Anyone Had a Good Ayahuasca Retreat Experience in Spain or Elsewhere in Europe?

[hom1234]

Title: Anyone Had an Ayahuasca Retreat Experience in Spain or Elsewhere in Europe?

Hey everyone,

I booked an ayahuasca retreat through Retreat Guru. The retreat is listed as one of their bestsellers, and I’ve also spoken directly with the organizers over the phone.

They sent me videos and photos showing them growing chacruna (Psychotria viridis) and ayahuasca vines in the jungle, as well as preparing the brew for their ceremonies. From what I understand, they grow the plants in the jungle and bring them to Spain for the retreats.

These things have made me feel fairly comfortable about my decision, and I’m planning to go ahead with it.

However, since this will be my first time trying ayahuasca, I’m curious about other people’s actual experiences. Did you feel the effects of the brew clearly? I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who attended retreats in Spain or elsewhere in Europe.

If you booked through Retreat Guru or attended a retreat with a similar setup, I’d especially appreciate hearing how your experience went and whether the brew seemed to have the expected effects.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experiences!

 

[northape]

Check out who cooks their ayahuasca and which plants they use. I'd scrutinize the facilitator too because this medicine is no joke.
See what kind of people they are and what your gut feeling is about them. If you notice any red flag at any stage, simply abort it all.

Aya is very unpredictable and even the same person can have different experiences with the exact same brew and dosage. No one can prepare you for it and hearing their stories just builds unrealistic expectations. You're better off meditating for 15min a day, exercising, and eating healthy in preparation. If you're called to these retreats go for it, but be vigilant and discerning. Don't believe in new age woo-woo, but use cold western rationality. What will work for you and give the most benefits? Be honest with yourself about your real aims with this work too. That's all I can say about retreats. Hope someone with actual experience answers.

 

[Neo-shulginist]

I did two ayahuasca ceremonies in one weekend, and I strongly felt the beta-carbolines from the ayahuasca vine (banisteriopsis caap), but sadly not much DMT effects. The effects are indeed unpredictable. Best is to just accept that. That is why a lot of people in the ayahuasca community say that aya will only give you what you need. I disagree with that statement though. Sometimes people can have bad experiences and that isn't always a good thing. But it is really important that you BELIEVE everything you will experience during the trip will do you good. It's exactly that attitude which will help you get through the trip. Ironically, the chances are much higher that you have a good experience when you believe that will be the case.

I have quite a bit of experience with vaping DMT in e-sigs and smoking changa. And I always feel the body high is quite intense. With ayahuasca is the same, and it is important that you accept it. Just notice it without too much thought. Even though it might be uncomfortable at times, with a positive attitude it will be manageable.

Also, puking is a good thing. You will feel AMAZING afterwards. Of course, it's never fun to be nauseous and puking whilst tripping is very weird. But the sooner you get it over with, the better. Just embrace the puking as much as you can and you'll do great. This attitude is very important during ayahuasca.

 

[Neo-shulginist]

You can also think about the ceremony itself. There are large differences how it is conducted. The place where I did it had a light and humurous attitude. We joked around a little bit. Some other ceremonies are more serious. Also, we didn't have a sharing circle, whereas some other places are keen on formally sharing your experiences.

Because I'm a (former) nicotine addict, I didn't want to take rapé. I told the ceremony leader this and it was no problem. Instead I did anapana meditation, which is not customary, but I think it is very helpful in calming the mind in such a way that you become more accepting and start to simply notice things.

I also loved the music they played. Great to have a guided trip like that. I have smoked a lot of DMT at festivals on the dancefloor, which I really enjoy, but the music with drums, handpan, and guitar suited the vibe of DMT much better. The ayahuasca ceremony hugely inspired me to pick up playing my own instrument, which I have been doing since at least an hour a day. But I can imagine that if you don't like the music it will be a less inspiring ceremony.