Psilocybin vs. Ayahuasca Retreats: How To Choose

Psychedelic retreats, regardless of the medicine, offer secure environments to help people expand their consciousness. Ayahuasca and Psilocybin retreats entail consuming carefully measured doses in guided group settings with a focus on holistic health and transformation. However, the medicine does make a difference. Ayahuasca and mushrooms have distinct uses, preparation methods, effects, and ceremonial traditions. 

This article examines Ayahuasca vs Psilocybin retreats, outlining what to expect from each medicine and how explorers can choose the best retreat style for their needs.

PSILOCYBIN VS. AYAHUASCA: THE MAIN DIFFERENCES

AYAHUASCA

Ayahuasca is the common name of a vine originating from the Amazon rainforest and the sacred psychedelic tea it’s brewed from. Ayahuasca brews blend the Banisteriopsis caapi (Ayahuasca) vine and Psychotria viridis (chacruna) plant leaves. The chacruna shrub contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), a powerful psychedelic compound that acts on serotonin receptors in the brain involved in perception, emotion, and cognition. 

The ayahuasca vine contains harmine, harmaline, and other alkaloids that act as MAOIs (Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors). MAOIs are necessary for making the psychoactive compounds in the shrub orally active.

MAO inhibitors stop the body from breaking down DMT too quickly, allowing the Ayahuasca brew to unleash its immense, prolonged psychedelic effects, and may include:

• Profound self-insights and awareness, including potential blockages in one’s life

• Deep connection with self

• Hallucinations, such as vibrant geometric patterns and shapes

• Otherworldly landscapes

• Visions of plants, people, creatures, deities, and animals

• Spiritual encounters

• Ego dissolution

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOMS

Psilocybin mushrooms produce psychedelic effects because of the Psilocybin they contain. Psilocybin converts to the active version, psilocin, in the body. Over 200 mushroom species worldwide naturally have Psilocybin, with the most potent belonging to the genus Psilocybe. 

Generally speaking, Psilocybin mushrooms typically offer a milder, more individualized journey tinged with insights, interconnectedness, and sensory awakenings. Their psychedelic effects can include:

• Profound self-insights and awareness, including potential blockages in one’s life

• Deep connection with self

• Hallucinations, such as vibrant geometric patterns and shapes

• A sense of the world breathing

• Visions with vivid colors and tracers

• Perceptual changes, such as halos around objects and geometric patterns 

• Altered sense of time

• Spiritual experiences

KEY PLANT MEDICINE DIFFERENCES AT A GLANCE

	AYAHUASCA	PSILOCYBIN
MAIN PSYCHOACTIVE COMPOUND	DMT	Psilocybin
DURATION	6-10 hours	4-6 hours on average
ORIGINS	Amazon rainforest	Various habitats globally
CONSUMPTION METHOD	Liquid form only, often brewed as tea	Can be eaten dry or prepared in teas and edibles
SETTING	Often ceremonial under shaman guidance	Facilitator-guided sessions or self-administered
EFFECTS	Visions, emotional and physical healing, and "purging"	Hallucinations, emotional insight, increased sensory perception
WHAT TO EXPECT	Intense, revelatory, dosages and potency vary significantly	Usually milder, easier dosage control

WHAT HAPPENS AT MUSHROOM & AYAHUASCA RETREATS

Mushroom and Ayahuasca retreats both elicit profound journeys of self-discovery, positive transformation, and healing. They also involve similar elements like whole-foods, organic diets, movement, meditation, and breathwork. Following ceremonies, both typically organize group-sharing circles to facilitate connection, reflection, and communal healing. 

However, mushroom and Ayahuasca retreats do have distinctions worth exploring.

AYAHUASCA RETREATS

One key difference between these retreat styles is the type of education participants receive leading up to the ceremonies. Ayahuasca retreats hold sessions to inform participants about this particular plant brew and prepare them to connect with its spiritual qualities. 

Most Ayahuasca retreats will also guide participants toward creating intentions and preparing their minds and bodies for the journey. For instance, Reunion’s Ayahuasca retreat program involves multiple guided practices, including:

• Breathwork

• Meditation

• Yoga and movement exercises 

• Nature excursions and earth wisdom teachings

• Integration circles

Ayahuasca Retreat Preparation

The Ayahuasca retreat preparation approach is also unique. Before attending, participants typically follow a “dieta,” or a helpful mental, physical, and spiritual purification process, to maximize their experience. The diet involves a nutrition and lifestyle regime that abstains from certain foods and activities, such as:

• Pork and cured meats (foods high in tyramine can raise blood pressure when combined with Ayahuasca) 

• Dairy and aged cheeses

• Alcohol, caffeine, spicy foods, processed foods, and sugar

• Sexual activity

• Fasting, in some cases

Titu Amaru Salqa, an 11th generation Peruvian healer serving at Reunion

AYAHUASCA CEREMONIES

Ayahuasca retreats often feature multiple plant medicine ceremonies rooted in Indigenous lineages and guided by experienced healers (shamans). These ceremonies hold deep cultural and spiritual significance, as Ayahuasca is regarded as a sacred medicine. The shamans and facilitators who lead these ceremonies undergo rigorous training, typically in the heart of the jungle, as part of their apprenticeship. This training involves direct learning from both the plants and their associated spiritual entities.

Most Ayahuasca ceremonies begin at sunset and end the following morning before dawn, on average lasting around five to six hours. Participants sit in a circle, usually in a maloca or temple, waiting for the shaman or guide to serve the brewed Ayahuasca tea. Participants typically drink one to three “cups” throughout the night, depending on their needs and the shaman’s recommendations.

No two Ayahuasca ceremonies are the same. But typically follow a spiritual thread meant to facilitate a sense of calm and tranquility. Shamans, facilitators, and healing elders often sing icaros (healing prayers). Many ceremonies encourage participants to emotionally and physically release as necessary, often referred to as a “purge”.

AYAHUASCA PURGING

The Ayahuasca experience often induces a "purge." This series of strong physical effects, such as sweating, shaking, crying, and vomiting, and occurs in nearly 70% of cases. Shamans consider purging as a form of spiritual and emotional cleansing that expresses toxins and negative energy (emotions and trauma) from the body.

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM RETREATS

Mushroom retreats, like Ayahuasca, are structured and intentional experiences. However, unlike Ayahuasca, Psilocybin mushrooms don’t align with a particular Indigenous lineage. These magical fungi grow everywhere, so cultures across the globe have utilized them in various forms and traditions. Thus, mushroom retreats typically don’t involve shamanic practices. Instead, they focus on self-reflection and the transformative healing power of mushrooms, considered “nature’s medicine.”

Psilocybin retreats allow people to work with transformative compounds to improve mental health in some of the most beautiful backdrops across the planet, like Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, and Jamaica. 

Mushroom retreat programs, like the ones Reunion offers, incorporate similar elements to Ayahuasca retreats, including:

• Movement practices, like yoga and stretching

• Breathwork sessions

• Teachings on the history, science, and skill of psychedelics

• Guided meditations

• Creative expressions

• Group integration sessions

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM RETREAT PREPARATION

Preparing for a mushroom retreat is pivotal to unlocking its transformative potential. Most retreat leaders will urge guests to follow a detoxifying diet similar to Ayahuasca. Mushroom retreat dietary preparations should limit processed foods, alcohol, caffeine, red meat, and dairy. 

Psilocybin retreat goers should also create intentions for the experience. Some retreat centers support participants in this process in the weeks leading up to the retreat. Many include intention-setting ceremonies, typically on the first day of the program.

PSILOCYBIN MUSHROOM CEREMONIES

Mushroom retreats typically involve two or three psilocybin ceremonies during a five- to seven-day retreat. Each ceremony can vary in dosage.

First Ceremony
Many retreat centers start with a small psilocybin microdose (0.15 to 0.3 grams) or a moderate dose (1 to 1.5 grams) to ease guests into working with the compound. These smaller doses can improve mood and self-awareness without eliciting intense psychoactive effects. Lighter ceremonies typically occur during the day and last a few hours.

Second Ceremony
The second ceremony is usually the highest dose. Most high-dose journeys last five to seven hours and typically occur at night. Guests often lie on mattresses arranged around a sacred altar in a shared space, like a temple, illuminated with candles and filled with music and the sounds of nature.

Third Ceremony
Many retreat centers offer a third psilocybin dose to help guests solidify the personal lessons and insights from their prior ceremonies. Third-journey dosages vary from micro to macro, depending on individual needs and intentions.

LEGAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN AYAHUASCA AND PSILOCYBIN RETREATS

Ayahuasca and psychedelic mushrooms are broadly illegal worldwide. However, retreat centers avoid this issue by operating in places that allow these substances for various medical, personal, or religious purposes. 

Ayahuasca is accessible in many places, including churches in the U.S., because it has traditional religious and healing uses. 

Psychedelic-friendly regions where Ayahuasca and Psilocybin are may not be illegal and more culturally accepted include:

• Colorado and Oregon (U.S.)

• Mexico

• Costa Rica

• The Netherlands

• Jamaica

• Peru

• Portugal

• Colombia

• Ecuador

There are ongoing regulatory changes occurring throughout the world, and it is always recommended to check the specific destination one is considering to ensure these substances are not illegal. Ayahausca and Psilocybin legality varies by region and are not necessarily the same.

HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AYAHUASCA AND PSILOCYBIN RETREATS

Choosing between an Ayahuasca or Psilocybin magic mushroom retreat depends on many factors. Individuals who aren’t quite sure where to begin should consider the following:

Experience Level
Ayahuasca may have more intense effects for some, however, this should not discourage those seeking a first-time experience. Ayahuasca potency tends to be somewhat harder to control, as such, Psilocybin may provide the option to start more slowly.

Intentions
Setting intentions is an essential step before Ayahuasca and Psilocybin mushroom retreats. Individuals choose to experience these medicines for various reasons. Some may prefer the more therapeutic-focused intentions with elements of psychotherapy that can help with trauma, depression, or addiction. Others may be more interested in exploring intentions around personal transformation, sustainable change, and/or spiritual revelations. 

There is no hard and fast rule for this distinction. Individuals seeking this experience should review the retreat center and program style, regardless of the medicine.

Current Medications
Psilocybin and Ayahuasca both affect serotonin receptors and can negatively interact with pharmaceuticals like antipsychotics. However, Ayahuasca has more pharmaceutical contraindications because it contains MAOIs. Additionally, herbal medicines like kava, kratom, kanna, cannabis, and nutmeg can also negatively interact with Ayahuasca. 

Psychedelic seekers should consider their current medications and consumption patterns before deciding which retreat is right for them.

Gut or Heart Feeling
After medical considerations, gut or heart feeling is crucial for deciding between an Ayahuasca and Psilocybin mushroom retreat. Seekers should trust their inner calling toward one medicine or the other, knowing that they can always experiment with both throughout their lifetime of inner exploration.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Ayahuasca and Psilocybin retreats offer positive life-changing experiences in safe settings with trained professionals to help prepare, navigate, and process the effects. The best retreats feature qualified facilitators and authentic shamans, emphasizing emotional and psychological safety.

We hope you found all the answers you were looking for. If any other questions arise, we’d gladly speak with you directly. Book a Discovery Call today.

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Reunion is a leading not-for-profit plant medicine center, combining Indigenous wisdom teachers from diverse lineages blending the best of ancient modalities and modern science. Located in Costa Rica, Reunion is a medically licensed campus with a beach-front location and modern comforts providing a safe setting for personal growth, healing, and transformation. Rooted in reciprocity, 100% of proceeds support impact initiatives, including Indigenous medicine stewards, the replenishment of sacred plants for future generations, and scholarship programs to expand access.