Frequently Asked Questions

Ayahuasca is a plant medicine that has been used ceremonially by Indigenous peoples of the Amazon for generations. It is a tea brewed from the Banisteriopsis caapi vine combined with a DMT-containing plant such as chacruna. At Pachamama Sanctuary we do not relate to it as a recreational drug. We receive it as a sacrament — the sacred center of a prayerful ceremony held by trained facilitators. People often describe the experience as deeply introspective: memories, emotions, and insights can rise to the surface in ways that feel meaningful and healing. Because it is a powerful medicine that affects the body and mind, it is approached with preparation, screening, and respect, not taken casually. It is not habit-forming in the way substances of abuse are. Whether you think of it as a medicine, a teacher, or a sacrament, the important thing is that it is always held within a safe, intentional, supported container.

Many people arrive having tried, or read about, other medicines and want to know how ayahuasca compares. Each works differently. Ayahuasca is taken as a tea and unfolds slowly over four to six hours, often bringing emotional, visionary, and introspective experiences within a group ceremony. Psilocybin (mushrooms) is also a longer journey but has a different character and does not require the dietary and medication precautions ayahuasca does. Ketamine is a dissociative used in medical and clinical settings and works on entirely different brain systems. Bufo, or 5-MeO-DMT, is far shorter and far more intense, which is why we ask that people sit with ayahuasca before considering it. We are not able to say one medicine is “better” than another — they are simply different paths. What we can speak to is our own tradition: how we hold ayahuasca ceremony, and why the container we build around it matters as much as the medicine itself.

These come up often because we offer more than one sacred practice. Kambo is not a psychedelic — it is a traditional Amazonian cleanse made from the secretion of a tree frog, applied to small points on the skin, and it is offered as a separate add-on rather than part of the ayahuasca journey itself. People approach it as a purifying practice; how many times someone chooses to work with it is a personal and traditional matter, and we are glad to talk it through rather than make any health promises about it. Bufo, or 5-MeO-DMT, is a very short but extremely powerful experience. We ask that people have sat with ayahuasca before a bufo retreat because ayahuasca helps prepare you — emotionally and spiritually — for something that intense, and it lets our team come to know you first. Experience with other forms of DMT is not the same thing, so we still ask for an ayahuasca sit beforehand. If you're curious about either, reach out and we'll help you find the right starting point.

This matters, and you deserve to know exactly whose care you'll be in. Our ceremonies are led by experienced facilitators — medicine carriers who come from lineages that have worked with ayahuasca for generations, not people who arrived at this path recently. Pastor Derek and our team have walked this work for years and hold each retreat as sacred practice. Different retreats are guided by different facilitators, and you can see who is leading a given weekend on that retreat's page, and read more about the people who hold this space on our Our Teachers page. We share this openly because trust between you and the person guiding your journey is part of what makes the experience safe and meaningful. If it would help your decision to know more about who will be leading the specific retreat you're considering, please ask us — we're always glad to introduce our team.

This is one of the most heartfelt reasons people come to us, and we hold it with care. Many of our guests describe profound emotional release, new perspective on painful memories, and a sense of connection they had been missing. Early scientific research into ayahuasca and conditions like depression, PTSD, and grief is genuinely promising, but it is still early, and we want to be honest: ayahuasca is not a cure, not a treatment, and not a substitute for mental-health care. We cannot promise any specific outcome, and it is not right for everyone — especially some trauma and psychiatric histories, which is exactly why screening matters. If you live with a diagnosed condition or take medication for it, please tell us during your intake and keep working with your own provider. What we offer is a safe, supported ceremonial space, honest preparation, and integration afterward, so that whatever arises can be met with care rather than alone.

Ayahuasca is powerful, and it is not safe for everyone — being honest about that is part of keeping you safe. It temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure and interacts dangerously with certain medications, so it is not appropriate for people with significant heart disease or uncontrolled high blood pressure, a history of stroke, seizures or epilepsy, or diagnoses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or other psychotic conditions, where it may worsen symptoms. It also should not be combined with many psychiatric and other medications. That is why every participant completes a medical and psychological intake before attending. This is not a formality — it is how we decide, together with you, whether you can take part safely, and it is why full honesty about your health and medications matters so much. If something in your history gives us pause, we will talk it through with you directly. Our commitment is simple: we will not bring anyone into ceremony we cannot hold safely.

Our standard policy is that participants are between 18 and 65 years of age. The upper limit exists mainly because ayahuasca temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure and places real demand on the cardiovascular system, and that demand carries more risk as we age and as conditions like hypertension become more common. It is not a judgment about anyone's health or spirit; it is a caution rooted in the body's physical response to the medicine. If you are close to the limit, in good health, and unsure where you stand, the best next step is to contact us and complete a medical intake so we can talk honestly about your specific situation rather than guess from an age alone. Please share this with anyone weighing whether they qualify — it is a conversation we are always glad to have.

We ask people who are pregnant not to participate in ceremony. Ayahuasca is a powerful medicine, it affects the body in significant ways, and there is not enough safety information to responsibly offer it during pregnancy — so out of care for both you and your baby, we wait. If you are breastfeeding, or actively trying to conceive, please talk with us and with your own doctor before booking, so we can make a thoughtful decision together rather than a rushed one. This isn't a closed door forever; it's simply not the right season. If you're planning a family and also feeling called to this work, reach out — we can help you think about timing, and we'll be here when the moment is right. As with anything health-related, your own physician's guidance comes first.

Feeling physically safe is the foundation for letting go, so this is a fair and important question. Our ceremonies are led by experienced facilitators whose entire focus during the night is holding the space and watching over every participant. We screen carefully beforehand precisely to prevent serious medical events, and our team is trained to recognize distress, support someone through a hard moment, and respond to a physical or emotional emergency, including contacting emergency services when that is ever needed. Temporary effects such as nausea, vomiting (“purging”), shaking, or waves of strong emotion are common and expected, and we are right there with you through them. We are glad to answer specific questions about our on-site staffing and emergency procedures — please ask us directly so we can tell you exactly how your retreat is supported.

We would rather answer this honestly than dodge it. Deaths connected to ayahuasca are rare, and when they have happened, they are most often linked to things a careful retreat works hard to prevent: undisclosed heart conditions, dangerous interactions with medications such as antidepressants, other substances added to the brew, or ceremonies held with no screening and no trained support. That is exactly why we screen every participant, ask you to be completely honest about your health and medications, follow the preparation guidelines, and keep experienced facilitators with you throughout. No one can promise that any powerful experience is entirely without risk, and we will never pretend otherwise. What we can tell you is that the safeguards we use exist specifically to address the situations that have led to harm elsewhere. If fear about safety is weighing on you, please bring it to us directly — it is one of the most important conversations we can have before you decide.

Not necessarily all of them — but some medications genuinely cannot be combined with ayahuasca, and this is where safety matters most. Our general guidance is that non-essential medications and supplements are stopped at least two weeks before ceremony, and a longer cleanse is often better. But essential medications, and any decision to pause or change a prescription, must be made with the doctor who prescribed it — never on your own and never just because a website says so. The safest path is simple: list every medication and supplement you take on your medical intake, keep your prescribing doctor in the loop, and let us review it together well before your retreat. Some medications mean we will ask you to choose a later date; a few mean ayahuasca is not safe for you at all. We would always rather have that honest conversation early than discover a problem the night of ceremony.

This is one of the most important medical questions you can ask, so thank you for raising it. Ayahuasca acts as a natural MAOI, and combining it with antidepressants that raise serotonin — SSRIs and SNRIs such as sertraline, fluoxetine, escitalopram, venlafaxine and others — can cause serotonin syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening reaction. Because of that, these medications generally need to be fully cleared from your system before ceremony. The time needed varies by medication: many require roughly two weeks, while some, like fluoxetine, stay in the body far longer and can need four to six weeks or more. Crucially, tapering off an antidepressant is a medical decision that must be planned and supervised by your prescribing doctor — stopping suddenly can be harmful on its own. If you take an antidepressant, please tell us early and work with your provider on a safe plan and timeline. If the timing does not work for one retreat, we will help you look toward a later date.

Ayahuasca temporarily raises heart rate and blood pressure during ceremony, which usually returns to normal within a couple of hours in healthy people. Because of that cardiovascular effect, it is generally not recommended for people with significant heart disease, a history of stroke, or high blood pressure that is not well controlled, and blood-pressure and heart medications can themselves interact with the medicine. This does not automatically rule everyone out — someone with well-controlled blood pressure may be different from someone with an active heart condition — but it does mean your situation needs an individual, honest review during your medical intake, ideally with input from your own doctor. If you experience panic attacks or fear how your heart will respond, please tell us; that is exactly the kind of thing we want to know so we can support you and make a safe decision together. Please do not change any heart or blood-pressure medication without your prescribing doctor.

These come up constantly, and the honest answer is that it depends on the specific substance, so the intake is where we sort it out with you. As a general guide: recreational substances and cannabis should be stopped at least two weeks before ceremony, both for your safety and to prepare your body, and our dieta guidelines cover this in detail. Ketamine and other mind-altering substances also need a clear gap beforehand — the exact timing depends on how and how often you use them, so please tell us specifically. Hormone therapy such as estradiol, GLP-1 medications for weight or blood sugar, and everyday vitamins and herbal supplements all need individual review, because some interact with ayahuasca and some do not. The safe rule is to disclose everything, even things that seem minor, and to change nothing your doctor prescribed without consulting your doctor first. Send us your full list early and we will tell you what needs to pause and for how long.

Preparation is a real part of the medicine, not a hoop to jump through. In the weeks before your retreat we ask you to follow the “dieta” — a period of simple, clean eating and living that helps your body and mind settle and open. In general terms, that means avoiding alcohol, cannabis and recreational substances, and sexual activity for about two weeks beforehand, and in the final week easing off red meat, pork, salt, sugar, spicy and fermented foods, dairy, caffeine, and heavily processed foods. Salt gets asked about most: reducing it supports your body's balance going into ceremony, and letting it go is also a small practice of releasing comfort and attachment before the deeper work begins. Our Diet & Preparation page lists the full timeline. Beyond food, rest well, slow down, and set an intention. The care you bring to preparation tends to be reflected in the depth of the experience itself.

Real life is messier than a list, so let's talk about it honestly. The dieta asks you to ease off caffeine, salt, and other stimulants in the days before ceremony, and the closer you get to your retreat, the more it matters. If cutting caffeine cold gives you severe migraines, that is worth telling us — we would rather help you taper down sensibly than have you suffer, and questions like decaf and a small amount of salt are exactly what we can advise on for your situation. A single slip earlier in the preparation window is not a catastrophe; simply get back on track and let us know if you are worried. The parts of the dieta that are about safety rather than purity — especially avoiding alcohol, cannabis, other drugs, and any medications we have flagged — are firm and not negotiable. When in doubt, ask us rather than guess. We are here to help you arrive prepared, not to shame anyone over a cup of coffee.

Mindset matters as much as diet. You do not need to arrive calm, fixed, or certain — many people come precisely because life is hard right now, and grief, stress, or fear are welcome in the space rather than disqualifying. What helps most is a simple, sincere intention: a question you are carrying, something you want to understand or release. Gentle practices in the weeks before — journaling, time in nature, meditation, slowing down — can help you settle. It is also common to worry that “nothing will surface” or that you don't have big enough problems; in our experience the medicine tends to bring what a person is ready for, sometimes quietly, and a gentle or subtle ceremony is still meaningful. Try to release expectations of a particular outcome. Trust that whatever comes, or doesn't, is met with support, and that integration afterward helps you make sense of it. You will be held either way.

A Pachamama weekend is three days and two nights with two evening ceremonies. Friday opens with a shared meal and an orientation circle so you know what to expect, followed by the first ceremony that night. Saturday is for rest and integration during the day, with the second ceremony that evening. Sunday morning closes the container with group sharing, integration guidance, and a ceremony of gratitude before you head home. A ceremony itself usually takes place in the evening and unfolds over several hours — often around four to six — in a candlelit space with ceremonial music, or icaros, sung and played by our facilitators. You rest on a provided mattress with a facilitation team whose only role is to hold the space for your journey. Music, prayer, quiet, and support carry the night. You are never doing this alone; the structure is designed to hold you from the first prayer to the closing morning.

This is a very common fear, and it deserves a straight answer. Ayahuasca can bring visions — colors, imagery, memories, and strong emotions — and an altered sense of time, so yes, the experience can feel vivid and dreamlike. But most people remain aware of themselves and where they are; you are not knocked unconscious, and you are not made to do anything against your will. Rather than “losing control,” many describe it as softening their grip and letting things move through them, while still able to rest, breathe, ask for support, or use the restroom with help. Experiences vary widely from person to person and even from ceremony to ceremony — some are gentle and reflective, others more intense. Our facilitators are with you the whole time, and part of preparation is learning to trust the process and let go gently. Knowing this ahead of time is exactly why we talk it through before your first night.

We intentionally keep our retreats small so the container stays safe and intimate, and every participant can be genuinely supported. During ceremony you rest on a provided memory-foam mattress in the ceremony room, with sheets, a blanket, and a pillow supplied, and you are welcome to bring anything that adds to your comfort. Outside of ceremony, our standard accommodations include shared dormitory space, with separate dorms for women and men. Ceremonies themselves are held as a group — there is something powerful about journeying alongside others — while the facilitation team keeps close, attentive watch over everyone. Group size varies by retreat and season, so for the exact number of guests and the facilitator-to-participant ratio for the specific date you are considering, please ask us or check that retreat's page. We are always happy to tell you exactly how intimate your weekend will be.

The amount of medicine you receive is not one-size-fits-all, and you are part of the conversation. Our facilitators are experienced in offering a measured serving and then working with you through the evening — in many ceremonies there is an opportunity for a second, smaller cup if it feels right, so the experience can be met gradually rather than all at once. You can ask for less, and you can share concerns about tolerance beforehand. Many people who worry they “asked for too little” later realize they received exactly what they were ready for; the medicine tends to meet you where you are, and more is not automatically better. Trust between you and the facilitators matters here, which is why we encourage you to speak openly about your intentions and any past experiences. There is no prize for intensity. The goal is a safe, meaningful journey, guided by people who have sat with this medicine for many years.

Yes, ceremonies can include frightening, sad, or overwhelming moments — and we prefer to call these difficult passages rather than “bad trips,” because they are often where the most meaningful movement happens. Fear, grief, or resistance can rise up, and that can feel intense in the moment. You will not be left alone in it. Our facilitators are trained to recognize when someone is struggling and to offer grounding presence — a calm voice, help with breathing, reassurance, a hand to hold, support to the restroom, or simply steady company until the wave passes. Difficult moments almost always soften, and many people describe the hardest part of a ceremony as the doorway to the greatest relief. If you have had scary psychedelic experiences before, please tell us; knowing your history helps us support you better. The safety of the container, the preparation, and the people beside you are exactly what make it possible to move through the hard parts rather than around them.

Purging — which can mean vomiting, and sometimes other forms of release — is a common and expected part of the ayahuasca experience, not a sign that something has gone wrong. Many traditions understand it as the body and spirit letting go of what no longer serves you, and people frequently describe feeling lighter and clearer afterward. Not everyone purges, and it does not mean the medicine is or isn't “working.” We prepare for it as a normal part of ceremony: each participant is given their own purge bucket, tissues, and support close at hand, and facilitators are right there to help if you need it. The dieta beforehand is partly designed to make this gentler on your system. If the thought of getting sick worries you, that is completely understandable — it is one of the most common concerns we hear, and knowing it is expected, supported, and often a relief tends to ease the fear a great deal.

Thank you for naming this honestly — fear like yours is common and worth taking seriously. For most people, difficult emotions that arise in ceremony move through and settle, often followed by relief. But we won't pretend the answer is the same for everyone. For certain psychiatric histories — particularly conditions on the psychosis spectrum, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder — ayahuasca can worsen symptoms, which is one of the central reasons we screen so carefully. If you live with depression or anxiety, that alone does not necessarily rule you out, but it does mean your intake conversation matters, and staying connected to your own mental-health provider is wise. If you have had frightening psychedelic experiences before, please tell us in detail; it genuinely helps us prepare and support you, and it may shape whether and how you participate. Being scared is not a reason to hide — it is a reason to talk with us openly so we can make a caring, informed decision together.

Integration is how the insights from ceremony become lasting change in everyday life — and in many ways it is where the real work continues after the weekend ends. Our retreats build in integration time, including group sharing and guidance on Sunday, and we hold ongoing integration meetings to help you make sense of what came up and carry it forward through practices like journaling, reflection, and community support. As for returning to work: most people can, but we gently encourage you to give yourself a little breathing room if you can. A day or two of rest before jumping back into a demanding schedule lets the experience settle and helps you feel grounded. People process at different paces — some feel clear and energized quickly, others feel tender and reflective for a few days. If your retreat ends and work is looming, plan for softness rather than a hard landing. Our Integration page has more on how we support you in the weeks that follow.

There is no set number, because this is a personal path rather than a course of treatment. Some people find a single weekend gives them what they came for; others feel called to return over time and describe the work as building on itself, each ceremony opening onto the next layer. Our weekend includes two ceremonies for this reason — they often complement one another. When it comes to returning, we generally encourage giving yourself real time in between to integrate before sitting again, rather than rushing back. Let life reflect the insights first. If you feel pulled to return but aren't sure whether it's the right moment — especially if integration from a previous ceremony has felt hard or unfinished — that is a great thing to talk through with us. We would rather help you find the right timing than have you sit again before you're ready. Listening honestly to yourself, with support, is the best guide.

This is a fair question, and we hear it often. Some people believe ayahuasca can only be “real” deep in the Amazon. We honor that view, and we see it differently: what makes ceremony meaningful is the medicine, the lineage of the people holding it, and the care of the container — not the country you're standing in. Our facilitators come from traditions that have worked with this medicine for generations, and they bring that lineage into our sanctuaries in Maine and Florida. Holding this work in the United States also means you can prepare properly, arrive rested rather than jet-lagged and depleted, be screened carefully, and integrate close to home with ongoing support — all of which can deepen the experience rather than diminish it. For many people, traveling thousands of miles simply isn't safe, affordable, or realistic. We're grateful to make sincere, well-held ceremony accessible here. If comparing options is part of your discernment, we're happy to talk openly about how we work.

You do not need to belong to any particular religion, or be religious at all, to attend. Pachamama Sanctuary is a ceremonial spiritual community rooted in reverence for Pachamama, Mother Earth, and we welcome people of every faith and background; you can read our Statement of Beliefs and Church Doctrine to understand our spirituality. Many guests come from Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, secular, and other backgrounds and find the space respectful of wherever they are. On legality: we hold and serve ayahuasca as the sacrament of our church, within the framework of religious-freedom protections for sincere religious practice in the United States. This is a genuinely complex and evolving area of law, and we want to be careful not to overstate it, so we are glad to speak with you directly about how we operate and answer specific questions about our church and practice. If legal questions are important to your decision, please reach out and we will talk them through with you.

We offer several kinds of retreats so you can find the one that fits where you are. Most weekends are open to everyone, and we also hold dedicated women's retreats, which some people find offers a particular sense of safety and sisterhood for the work; the ceremony and care are the same, with a container shaped for that group. Different weekends are guided by different facilitators, so if you feel drawn to a particular teacher you can choose a date accordingly. We also have two sanctuaries: our original forest home in Casco, Maine, about forty minutes from Portland, and our Orlando, Florida location about twenty minutes from the airport — pick whichever is easier to travel to and feels right for you. Each retreat's page lists the dates, facilitators, and location. If you're unsure which is the best fit, tell us a little about what you're looking for and we'll help you choose.

Plenty of people come alone, and plenty come with a partner, friend, or family member — both are completely welcome, and many say arriving solo becomes part of the experience, since you're immediately among a supportive community. If you'd like to attend alongside a loved one who will also sit with the medicine, you can register together; if someone wants to come who does not want to take the medicine, whether that can be accommodated depends on the specific retreat and space, so please contact us to arrange it. Retreat pricing varies by date and location; each retreat's page lists the current cost and exactly what's included, and we periodically offer scholarships, so ask us if cost is a barrier. Once you register, we send preparation details, but in general plan to bring comfortable, loose clothing, layers for warmth, personal comfort items, and toiletries; showers are available. For any logistics question — dates, payment balance, travel, packing — just reach out and we'll walk you through it.