Ever wondered what happens at a psychedelic retreat? 

Here’s one participant’s experience at MycoMeditations’ week-long psilocybin retreat in Jamaica, where magic mushrooms have never been illegal.

“My first trip was out of this world – I felt unconditional love, even saw myself being born and my mom holding me for the first time with tears of joy. Later, I was in a different scene. It was like I was releasing negative energy that had been stored in my body at a cellular level.

The second trip was not like the first one. It took 4 hours to kick in and when it did I felt alarming paranoia. Ugh. One of the staff members was able to stay with me and comfort me. I was hot and miserable. Sometimes, it isn’t all positive and fun trips. But coming out of the second trip, I felt immense empathy for anyone suffering from mental illness. Later, I called my cousin who skipped my grandpa’s funeral a few years ago. And since then, I have talked to him again and even apologized for judging him instead of asking if he was ok. The second trip wasn’t a waste despite it not being “fun” while in it.

Finally, the third trip was all about gratitude, beauty, and then serenity…. Even a week later, my lungs are breathing so deeply without me telling them too. The sense of calm and peace – a zero on an anxiety level – has been quite frankly the most surprising. I thought the mushrooms were going to have me hallucinate and maybe see some cool things. I did not expect my body to respond this positively. I should have done this YEARS ago. I feel so light – Not a worry. Not one.”

It’s not surprising that they gave the experience 5 stars on Trip Advisor.