilitating a retreat.  How much you charge will depend on your circumstances and how much income from retreats you need to support yourself financially.  It is also important to make sure that everyone who is interested in a retreat can afford to

that everyone who is interested in a retreat can afford to attend, and so a sliding scale of some sort can help you include those people who could not otherwise afford the retreat.  In addition to a sliding scale, some people who can’t afford the full cost may wish to barter a painting or a service for a retreat, such as a reiki or massage session.  Just be careful and very mindful of boundaries when you barter such services.  Overall, be as flexible as you can afford to be to allow as many people as possible to attend.  That said, some form of compensation is important in keeping an energetic balance between the facilitator and the retreatant.  In indigenous communities the practice is to bring something of value to the shaman.  This both shows the sincerity of the participant and puts something at stake, even if it is only symbolic.   
  
85        Acknowledgments  I offer deep gratitude to our plant allies who offer themselves to us, share their ancient wisdom, and work with us for the benefit of all life on Mother Earth.  They continue to show us new and ancient ways of living, and keep opening us to the worlds around us, filled with conscious beings of all kinds,

around us, filled with conscious beings of all kinds, sizes, and natures.  They have worked with the medicine women and men in indigenous communities for tens of thousands of years, and we in the West are finally beginning to realize the profound wisdom of these communities and the power of these medicines.  Many people have contributed to this guide, most of whom are unaware of their gifts their presence brought.  There are, of course, those who taught me how to work with the plants.  These include the teachers from whom I learned in person, and those whose books, podcasts, interviews, and online teachings I have studied.  One person in particular, a friend and licensed psychotherapist, read an early draft and offered many excellent insights.  Their experiences, advice, and wisdom form the basics of the guide.  Any mistakes, misunderstandings, or problematic advice offered herein rest on my shoulders, not theirs.   I have been blessed with a skilled and thoughtful editor, Clay Kelly, who brought grace and greater clarity to the manual and sorted out areas of confusion.  In addition, Andy Hafitz volunteered to copyedit the guide, bringing a professional polish far beyond what I could

bringing a professional polish far beyond what I could possibly achieve.  Finally, and far from least, I give thanks to my wife, my love, and my life partner.  Her intuition, insight, and strong sense of the physical environment in which plant medicine retreats should be held has supported and educated me while writing this guide.    

86        Appendix A: External Guidelines     Some examples from various fields:  Code of Ethics, Spiritual Care Association https://spiritualcareassociation.org/code-of-ethics.html   Code of Ethics for Spiritual Guides, The Council on Spiritual Practices https://csp.org/docs/code-of-ethics-for-spiritual-guides   Code of Conduct, Yoga Alliance https://www.yogaalliance.org/AboutYA/OurPolicies/CodeofConduct  Code of Ethics, Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals https://www.abmp.com/abmp-code-ethics   Professional Practice Guidelines, American Psychological Association https://www.apa.org/about/policy/professional-practice.pdf   Standards of Practice, Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education

for Financial Counseling & Planning Education https://www.afcpe.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Standards-of-Practice-1.pdf    Standards of Practice, National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork, Inc. https://www.ncbtmb.org/standards-of-practice/                 
87            Appendix B: From Sylvia Polivoy   The following is a short paper by Sylvia Polivoy, a psychotherapist and longtime leader of ayahuasca retreats at Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center, her facility in Brazil.  What I have learned:   Over the course of many years I have learned to identify those people who are not good candidates for Ayahuasca experience. People who have tendencies to inflate their egos and who do not respect boundaries tend to be disruptive in the sessions and to disturb others.  I want participants in the ceremonies who can follow the agreements that we have about their conduct.  I will not accept those who are not able to stop their drug and alcohol use during the retreat.  I try to screen out those individuals who are psychotic or who may be suffering from a “spiritual emergency.” Since we are doing group sessions, I also want to make sure

Since we are doing group sessions, I also want to make sure the participants are neither psychopaths nor sociopaths.  Those people who are suffering from bipolar disorders should not do Ayahuasca.   Ayahuasca is an amplifier in such a way that the natural tendencies of a personality may become exaggerated.  During retreats I have noticed that paranoid tendencies may increase.  Some retreat participants may have strong feelings of abandonment and rejection from prior life experiences, which can be greatly amplified with ayahuasca.  Others may look for an authority figure, like a shaman or group leader, to give them unconditional love and to “save” them.  Those retreat participants who expect “unconditional love” from the shaman or facilitator set up a risky dynamic because any attempt to set boundaries with them (for physical safety, for instance) may be interpreted as a personal attack.   I have noticed that there is a group of individuals whom I call the “seekers of the light.” These kinds of people don’t want to see their shadow and believe that life experience should be all love, light and bliss.  These kinds of people find it difficult to experience suffering, to re-experience

it difficult to experience suffering, to re-experience old trauma or see their own tendencies to be angry or judgmental.  They are so fixated to only look at the bright side of life, that when then have experiences that challenge their world they will go into denial.  It is very likely that in an ayahuasca session this core belief will be challenged.  In this case, these types of people, rather than feeling those feelings and owning the experience of these kinds of shadow experiences, may end up projecting these feelings onto another participant, the facilitator or “negative spirit entities.” In the same way, unresolved issues with parents may result in the projection of hostile feelings onto the facilitator.  This can result in the shaman or facilitator becoming the “bad parent” while another staff member may become the “good parent.” For these kinds of people it is important that we help them to always own and reflect on their own personal experiences and not to project them onto others.   The ayahuasca sessions are very powerful and may lead to deep spiritual understandings. I am careful to help individuals nurture and integrate the wisdom they receive.  Sometimes I have seen that

the wisdom they receive.  Sometimes I have seen that that spiritual knowledge attained in the ceremonies can be used for self-aggrandizement, 
88        adding to a person’s vanity and egotism and resulting in a state of narcissism.  A person with an inflated ego may think that they know everything about ayahuasca after having had only one or two experiences.  In some cases they may believe they have become “enlightened.”   I have seen many kinds of ayahuasca experiences.  Some people in the sessions will experience their ego death and some may have an experience of “Oneness.” It is common for people to have a deepened connection with the natural world, especially with plants.  In sessions people may also have profound experiences which arise from their past.  Sometimes people may re-experience their birth, some may revisit and re-experience a traumatic childhood episode.  At other times they may visit past lives, communicate with spiritual guides, their ancestors, their higher self or God. I have seen people cease their addictions.   My job is to hold the space for these participants.  I do this with compassion and detachment.  I also need strong

I do this with compassion and detachment.  I also need strong self-discipline, as I have described how participants may be particularly challenging as a result of the amplifications they experience on ayahuasca.  It has been very useful to have both a psychological background and extensive experience in modified states of consciousness.  I try to help people integrate these experiences into their lives so that it may empower their spiritual development.    
89        Appendix C: Clearing Questions Author’s Note: These are questions to ask potential retreatants.  You can do this in person or over the phone.  Take notes of their responses. • Why are you interested in a session? • How is your current health?   o What medications are you taking? § Include over-the-counter items, including supplements, cough syrup, cold meds, etc., especially the week before the session. § If you are on any prescribed medications for anxiety, depression, or a bipolar condition, what and how much are you taking?  Do you plan to titrate off of them with the support of your doctors and be medication-free for at least a month before the retreat?  o What allergies do you

at least a month before the retreat?  o What allergies do you have? o Are there foods you can’t or don’t want to eat?  o What is your blood pressure?  Is it high or low?  o What is your weight and your height? o Do you, or your parents or close family members have any history of cardiovascular disease? • How do you support your health? o Do you exercise, do yoga, tai chi, qigong, run, swim, bicycle, etc.? o How much time do you get to spend in nature? • Are you in therapy?  If so, what kind of therapy, and have you discussed this with your therapist?   • Do you use alcohol?  If so, how much do you drink?   • Do you have any experience with psychedelics?   o If yes, when was the last time, and what have your experiences been?  Any “bad trips”? o Do you remember what the medicine was and what the doses were? o What were the surrounding circumstances?  • Do you use cannabis or other psychoactive substances?  If so, how much? • Do you smoke tobacco?  If so, how much? • Have you been prescribed anti-depression or anti-anxiety meds in the past? o Do you or does anyone in your family have a history of psychological illness? o Have you ever been diagnosed as bipolar, schizophrenic, or clinically depressed? • Do you care to say how you

or clinically depressed? • Do you care to say how you gender identify? 
90        o Will you be comfortable having a __________ gender facilitator(s)? • What is your social support network? o Do you have a partner or spouse?  If so, have you spoken with them about doing this, and is he or she supportive of your participation? o Do you have kids, and do they know of your interest in having a retreat? If so, are they supportive? o Do you have brothers/sisters?  Do they know about this, and are they supportive?  Close friends? • Are you a member of an organized church? If so, does it provide support for you emotionally and spiritually? o What other spiritual practices do you follow, if any?  What generally are your spiritual beliefs? • It is possible that in the days and weeks following a retreat you may find yourself facing some challenging emotions and/or personal issues that were stirred up during the retreat.  If that were to happen, do you have people to turn to for support?  These might include your therapist, if you have one, your partner, if you have one, or friends, or a spiritual or other community.  To whom would you be able to turn?   
Walking the Plant Path

To whom would you be able to turn?   
91        Author’s Note:  The following is a very complete checklist from the Guiding Presence website.65  It calls on potential retreatants to fill out a form in writing, which is a good way to help them focus on the questions, and also provides a clear record of the person’s history and their responses to the questions should there be an issue about the fulness of their disclosure later.  On the other hand, a written document could be used as evidence in court if you have made a mistake about the legal status of the medicine you are offering.    Please complete this questionnaire as thoroughly as possible. It is very important that we be aware of any medical conditions, medications, supplements, life experiences or habits that can influence your experience. Our interest is in helping you have a safe and beneficial experience. This is a confidential record.  JOURNEY EXPERIENCE HISTORY (please write your answers to each of the following questions on separate pieces of paper)  1) Are you experienced with journeys?  2) If so, what types of journeys have you experienced? Has it been in a recreational or a ceremonial

experienced? Has it been in a recreational or a ceremonial context? Please describe in detail the type of substance taken, when, how much (if known), and the situation or purpose of taking the substance.  3) What influence have these journeys had on your life?  4) Have you had any challenging or problematic experiences? Please describe in detail the type of substance taken, when, how much (if known), and the situation or purpose of taking the substance.  5) What insights have you had during journeys? What types of difficulties have you worked through during journeys?  6) What are your concerns about doing journeys? Please describe any concerns.  7) What do you wish to gain from this experience? What goals do you have in pursuing this work?  8)  MENTAL HEALTH HISTORY  9) Do you have any current or past psychological or psychiatric conditions? If yes, please give the dates and describe the circumstances.  10) Do you currently see a psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor? How often?   65 https://theguidingpresence.com/  

92        11) Have you ever been hospitalized for a psychiatric condition? If yes, please give the dates and describe the

condition? If yes, please give the dates and describe the circumstances. 12) Have you ever been abused? Was the abuse physical, mental, emotional, sexual? 13) Have you experienced trauma? If yes, please give the dates and describe the circumstances. 14) Do you have any issues around trust? How often do you experience fear? Paranoia? Please describe. 15) Have you ever been suicidal? If yes, please give the dates and describe the circumstances.  SUBSTANCE USE HISTORY  16)  How often do you use alcohol, drugs, or any consciousness-altering substances? Please describe your use of any substances throughout your life, and those you have used in the past three months.  17)  Have you had any adverse reactions to alcohol, drugs, or any consciousness-altering substances? Please describe in detail the type of substance taken, when, how much (if known), the situation or purpose of taking the substance, and the adverse reaction.  18)  Are you sensitive or tolerant to any substances? (i.e. Have you had to take more or less of a substance than usual to experience an effect?) If so, please describe.  19)  Do you have any history of substance abuse? Have you ever been treated for substance abuse? If

abuse? Have you ever been treated for substance abuse? If so, please describe.  DETAILED MEDICAL HISTORY  1)  Do you have any medical conditions? If so, are you currently in the care of a health care professional? Please describe the conditions and current treatment.  2)  Do you have a history or present condition of high or low blood pressure?  3)  Do you have any history of iron deficiency anemia? If so, when and were/are you being treated?  Last complete Physical Exam: Month: _____   Year:_____ Any abnormal findings: ________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________  Personal History- Please describe any experience with the following.  Anxiety Bipolar Disorder Depression Heart Attack 
93        Heart Disease High Blood Pressure  Psychosis  Schizophrenia  Stroke  Do you/have you taken any of the following medications regularly? Yes (Y) No (N) Past (P)  Antacids: Y N P   Antibiotics: Y N P  Antidepressants: Y N P  Anti-anxiety meds: Y N P  Asthma meds: Y N P  Blood Pressure meds: Y N P  HIV meds: Y N P  Laxatives: Y N P  Pain relievers: Y N P  Sedatives: Y N P

Y N P  Laxatives: Y N P  Pain relievers: Y N P  Sedatives: Y N P  Sleeping Pills: Y N P  Stimulants: Y N P  Steroids: Y N P  What Medications are you currently taking? (It is essential that we know ALL Rx meds)  Medication Dosage   For What?     For how long? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 
94        Are you more or less sensitive to any Rx medications? (ie. Have you had to take more or less of a medication to experience the desired effects?)  Have you had any adverse reactions to these medications? Have you experienced or are you currently experiencing any side effects from these medications? If so, please describe: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Do you/have you taken any of the following supplements regularly? Yes (Y) No (N) Past (P)  BVitaminsYNP  5-HTP YNP  L-TryptophanYNP  SAM-e YNP  GABA YNP  L-TyrosineYNP  GuaranaYNP

SAM-e YNP  GABA YNP  L-TyrosineYNP  GuaranaYNP  LicoriceYNP  St.John'sWort YNP  Please list any supplements you are taking. Be sure to include any vitamins, minerals, herbs, homeopathics, and other health aids. (It is essential that we know ALL supplements) Supplement   Dosage?   For What?   For how long?  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Have you had any adverse reactions or side effects from any of these supplements? If so, please describe:  Do you consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice regularly? ________ If so, how much and how often?  HISTORY  Are you a meditator? ______ If YES. What meditation practices have you done?  _________________________________________________________________________ 
95        Do you meditate regularly? How often ?  Do you have a spiritual

you meditate regularly? How often ?  Do you have a spiritual practice?_ ________________________________________________________________________________  Do you have a support structure in your life? (ie. Friends/family that you can call and rely upon for help and support)_ ________________________________________________________________________________  What are your coping mechanisms? What strategies do you utilize to deal with stress and life challenges?_ _____________________________________________________________________________  INTEGRATION  This work may lead to profound shifts in your life, and it is ideal to have a framework of resources in place ahead of time to support you before, during and after sessions. Having support to help you integrate the experience can help you to get the most benefit from the work.  What friend, loved one, counselor or other trusted person(s) do you speak with about this work? What are their dispositions towards you in pursuing this work?  What practices do you feel will be most beneficial in helping you to integrate this experience into your life? (ie. speaking with trusted persons, art, bodywork,

life? (ie. speaking with trusted persons, art, bodywork, journaling, time in nature, etc)  What resources do you have access to for supporting your integration and how will you put them to use?      
96           Suggested Readings and Online Resources    
  From The Red Book by Carl Jung   Suggested Readings  Assadi, Abdi, A Healer’s Handbook: A Guide for the Beginning Practitioner. Austerlitz, NY: Abdi Assadi Inc., 2020.  Bourzat, Francoise, Consciousness Medicine: Indigenous Wisdom, Entheogens, and Expanded States of Consciousness for Healing and Growth. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2019.  Brach, Tara, Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN, New York: Viking, 2019.  Bragdon, Emma, The Call of Spiritual Emergency: From Personal Crisis to Personal Transformation, 2nd Ed. Woodstock, VT: Lightening Up Press, 2013.  Cowan, Eliot, Plant Spirit Medicine: A Journey into the Healing Wisdom of Plants, Boulder, CO,  Sounds True, 2014.   

97        Earley, Jay, PhD, Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using

to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, A New, Cutting-Edge Psychotherapy, 2nd Ed. Larkspur, CA: Pattern System Books, 2009.  Fadiman, James, PhD, The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 2011.  Greenberg, Leslie S., Emotion-Focused Therapy, Revised Ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2017.   Grof, Stanislav, Healing Our Deepest Wounds: The Holotropic Paradigm Shift. Newcastle, WA: Stream of Experience Productions, 2012.  Grof, S., and Grof, C., Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis. New York: Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam, 1989.  Harris, Rachel, Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD, and Anxiety. Novato, CA: New World Library, 2017.  Hart, Carl L., Drugs Use for Grownups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear, New York, Penguin Press, 2021.  Hill, Scott J., Confrontation with the Unconscious: Jungian Depth Psychology and Psychedelic Experience. London: Muswell Hill Press, 2013.  James, William, The Varieties of Religious Experience. New York: Penguin Books, 1985.  Johnson, Robert A., Inner Gold:

York: Penguin Books, 1985.  Johnson, Robert A., Inner Gold: Understanding Psychological Projection. Kihei, HI: Koa Books, 2008.  Johnson, Robert A., Owning Your Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche. New York:  HarperOne, 1993.  Labate, Beatrize C., and Cavnar, Clancy, eds, Psychedelic Justice: Toward a Diverse and Equitable Psychedelic Culture, Sante Fe, NM, Synergetic Press, 2021.  Leary, T., Alpert, R., and Metzner, R., The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead. New York: Kensington, 2017.  McQueen, Daniel, Psychedelic Cannabis: Breaking Open the Gate. Boulder, CO: Mason Works Press, 2019.  
98        Metzner, Ralph, Allies for Awakening: Guidelines for productive and safe experiences with entheogens. Berkeley, CA: Regent Press, 2015.  Other, Anne, Trust Surrender Receive: How MDMA Can Release Us From Trauma and PTSD. Austin, TX:  Lioncrest, 2017.  Pinkson, Tom Soloway, PhD, The Shamanic Wisdom of the Huichol: Medicine Teachings for Modern Times. Rochester, VT: Destiny Books, 2010.  Polizzi, Nick, The Sacred Science: An Ancient Healing Path for the Modern World, Carlsbad, CA, Hay

Healing Path for the Modern World, Carlsbad, CA, Hay House, 2018.  Tafur, Joseph, MD, The Fellowship of the River:  A Medical Doctor’s Exploration into Traditional Amazonian Plant Medicine. Phoenix: Espiritu Books, 2017.  Taylor, Kylea, The Ethics of Caring: Finding Right Relationship with Clients, 3rd Ed., , Santa Cruz, CA: Hanford Mead, 2017.  Wasson, R. Gordon, et al, The Road to Eleusis: Unveiling the Secret of the Mysteries, 30th edition, Berkley, North Atlantic Books, 2008.  Wininger, Charles, Listening to Ecstasy: The Transformative Power of MDMA, Rochester, VT, Park Street Press, 2020.      Online Resources  A Psychiatrist on Finding Meaning in Psychedelic Experiences and Altered States, https://goop.com/wellness/mindfulness/finding-meaning-in-psychedelic-experiences/   Creating a Safe Space, Altered States Integration https://www.alteredstatesintegration.com/post/creating-a-safe-space   The Guiding Presence, an online series of interviews with long-time facilitators  https://the-guiding-presence.mykajabi.com/  Integration Articles, a series of various approaches by different authors on Psychedelic.Support,

approaches by different authors on Psychedelic.Support, https://psychedelic.support/articles/category/integration/   
99        Kristin Neff defines and describes self-compassion on her website and offers guidance on ways to help develop this healing capacity.  https://self-compassion.org/  Michael Pollan’s website  https://michaelpollan.com/  MAPS, Responding to difficult psychedelic experiences 101 https://maps.org/resources/responding_to_difficult_psychedelic_experiences/101-how-to-work-with-difficult-psychedelic-experiences  MAPS Zendo Psychedelic Harm Reduction Training Manual https://cdn.zendoproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/16011015/Zendo-Manual-2017.pdf  MAPS Zendo Project Psychedelic Harm Reduction: Burning Man 2016 Volunteer Training – YouTube  https://zendoproject.org/training/  Psychedelics and the Shadow: The Shadow Side of Psychedelia – A series of interviews on Psychedelics Today  https://www.psychedeliceducationcenter.com/p/psychedelics-and-the-shadow  Psychedelic Trip Sitter Preparation Guide: What you need to know to be a great

Sitter Preparation Guide: What you need to know to be a great psychedelic (LSD, shrooms) trip sitter https://tripsafe.org/psychedelic-trip-sitter-guide/  Rebecca Martinez, Accountability & Transformative Justice in the Psychedelic Space: A Roadmap forChange  (https://psychedelicstoday.com/2021/06/09/accountability-transformative-justice-in-the-psychedelic-space-a-roadmap-for-change/)   Sharon Salzberg, Guided Metta Meditation  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeeDo-c3lDI    Tara Brach, How to Meditate FAQ: A definitive guide for a gratifying practice https://www.tarabrach.com/wp-content/uploads/pdf/How-to-Meditate--FAQ.pdf   "Taylor" in conversation with Mike Margolies, Underground Healing, Erotic Transference, & Psychedelic Ethics  (https://www.psychsems.com/episodes/underground-healing-erotic-transference- psychedelic-ethics)   
100        William Baum, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: What It Is, How It Helps https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/crisis-knocks/201003/mindfulness-based-stress-reduction-what-it-is-how-it-helps     

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  Ayahuasca Painting by the Author   About the author   John McIlwain retired in 2018 from a career in law and business.  He has practiced and taught Buddhist meditation for over 20 years, amongst other pathways of awakening.  For the past 8 years he has studied the beneficial uses of various plant medicines, and was trained in their use by several senior facilitators.   The protocols for working with plant medicines set forth in this guide are based on those teachings, and his own research.  He lives in Maine with his wife, Wende, and their retired greyhound Luna.  For more information, please go to www.mcilwainmentoring.net.    Note: All photographs are by the author unless otherwise noted.