Guides

What “ayahuasca church” can mean, what the label and nonprofit status do and don’t tell you about safety, and what to ask about money and membership.

Searching for a bufo ceremony near you? How to check a facilitator’s staffing, screening and emergency plan, and when to walk away.

Looking for a Kambo ceremony near you? What a certificate does and doesn’t mean, what to ask about screening, water and emergencies, and when to walk away.

A plain guide to the ayahuasca traditions you meet in listings, from Shipibo healers and mestizo vegetalismo to Santo Daime, the UDV and newer churches.

What hapé (rapé) snuff and sananga eye drops are, what research says about their risks, and what to ask before either is offered to you.

Why group size and the number of sober, trained helpers matter in a ceremony, what written ratios exist, and what to ask before you book.

The main kinds of psilocybin retreat and how to check each one’s screening, staffing, sober sitters and aftercare before you book.

Searching for an ayahuasca retreat near you? Your real options, how to search listings by state, how to check a group is real, and local red flags.

What research on veterans at psychedelic retreats shows, the safety issues that matter most for veterans, questions to ask a center, and where to get help.

What US federal law and the courts say about ayahuasca: DMT’s Schedule I status, the UDV and Santo Daime cases, DEA exemptions and state laws.