After doing due diligence regarding the benefits and safety of psilocybin mushrooms, I was invited by a friend to attend one of the Ancient Awakenings retreats. It was amazing.

The first evening I experienced the Sweat Lodge where I learned and shared in the custom of a very wise culture many centuries old. The next day involved sessions of meditation, breathing exercises, and discussions regarding our motives and the desires we wanted to achieve from the psilocybin ceremony.

Sunshine (her original first name), our Medicine Woman, who also teaches college with a PhD, took time during the discussions to determine a proper dosage and explained in detail several optional plant based medicines available to assist in grounding us in preparing for the ceremony. I had read many articles about people who had bad experiences without the right setting and preparation. In fact, the whole agenda was organized to eliminate anxiety and fear so that the various purposes that the different participants had would be more likely to be fulfilled.
Partaking for the first time Hape’, followed by a medium size dose of the mushroom sacrament, I enjoyed three relaxing hours of beautiful music and psychedelics, while being able to deeply meditate on my life and priorities for the future. I will certainly be back and want to go deeper to learn and discover whatever my subconscious may reveal and to increase my ability to mediate and to focus on more important things. Scientific evidence abounds that this often occurs.

This was followed on the third day with integration. Having become acquainted in this first short weekend with all four founders, the sincerity and dedication of each of them was clearly exhibited. They all have advanced educations and their work at AATHA is a ministry of love and is certainly not about money. They wanted very much to assist and help guide us to the positive things we were seeking.

Tim Zeak
Lakeland, FL