Frequently Asked Questions

Beyond being an ideal setting for both its beauty and energy, Mexico is actually the birthplace of the modern psychedelic resurgence. In 1955, after years spent chasing down reports of the clandestine use of magic mushrooms among indigenous Mexicans, R. Gordon Wasson, an amateur mycologist from New York was introduced to them by María Sabina, a curandera (healer, or shaman) in southern Mexico. Wasson’s awed first-person account of his psychedelic journey during a nocturnal mushroom ceremony was published in LIFE Magazine and inspired several scientists, including Timothy Leary, a well-regarded psychologist doing personality research at Harvard, to take up the study of psilocybin. After trying magic mushrooms in Cuernavaca, in 1960, Leary conceived the Harvard Psilocybin Project to study the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. Thus the psychedelic revolution of the 1960’s was born.

Beyond that, Mexico is simply gorgeous with rich landscapes, history, cuisine, and culture. Our intention of holding ceremonies in Mexico is that even without psilocybin mushrooms, you will be in a healing environment different from your day to day life — one that offers you space to go deep within yourself and heal.

From the Greek for “mind manifesting.” The term was coined in 1956 by Humphry Osmond in a letter to Aldous Huxley to describe substances like psilocybin mushrooms that can produce non-ordinary states of consciousness such as those experienced in deep meditation, near-death experiences, and even mystical experiences.

It is in this state of consciousness that psilocybin can lead to healing and growth at a cognitive, emotional, and spiritual level.

Psilocybin is the active psychedelic compound in magic mushrooms.

Psilocybin mushrooms are non-toxic. There is no known lethal dose of psilocybin or psilocybin containing mushrooms. Since these mushrooms are non-toxic, there is no chance of overdosing or poisoning .

According to Kilindi Iyi, a prominent pioneer in the field, “Psilocybin is safer than Reese’s Pieces. They can’t kill you, you can’t overdose, and it’s nonaddictive. As a matter of fact, it’s anti-addictive. It’s a very ancient and sacred compound that’s been used for eons by many different cultures, in Africa, South America, Australia, and Europe.”

“Set” refers to your mindset and your intention, whereas “setting” is your physical, social and cultural environment. If you’re going on a psychedelic journey, you will want to make sure both of these are positive, comfortable and relaxed.

To create a setting that is conducive to a positive psychedelic experience, consider all aspects of your physical surroundings:

• Comfort – You will want to be somewhere you can feel as comfortable as possible, with space to sit, lie down and walk around. Somewhere with plenty of soft furnishings isideal. It’s quite common to alternate between feeling hot and cold at the start of a psychedelic experience, so comfortable clothes and blankets are handy!

• Privacy – It is usually best to be in a place that’s private, where you won’t be disrupted. It can be a good idea to put your phone on airplane mode to minimize distractions from the outside world. If you’re tripping with other people, it can be useful to designate a separate room, or a quiet area where you can go to be by yourself, should you feel the need.

• People – It’s really important to have the right people around you when you use psychedelics – people you feel comfortable around, and people you trust. Ideally, you’ll have an experienced, sober tripsitter or guide to help give you support.

• Cleanliness – Make sure that the area is clean, tidy and clear of clutter. A tidy, harmonious space can put you in a more relaxed frame of mind, which can lead to a more positive experience.

• Music – Your choice of music can be an extremely important part of a psychedelic experience. A recent study found that music supports meaning-making, emotionality, and mental imagery, and suggested that music plays an important role in facilitating positive outcomes of psychedelic therapy. Another study from the Beckley Foundation and Imperial College London found that music appears to act as a guide, leading the listener to different psychological places. The study suggested that it can be helpful to use a playlist of songs that you know and like, and that will help you to feel calm and relaxed. In general, avoid overly aggressive or discordant types of music, as these can contribute to challenging experiences.

• Nature – A 2020 study found that psychedelics produce an enduring increase in people’s sense of being connected to nature, so it’s not surprising that a lot of people like to be in a natural setting, such as the woods, when using psychedelics. Bear in mind, however, that this can be more risky – it can be easier to get lost or injured, and you might cross paths with people who are less than sympathetic to your altered state. If it’s your first time using psychedelics, it’s usually better to be in a familiar, private space.

“Set” refers to your frame of mind. It’s important to approach the experience with a positive, open and curious attitude. Ideally, you won’t be entering the experience with unresolved worries about your work or personal life, and you won’t have any looming responsibilities or fears that are playing on your mind. If you do, these are likely to be amplified, which can lead to a very challenging experience .

This isn’t to say that you should be in perfect mental health before you can use psychedelics. On the contrary, many people use psychedelics to help process past trauma, or to deal with the root cause of their anxieties. The important thing is to feel comfortable in your expectations and intentions, and to be clear about why you are taking this step. If your aim is to deal with specific personal issues, then be open to exploring them deeply, without resistance.

Our participants often feel a sense of interconnectedness, heightened creativity, relaxation, openness, oneness, joy, clarity, emotional release, unblocked energies, stress reduction, and gratitude.

Beyond the emotions listed above, it’s also normal to experience difficult emotions at times. Keep in mind that difficult is not the same as bad. Sometimes unresolved trauma, blockages, and negative beliefs can surface. This is an excellent opportunity to lean into it, confront it, and work through it. With this attitude, you’re unlikely to have a “bad trip”. In fact, challenging experiences often wind up being our most valuable learnings and can lead to accelerated expansion, healing, and growth. Our guiding principle in a psychedelic journey is to surrender to the experience, trust the process, and resist nothing.

Psilocybin mushrooms are non-toxic with no known lethal dose. Beyond the body, however, you may have heard of psychological associated risks such as a “bad trip”.

The risk of a bad trip is greatly minimized with simple factors such as having an experienced guide present, being in a safe environment, and proper preparation.

We work closely with you from the time of our first meeting to ensure that you feel safe and confident going into your ceremony.

We also send you preparation material such as curated book recommendations, meditation instruction, and lectures so that you are properly “primed” going into your psychedelic experience.

Plant-based psychedelics have been used for thousands of years for holistic healing. In fact, early ritualistic use of hallucinogenic mushrooms may date as far back as 9,000 years ago. Some anthropologists have argued that mushrooms held a central place in many early cultures — including Greece, India and Mesoamerican cultures — and have had a profound impact on human evolution.

We are finally living in an age where the effects of psychedelic substances can be properly studied and understood through a scientific lens.

Johns Hopkins researchers found that using small amounts of psilocybin in a controlled setting could lead to life-changing positive experiences that increased longterm psychological well-being. Fourteen months after the experience, a full 94 percent of the study’s subjects ranked taking psilocybin in a therapeutic setting as one of the top five most meaningful experiences of their lives, and 39 percent said it was the single most meaningful experience of their lives.

Every month, new research and trials are being carried out extolling the benefits of psychedelics to mental and emotional health. Modern research has found that psilocybin can, quite literally, expand consciousness.

Due to this research, we also understand more than ever how to mitigate the risk associated with taking psychedelic substances.

Studies are showing that with proper preparation by the person taking the psychedelic, under proper guidance, and with the proper set and setting, psilocybin mushrooms have been shown to be highly effective with little risk involved.

Ultimately, the evidence around psychedelic plant medicine is quickly proving to be one of the most significant breakthroughs in mental health of our time.

To learn more, feel free to visit our Resources Page.

We typically offer Psilocybin Mushroom Retreats and 1-on 1 Sessions.

Our 1-on-1 Sessions tend to cost much less than most retreats you’ll find (including our own retreats) due to lodging, cleaning, food, staff, and transportation expenses.

In order to make Mexico Psychedelic as accessible as possible, we are currently only offering 1-on-1 Sessions and limited private retreats.

You can learn more about our 1-on-1 Sessions HERE or can book a free consultation HERE.

We are based in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and are serviced by an international airport less than half an hour away. Uber and taxis are readily available in and around Puerto Vallarta.

Our ceremony space is located in a secluded, safe, gated, and tranquil location in the Centro neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta a few blocks from the beautiful Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the former home of Elizabeth Taylor (now known as Casa Kimberly).

We strongly believe in the healing qualities of psilocybin (magic mushrooms) to help with healing, self-realization, and growth. We therefore strive to offer the medicine in a ceremonial setting at a reasonable price.

Price wise - we are a 100% donation based organization and stay operational through donations. We have been fortunate that this model has been sustainable so far.

Please fill out our questionnaire and tell us about yourself and why you feel called to experience the mushroom medicine in a ceremonial setting in Mexico. If your questionnaire is accepted, Rio, our director, will get in touch with you for a cost-free one hour consultation.

Thank you, truly.

Our 1-on-1 psychedelic sessions are based around the Johns Hopkins psilocybin protocols mixed with shamanic healing traditions. We begin with a free 1-hour consultation to get to know each other and determine if we are the appropriate facilitators to guide your experience. We will discuss intentions, expectations, potential outcomes, the process, and our code of ethics, as well as answer any questions you may have. It’s extremely important when working with psychedelics to develop a bond of trust and a sense of safety between participants and facilitators.

On the day of the ceremony, we begin with grounding and breathing exercises. We will align on intentions and go over your “flight instructions” i.e. what you might expect to happen during your mushroom trip. We will come prepared with a music playlist of medicine songs, along with a few meaningful songs of your choosing. Under the sensory deprivation of an eye mask and noise-canceling headphones, you will be placed in your own world of sound, visions, and profound experiences that the mushrooms will lead you through. An experienced facilitator will be present during the entire trip to support your energetic, emotional, and physical needs.

As the mushrooms begin to wear off, you will have time to integrate back into the physical realm and will have the opportunity to share your experience and review any insights that you may have learned.

Two weeks after your psychedelic session, we will schedule a follow-up call with you in order to discuss how your integration is coming along and answer any questions that may have arisen.

As powerful as a mushroom session can be, your healing is a journey and not a one-time event. In order to foster continued growth beyond psychedelics, we believe in the importance of having a consistent personal-development practice in place that leads to an attitude of respect and kindness for oneself and others. We help you develop this in yourself so that you can become your own teacher and, in turn, be able teach others and serve your communities at home.

Rio Hondo is the director of Mexico Psychedelic and has been using psychedelics to facilitate growth and healing for himself and others for over 18 years and has helped facilitate psychedelic ceremonies with over 200 people. He has also closely followed the recent resurgence in psychedelic research carried out by preeminent academic institutions such as Johns Hopkins, NYU, and the Imperial College of London. Rio incorporates many of these methodologies into his psychedelic ceremonies and retreats as medical trials and peer reviewed research continues to show the efficacy of this methodology with reduced risk and life-changing results.

In addition to modern western research, Rio has garnered a healthy understanding of traditional shamanistic plant medicine practices and has traveled extensively to visit with, and sometime live among, indigenous cultures that have used psychedelics for hundreds, if not thousands of years. In this time, he has developed the closest relationship with Psilocybin Mushrooms and Ayahuasca. He has co-facilitated ceremonies in New York, Los Angeles, and Peru, and studied under the guidance of a Shipibo Maestro in the Amazon Jungle. Rio also lived in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico for over a year and in that time developed a strong relationship with mushrooms. He has developed a close relationship with Mazatec and Zapotec communities where mushrooms have been consumed for healing, visions, and connection to God for countless generations. He has also received blessings from these communities to cary out this work, including a blessing from the family of Maria Sabina (the Mazateca Curandera responsible for introducing psychedelic mushrooms to the Western World) - this is something he does not take lightly.

Our larger team is composed of people trained in yoga, breath work, and nutrition who have developed confidence in their abilities as psychedelic facilitators through years of experience and ongoing study of psychedelic research. With a knowledge in psychedelics spanning nearly two decades, we give you the opportunity to experience psilocybin mushrooms with a trained facilitator in a secure location, with controlled dosing and supervision, and with appropriate integrative support.

Please be advised that as facilitators we are experienced psychedelic professionals but we are not doctors or psychotherapists. Your safety is of the utmost importance to us and our objective is to make mushrooms and their healing potential accessible within a safe environment. We operate through a specific code of ethics and we work with you to develop a plan that will allow you to feel safe and cared for during your experience.

If for any reason you change your mind and feel this is not the right time for you to have a psychedelic mushroom experience, there is no harm done in canceling your ceremony and receiving a full refund. It’s important to feel in a grounded state of mind and to be in good health in order to have the most beneficial experience.

Only you know the answer to this question. Sit still and go inward to ask yourself some of the following questions to help gain insight:

• Are there certain blockages you are hoping to move through?

• Do you want to let go of self-limiting beliefs, negative patterns, or fears?

• Do you wish to be less anxious or depressed?

• Do you want to experience more love - either in your relationships or with yourself?

• Are you wanting to let go of any addictions?

• Do you feel stuck in where you are in life and experience trepidation about the future?

• Do you feel dull, unmotivated, and unsure about your purpose or meaning in life?

• Are you struggling with anger, resentment, or bitterness towards past or current events?

• Are you experiencing sadness, grief, or the difficulty of letting go of something?

Scientists and professional researchers are providing remarkable evidence that a psilocybin mushroom journey can be helpful with all of the above. If know you’d like to experience a mushroom session for yourself, take the first step by reaching out to us HERE.