October is National Emotional Wellness Month, making it the perfect time to talk about an exciting and rapidly growing trend in the world of psychotherapy: psilocybin wellness retreats.
Psilocybin, the main active ingredient in what some people call magic mushrooms, has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Thanks to recent legal changes, psilocybin will be available for therapeutic use in Oregon starting in 2023. The current state of psilocybin and other psychedelics in America includes multiple decriminalizations and some actions for legalized medicinal use.
Psilocybin wellness retreats are becoming increasingly popular around the world as more people become interested in using psychedelics for emotional healing. As the science around psilocybin and other entheogens evolve, more places will open where you can legally consume them in safe, supervised settings.
Why Do People Go To Psilocybin Wellness Retreats?
Here are just a few reasons why people might want to experience a psilocybin wellness retreat.
- Work through traumas or difficult life events in a safe and supportive environment
- Gain clarity on personal issues or mental health problems
- Reconnect with oneself or nature
Alisa Bigham was 64 years old when she attended her first psilocybin wellness retreat. She shared her reasons for choosing to try psilocybin in a therapeutic retreat setting with Bloomberg.
After ending a 47-year-old marriage, she told herself, “You just need to go on a retreat and get away from everything”.
As to why she chose a psilocybin retreat, Alisa said, “My intention was a reset of who I am, something that could bring me a big transformation.”
After her first psilocybin experience at the retreat, Alisa felt transformed, “Like I had found my superpower.”
Upon returning home from the experience her family and friends commented on her noticeably improved shift, with her daughter even saying, “Mom, you’re different.”
Alisa’s positive shift of self-discovery with psilocybin is in line with other testimonies about people microdosing psilocybin in general, as well as testimonies specifically from women about its benefits for women’s health.
Where Are Psilocybin Wellness Retreats?
Many psychedelic wellness retreats are operated in luxurious accommodations. These might not be the same as a stay at Utah’s indulgent Amangiri resort, but they do cater to luxury and wellness. Here are three psilocybin wellness retreats around the world that are currently operating:
- Silo Wellness – Jamaica
- Soltara Healing Center – Costa Rica
- Journeymen Collective – Canada
As more and more people become interested in psychedelics for emotional healing and other mental health purposes, we’ll likely see more psychedelic wellness retreats popping up around the globe.
If you’re interested in exploring this option for yourself, be sure to do your research and due diligence. Although preliminary research and anecdotal evidence do support the mental health benefits of psilocybin and other psychedelics, clinical trials are still determining their safety and efficacy.
As with consuming anything, there can be risks involved, and consuming psychedelics is not something that is recommended for every person.