I attended the comfort retreat in November. I have been waiting to submit my review to let... read more
I attended the comfort retreat in November. I have been waiting to submit my review to let... read more
TLDR: Amazing! Life changing! Preparation plus Setting equals Therapy. Have your post retreat... read more
A Myco Meditation retreat will eventually rise up to the status of Mecca, on the must do list, for the psychedelic adventurer. Scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef, downhill ski in Whistler, swim with sharks in Durban, and take hallucinogens at Treasure Beach in the Caribbean! This laid back destination stands on the south west coast of the tiny West Indian nation of Jamaica, and is a collection of colourful buildings set in the countryside, amongst tropical gardens, where a dozen or so seekers come to undertake an out of self experience over the course of a week, using the psycilocybin drug found in magic mushrooms. Three trips and you are out! During at least one of these most participants seem to undergo a partial to complete dissolution of ego, or more precisely a de activation of the brain’s Default Mode Network, that inter connection of neural hubs or functional areas most associated with repetitive, self/other referential thinking, a precursor to depression and anxiety related conditions. Switch off or slow down the DMN and all sorts of new connections are made in the brain, usually leading on to insights and healing, sometimes for the fortunate a complete mental reset, permanent enlightenment and the cessation of symptoms. For chronic mental health sufferers and for anyone wanting to learn more about their inner self a week at Treasure Beach might be about the best thing going, sure as hell a quantum leap over anything traditional psychiatry has to offer! It certainly is the most novel and powerful form of group therapy I have ever undertaken and one of the best experiences of my life. Eric Osborne and his team of facilitators are sure footed and confident about the drug and what it is doing to the participants, allowing people to be comfortable in the knowledge their needs will be taken care of, to just let the magic substance do its work. The pounding surf, camp fires flaring up to the star lit heavens, traditional Jamaican fare, decent accommodation and like minded company make for an ideal setting to just let go and discover the wealth that lies within our minds. Afterwards marry the experience with a week in Negril, hire a scooter, look around, laze on the beaches, jump from the heights at legendary Rick’s cliff top bar, drink rum punch, eat curried goat, smoke a joint, cut loose. I wish I was back there!
Hey Tony,
Thank you for the review and we're happy to know you feel so highly about MycoMeditations. Your words summarize what we aim for at our retreats exceptionally well.
Much love!
The minute I arrived at the Mycomeditations, I was immediately struck by the elegant beauty of the properties that are all part of the Mycomeditations retreat experience. Soon after arriving, I met several Jamaican Nationals and quickly felt a very strong connection to them and those connections became deeper as our week progressed. The buildings themselves were perfect Caribbean getaways, older homes but very comfortable and functional. Great open spaces in each of the homes that open to sweeping panoramas of the Caribbean!!!! .
I have had the opportunity to experience food from many different countries and at some of the world's finest restaurants. The fragrance of Jamaican cooking wafting through the area in late afternoon was beyond description and I can honestly say that Jamaican food is now among my favorite foods and it is possibly my very favorite food.
I honestly cannot convey how important my fellow retreat guests became to me as the week progressed. The education and professional backgrounds of my fellow attendees was astounding. The truth is, I felt many of them were truly brilliant people and far more importantly, they were and are good human beings. This, like many other experiences during our retreat was truly not anticipated but so appreciated.
Arriving at Mycomeditations was the result of many years of awareness and study regarding the potential benefits of certain types of psychedelic therapies for a variety of mental health maladies. Many of these maladies have profoundly impacted my profession so I have always looked for emerging therapies that might ameliorate the suffering of others. My experience during this retreat was personally transformative and transcendent and I will return I gained much insight and understanding concerning some of my struggles.
Saving probably the best for last!!! Eric Osborne and the team he has put together at Mycomeditations was one of the most impressive groups of people I have ever been associated with and over a 40 year career, I have been exposed to many "teams." These folks placed our safety and comfort as their #1 priorities during our stay. The insights, compassion and empathy displayed by these wonderful folks was something to behold.
Eric Osborne is the consummate professional with a very deep understanding of the utility of this form of therapy and I could not imagine a better guide and teacher. He and his lovely wife Courtney have truly created a magical place where miracles do happen. If my children did their own research and decided on their own that they wanted to participate in this therapy, I would trust Eric and his team with the health, safety and welfare!!!! I guess that says it all!!!!
Hello! Thank you for your review of MycoMeditations!
Your words are kind and encouraging, and we're grateful to have had you join us on retreat.
Take care! :)
After 28 years of panic attacks, followed by more than 30 years on anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds, I DID IT! Wowzer! I've got to be one of the most tightly wound people on the planet and I DID IT! Hard internal work, but oh, so worth it. For me, this was therapy on steroids. Not experiencing as much fear as usual. Very safe place with lots of love. Still have lots of internal work to do, but this was a giant step for me personally. It was hot and humid so come prepared for that.
Hi Nancy, thank you for the review and we're super proud of the work you were able to accomplish at your Myco retreat :)
I attended the 22nd – 29th June 2019 Mycomeditations retreat in Treasure Beach, Jamaica with two good friends (we all came from the UK, where we live). I have a certain amount of experience with psychedelics, but my two friends had literally never taken any drugs other than alcohol in their lives.
I’d listened to Tim Ferriss interview Michael Pollan (who wrote “How to Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics”) and Stan Grof (pioneer of using psychedelics for psychotherapeutic purposes and inventor of Holotropic Breathwork) and was keen to try psilocybin therapeutically. However, I’d also realised the critical importance of set and setting and so was very keen to go to the best place I could find.
I looked at some places based in Amsterdam - psilocybin truffles are legal there and it is much closer to us. But from my reading and previous experience of ayahuasca and holotropic breathwork I was keen to go to a place with a minimum of two dosing sessions – and preferably three (so that the first one could be lower to judge potential difficult reactions). There is such variability in the psychedelics - even in the same person taking the exact same dose in the exact same setting - that I think the chance of not getting some sort of “breakthrough” is too high in single (or even two) dose retreats.
I also liked Mycomeditations’ no nonsense website and the background I read about the founder (Eric Osborne) in the Guardian newspaper in the UK. I told my friends (who largely went with my recommendation re: the place) that it seemed pretty close to the “ideal” design of retreat in terms of length, dosing, etc. I still think that after our retreat.
My friends, Sarah & Laura, were referring to our upcoming retreat as the “trip of a lifetime” – which left me a little worried their expectations were so high there was a real chance of disappointment. Fortunately I needn’t have worried. I would describe our actual experience (and we all felt the same) as either meeting – or even exceeding – even that high bar!
Shortly before we left for our retreat we came across Psychedelics Today’s withdrawal of support and endorsement for Mycomeditations (on the Psychedelics Today website). I contacted Mycomeds to ask about that and was immediately offered a pre-retreat call with Eric to go over any concerns. I don’t really know the real reasons why Psychedelics Today took this step, but I particularly wanted to mention it in my review, in case there is anyone reading this who is worried by that and may not go because of it.
Our experience was that the set up was excellent. All of the people we dealt with at Mycomeds were efficient, friendly and very caring. All the way from lovely Doreen (owner of the basic accommodations and cook), Athena, Courtney and the facilitators Matt, Dan, Rushien, Zoe and Nikisha (the resident nurse). And Eric, the founder and ringleader provided a sort of comforting (as he’s so clearly experienced), positive, non-comformist energy that just topped the whole thing off perfectly. But I can see that if you come from a more standard, “white coat”, conformist medical background it might make you uneasy. However, we all loved it and thought it was pretty much perfect!
There were eleven of us on the retreat and six facilitators / sitters for each dosing session (including Eric and Nikisha, the nurse). Each time some of the sitters also dosed (at lower amounts) except for Nikisha and and at least one facilitator. I think this might be another reason people / organisations like Psychedelics Today might feel uneasy (again, as it doesn’t “fit” with standard medical practice). But I’ve now been on three ayahuasca and this one psilocybin retreat - and at least some of the facilitators dosed along with the guests at each place. I am now literally 100% certain this is significantly beneficial. Things happen in these group psychedelic experiences that I don’t think our western model of the world can explain properly. There seem to be important interactions and support that occur that need the facilitators to be able to enter the psilocybin and (and ayahuasca) “space”.
All three of us had profound and healing experiences at some point during our week and we’d all like to return in the future. If you’re reading this review and considering going on a Mycomeditations retreat, I urge you to go!
If anyone would like to contact me I’d be very happy to discuss Mycomeditations with anyone thinking of going – and also provide proof of who I am, that I went when I said I did and that I paid full price for my trip and flew out from the UK in a group of three.
Please contact Mycomeditations and ask for Andrew B’s contact details from the 22nd – 29th June 2019 retreat. I will give them a copy of this review so they know they may get contacted and I’m happy for them to give out my details. I think Eric and Mycomeditations are doing very important work and I’ll take great pleasure in providing any support I can.
Hey Andrew,
Thank you for this great review. The Myco team is proud that you and your friends had such profound experiences and we appreciate all the love and support.
Much love!
At Treasure Beach, I ate 5 grams of mushrooms my first trip, 8 grams the second, and 10 grams the third trip. I chose to do all three in a hammock. It was very powerful for me to feel suspended in time and place. On my third trip I wore a face mask, which was helpful in sustaining my experience. All three were tremendous voyages into another realm. I saw the intricate web of connection with all of life. I witnessed how everything is tied together. It is very difficult to put this into words. The beauty and simplicity of the world was profound. My personal discovery was to see that though I physically carried a heavy pain body due to trauma at birth - (spastic hemiplegia - a mild form of cerebral palsy) I was in fact, healthy, and whole and not damaged goods. This is monumental. For most of my life I have engaged in unhealthy behaviors to mask the emotional and physical pain. After my mushroom experiences, I not only see the beauty in the world but can actually see the beauty in myself. This is in both the physical (form) and internal (formless) The accommodations and staff at Treasure Beach are superior. I intend to go back.
Thank you for the review. Your reflections are beautiful to read, and we're happy you enjoyed your experience so much!
The MycoMeditations Team
I highly recommend MycoMeditations if you are looking to experiment with Psilocybin as part of your psychedelic journey.
I myself was skeptical about psychedelics but wanted to try Psilocybin after reading a recent book on the subject by a well-known author. My main goal was to grow spiritually and expand my consciousness beyond what I could in my day-to-day meditation practice. Though the end result wasn't exactly what I was expecting, the experience was no less intense, profound and revelatory.
Eric, Justin and Mike are thorough professionals in this field, and they know this stuff inside out. They and rest of the facilitators are always there to help us through the journey, and they provide valuable insights along the way. We'd do good to let go of our inhibitions, trust their instincts and let the mushrooms do the rest.
The group setting of the retreat allows you to meet people from varied backgrounds, share your deepest vulnerabilities and develop a special bond with everyone around. I met some amazing people with whom I developed a special bond that I hope will last a lifetime.
Hello, thank you for sharing a review!
Your insights about how to work with mushrooms is spot-on! Trust the process and they will help us do what is natural to do...heal, learn, and grow.