FAQs

“Psilo” is a shorthand for “psilocybin”, a compound found in psychedelic mushrooms, also known as “magic mushrooms”. At Eleusinia Retreat, guests can participate in a psilocybin or “psilo” retreat ceremony where they consume psilocybin-containing mushrooms as part of their experience. This all-inclusive wellness retreat is designed to offer a safe and supportive environment for individuals to learn, understand and explore the potential benefits and limitations of psilocybin use with the guidance of experienced professionals. 

To understand how Eleusinia is different, it is important to first read our founder’s article on what she found lacking with other retreats and how she ventured to design a different kind of program.  Prioritizing the science and neurological benefits behind psychedelics, Eleusinia Retreat distinguishes itself from other retreats which exclusively focus on potential spiritual or religious enlightenment. While Eleusinia recognizes the spiritual and religious enlightenment experienced by its clients, Eleusinia’s program also focuses on neuroplasticity, brain health, pain management, and personal growth. Along with teaching techniques and approaches for managing a psychedelic trip itself, the program also empowers guests to incorporate psychedelics into their wellness routine with independence and self-sufficiency. The community atmosphere promotes learning, growth, shared discussion, and general reflection while encouraging spiritual experiences. The program’s support extends well beyond the retreat itself, providing guests with a dedicated private network for communication, questions and discussion beyond the days of the retreat itself, along with updated articles, online classes, research links, and cultivation course videos. Eleusinia’s  mission is to equip guests with the confidence, independence, and tools needed to manage their condition and goals independently, while continuing to receive support from doctors and family back home.

At Eleusinia Retreat, we prioritize individualized care, offering a flexible dosing system to maximize the potential of each psychedelic journey. Our focus on response-based dosing, coupled with careful reassessment and support, ensures that every guest has an impactful and transformative experience.

Read more details about our dosing process in this article here.

Eleusinia Retreat prides itself on being a welcoming space for all, and not just those with certain medical conditions. While the program was initially designed to cater to individuals with chronic pain conditions, we believe this fact only adds to the level of care and attention we offer to our guests. Catering to individuals with medical conditions means that Eleusinia Retreat places a premium on providing a safe, secure, and accessible environment to explore the benefits of psilocybin. Whether you’re looking to address a specific medical condition or simply seeking to enhance your overall wellness, Eleusinia Retreat offers a welcoming and supportive environment to help you achieve your goals.

At Eleusinia, we know the science behind the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties of psilocybin and can coach our visitors on how to leverage them for better health as part of a long term plan.

At our retreat, we prioritize your comfort and aim to create an environment that is conducive to a positive psilocybin experience. While some individuals may choose to take psilocybin alone and have a smooth experience, others may face challenges and require additional support.

It’s not uncommon for individuals to feel isolated in their decision to seek a psilocybin experience, especially if their family and friends don’t understand or support their choice. Even those who do support the decision may not have the necessary experience or knowledge to provide the kind of support that’s needed. This is where our retreat can make a difference.

Our team is experienced in facilitating psilocybin experiences and understands the importance of a supportive environment and container. We strive to create a comfortable and safe space where you can not only explore your inner self and feel supported every step of the way. Our retreat also provides a network where you can share, explore, discuss and analyze your experience along with the experiences of others. 

We believe that an orchestrated and supported experience with psilocybin can set the tone for future experiences, even if they are done alone. Our goal is to provide you with the tools and knowledge to continue exploring and growing on your own, while also offering ongoing support through our community and resources.

In summary, we recognize that the decision to seek a psilocybin experience can be isolating and challenging, and our retreat is designed to provide an educational, comfortable and supportive environment for your journey. Our aim is to help you have an experience that sets the tone for future growth and exploration.

You can see the daily schedule here.

The closest airports are Mexico City (Mex) and Toluca (TLC).

Yes. Our private transport picks up everyone from the Airport Courtyard Marriott located in Mexico City on the start date of the retreat. The Airport Courtyard Marriott is connected to the airport via a sky-bridge located in Terminal 1. If you happen to land in Terminal 2, a train to Terminal 1 is available. If pre-selected pick up times are not feasible, we also offer private transportation at an additional cost.  

No, due to safety concerns, we do not offer access to ayahuasca ceremonies. You can read more about this here.

Psychedelic substances are often taken under less than ideal circumstances. Parties, music festivals, etc. This results in an abundant circulation of “scary” stories about bad trips. Psychedelic substances have gained popularity in recent years and are often taken in social settings such as parties or music festivals. Unfortunately, this can lead to an abundance of “scary” stories about bad trips, which can be a deterrent for those who are curious about exploring the potential benefits of these substances.

At Eleusinia, we create a different kind of environment for individuals seeking a psychedelic experience. Our tranquil and beautiful surroundings, along with the company of trained and experienced staff fosters a safe and supportive environment for exploration.

We understand that even with the best intentions, discomfort can arise during a psychedelic experience. That’s why we monitor our guests closely and have on-hand rescue medication should we deem it necessary in circumstances where we believe the discomfort is unduly hindering a person’s psychedelic experience. 

Additionally, we offer virtual reality (VR) with meditation apps as a tool to help individuals redirect their experience into a more comfortable direction. 

Our approach to psychedelic exploration and use is focused on creating a safe and supportive environment that maximizes the potential benefits while minimizing the risks. We believe that with the right setting, guidance, and tools, a psychedelic experience can be remarkably useful for change. 

Ingesting psilocybin may cause nausea in some individuals who are particularly sensitive. This is because psilocybin affects the same serotonin receptors that control the body’s nausea response. However, there are ways to mitigate this effect, such as taking anti-nausea medication. At Eleusinia we employ various techniques, including medication to mitigate and/or circumvent the possibility of nausea. 

We categorize conflicts based on two criteria: (1) whether they present a safety concern and (2) whether they affect the quality of the psychedelic experience. You can read more about common interactions in this article. It is recommended that guests discuss their medication list with their healthcare provider for their personal safety and wellbeing. We are happy to point out specific interactions we are familiar with, but your healthcare provider should be the ultimate authority and source on these matters.

Psilocybin is generally known as an extremely safe substance. It is less toxic than alcohol by several orders of magnitude, though it does have rather dramatic effects on perception and consciousness.

However, mixing psilocybin with some medications can create a dangerous combination. Lithium is the single most notable medication that should not be mixed with psilocybin. If used in conjunction with lithium, psilocybin could cause serious complications such as seizures or even heart failure.

Another possible complication you may have heard about is a condition called serotonin syndrome. Psilocybin alone or even in conjunction with most antidepressants has next to a zero chance of causing serotonin syndrome.

However, when taken in combination with an MAOI (monoamine oxidase inhibitor), a class of medication often used as an antidepressant, that risk is slightly elevated. We do not believe in taking even these slight risks and therefore request our guests to avoid any MAOIs. In fact, you might have read in one of our other articles that this retreat does not promote the use of ayahuasca, despite its common use in other retreats, because all ayahuasca brews contain a natural MAOI.

With respect to item # 2 above, the medications that could affect the quality of a psychedelic experience are a much larger category. SSRIs and SNRIs are all classes of medications that work on serotonin receptors. They are often prescribed as antidepressants or nerve pain medication. Many people report a muted psychedelic experience if they take psilocybin while taking these medications or within a short period of having tapered off of them. This muted/dulling effect is especially pronounced if they have taken SSRIs and/or SNRIs for an extended period of time.

Eleusinia Retreat is a retreat designed to teach visitors how to incorporate psilocybin into a long term wellness plan. We don’t advocate for placing too much pressure on yourself for a singular psilocybin experience. This is a process, and the goal of the retreat is to learn to use these tools in an effective manner. For some it can take up to two months for your response to psilocybin to mimic the general population after completely transitioning off some of these medications. As a result, it is important to adjust expectations and not dwell on what you believe the experience “should be like” or “is like for others”.

Part of your intake process will be discussing your current medication list with us. Use of any medication that works on the serotonin system during the retreat is discouraged, since it could potentially contribute to uncomfortable symptoms or affect the quality of the psychedelic experience (ie. dulling effect). Many sleep aids, nerve pain medications, mood stabilizers, and antidepressants work on the serotonin system, so be sure to be thorough when the subject comes up for discussion.

While there may not be any specific danger associated with mixing psilocybin with these types of medications, it is generally advised against due to its potential impact on the quality of the psychedelic experience. The use of SSRIs and SNRIs, for instance, can lead to a muted psychedelic experience for many individuals, even several weeks after they have stopped taking them. However, this effect is not universal, and some people have reported intense psychedelic experiences shortly after discontinuing or even while taking these medications. Therefore, it is difficult to predict your personal experience. If you wish to taper off these medications, it is recommended to do so under the guidance of a medical professional. At our retreat, we aim to educate guests about the effects of psilocybin, guide them through their psilocybin experiences, and teach them mushroom cultivation skills. We discourage putting too much pressure on oneself to quickly taper off medication for a specific intensity of experience at the retreat, as it may be counterproductive. Instead, we encourage self-kindness, taking things at your own pace, and finding a therapist who supports psychedelic therapy when you return home.

Eleusinia is a retreat that provides a unique opportunity for individuals seeking to explore the benefits of psilocybin. While many of our guests are managing neurological conditions that cause them pain, and our retreat is capable of meeting their specific needs, our retreat is also designed to cater to a broader audience. Our goal is to provide a relaxing and rejuvenating experience in some of the most beautiful parts of the world while offering guests the opportunity to explore the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin.

Although pain relief is one of the many benefits of psilocybin, it is by no means the only one. We believe that psilocybin can provide a reset and a fresh perspective for those seeking a wellness retreat. Psilocybin has been shown to be effective in treating depression, anxiety, addiction, and PTSD, among other conditions. At Eleusinia, we encourage individuals who are looking for a unique and transformative experience to explore our program, regardless of their current health status.

Our retreat format is designed to educate guests on the benefits of psilocybin and how to use it in a safe and effective manner. Our team of experienced professionals is dedicated to providing guidance and support throughout the retreat. In addition to the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, our retreat provides guests with the opportunity to learn mushroom cultivation skills.

Though not ideal, we can make arrangements for visitors with non-participating caretakers. We just ask that nonparticipants leave the facility and self-isolate during the days there are psychedelic sessions to avoid interaction with participants while in that delicate state.

It is highly unlikely that one single experience with psilocybin will have a significant, long lasting effect on a chronic pain condition. While it is possible one visit may have a significant impact on certain headache conditions, most people require a regular practice of dosing, physical therapy, counseling, and meditation to achieve optimal results, especially for chronic pain conditions. Very few experts exist on this subject due to the lack of research. 

Mushroom consumption is tolerated in the areas where we hold the retreats strictly in a religious ceremony context.

At Eleusinia retreat we have crafted a vegetarian menu with authentic flavors of Mexico. You can read more about our menu here.

At Eleusinia, we pride ourselves on creating an intimate and personalized experience for our guests. Our retreat villa boasts six cozy and well-appointed bedrooms, ensuring that each guest feels comfortable and cared for during their stay. Additionally, we limit our group sizes to a maximum of 10 to 12 people, allowing for focused attention and a more personalized experience. This small group size enables our guests to receive individualized support and guidance from our experienced team, who are dedicated to helping each guest achieve their wellness goals. By keeping our groups small, we can tailor our program to meet the unique needs and preferences of each individual, ensuring a truly transformative and unforgettable experience for all.