As we grow and develop as a premiere destination for wellness-oriented psychedelic experiences in the western world, we are perpetually delighted to come across news and features coverage about the psilocybin retreat industry in various media publications. “Magic mushrooms,” once just the pursuit of long-haired alternative lifestylers (i.e. “hippies”) in the 1960s and early 70s, is all the rage these days for more well-heeled world travelers and bon vivants who are seeking authentic spiritual and deeper psychological experiences within themselves. Psilocybin therapy is also being discovered to offer tremendous advantages for the human brain that is dealing with depression and myriad other mental conditions, and scientists and clinicians are watching these developments closely. Since for many decades this research was considered illegal, the discoveries are proving to be promising and remarkable.
We found this article recently from Amuse, billed as the “premium travel and experiences platform” from Vice magazine. Although the coverage is a bit on the playful side – “Trip of a Lifetime” – how journalists love their puns! – and also really colorful – “a closer look at the hallucinogenic healing craze taking the travel world by storm” – we found the core of the reporting to be respectful and also appreciative of the Big Picture vision that Evolution Retreats and other psilocybin retreat centers are working to bring – like Prometheus brought fire to cold and darkened humans – to wellness and awareness-hungry self-actualizers.
As the article conveys it:
“These 21st century retreats signal a cross between a luxurious spa and a professional therapy centre, where psychedelic mushrooms serve as tuning fork for a higher state of being. Places where a mind-altering ‘trip’ happens on a wellness holiday rather than at a sketchy warehouse party. . . Most people assume that science and spirituality don’t play well together. Yet research has started to catch up with what Shaman healers have been advocating for years. Much of it represents a revival of research done in the 1960s, when psilocybin was viewed as a mental health breakthrough. Before 1965, there were 1,000 published studies and six international conferences dedicated to the drugs. . . Issues around legality and morality then killed off studies, but now, institutions like Johns Hopkins and Imperial College London are picking up where previous research left off, finding psilocybin to be effective at treating cancer-related depression, treatment-resistant depression, and smoking cessation.
Scientists aren’t exactly sure how psilocybin works, but one analogy offered is that of an unbaked vase. ‘Psilocybin brings your mind into an acute plastic state, like a ceramic before it goes in the kiln – in that state, your brain is malleable,’ reveals Matthew W. Johnson, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioural Science from Johns Hopkins University. ‘As such, you can be prompted to reflect and change in a much more direct manner than you would normally be impelled to.’”
We like how Dr. Johnson thinks, and our experiences as well as the experiences of our guests who embark on our psilocybin ceremonies support his findings. We’re so glad that the world is catching up to what the ancients knew all along! Come and join us, won’t you? Begin by completing our application form to get the process started.
If you have further questions before you apply, you can contact us here to have a conversation.
To read the full Amuse article and reporting on magic mushroom retreats, please follow this link!
Steve is the Executive Director of New Pathways Clinic, our sister company that provides Ketamine treatments for treatment resistant psychiatric conditions in Cleveland, OH. Motivated by his own success in achieving remission for multiple psychiatric diagnoses through various psychedelic therapies, he opened New Pathways Clinic and partnered with Evolution Resorts to help others struggling achieve mental wellness. His goal is to make sure the Evolution Resorts provides the same level of care to its patrons that can be expected from future psychedelic clinics in America once psilocybin is authorized by the FDA as a medicine for depression and other mental health conditions.
Ever since he graduated from Ohio State with a major in Psychology, he has not stopped pursuing knowledge about new treatments available in the realm of mental health. As a vigorous consumer of research publications, he will always be ready to answer any questions anyone has about psychedelic therapies or alternative options for treatment in the United States. Steve will ensure Evolution Resorts continues to update its procedures to match the most up to date science on psilocybin therapy.