Thank you. I’ve found that honesty is essential in all dealings. As much as it may sting me personally to read your review, I consider each person to come through ceremony, like yourself, as an absolute jewel. As for the medicine, even for people who have sat before, I’ve noticed that just because someone has sat in other circles doesn’t mean I can assume how they’ll respond to it. So, until someone coming in for the first time has had one or two doses it’s hard for me to gauge how they’ll sit with it. There’s no need from the get-go to overwhelm people with more medicine than they can navigate. That said, some people take the first dose and it takes them deeply straight through to a gentle landing in the morning. For others it takes two or more. It’s just one of the reasons we leave the alter open for doses straight through the evening. So, I strongly encourage people to come back up to the alter when they feel it’s time for more. But, as you know, the amount of medicine isn’t the final arbiter.

Some nights for some people, regardless of the amount of medicine they drink, they simply arrive at a place of silence and inner peace, simple tranquility. They may not have been bedazzled by visions that night as others around them sink deep into the medicine, but I’ve watched as they’ve taken that tranquility and brought it into their daily lives. I want everyone to get the absolute most out of it. And of course, there’s a whole range of emotional states that can emerge on any given night.

As for cell phone use, there can be occasions when our team needs to quickly check notes or quite naturally call ahead in the morning before the end of ceremony for someone’s ride. We’re not there to dither with cell phones. So, I can assure you it’s not a regular thing, but I will vet it with our team to see what they’re seeing on this, because I don’t like it either.

As for holding space with reverence, I’ve seen occasions where the entire room erupts into sudden laughter, and other occasions where gentle tears pervade the room. And yes, I’ve had to remind our facilitator crew to check their mirth, their utter joy for the moment. I can’t blame them, but still. In the maloca, we’ll have a whole spectrum of personal histories in the room that need to be weighed in balance. That said, even the person with stage-four cancer may erupt into giggles and laughter after profound and lengthy tears. There’s a middle path, and we don’t always hit it. But your words are well received. We’re seeking to hold space with love and compassion, honoring each person’s experience, insights, intuition, and direct observations. It’s certainly true, love heals everything.

Our circles may seem large given your own experience. So, it invites natural comparison to your past ceremonies with other circles. That said, I’ve observed with wonder how the group helps to heal the group, just with each person attending to their own experience, their own heart; and that spills into the space. We have a sizable facilitator group that allows at least one member to journey deeply at any given time as need be. I’m OK with that, they don’t need to be up on their feet at all times. But they can be and are as needed. I’ve found our crew attentive without being invasive of people’s journeys. But if you have observations in the particular on our presence and management within the space, please email me at [email protected]; they’ll be instructive, and I’d be personally appreciative.

Ceremony never really seems to end for me. So, there’s certainly no reason to argue with your experience, that would be absurd, since what you have to write is true. After years of building this church, I’m simply viewing from another angle. After nearly a decade of dedicated work with our community growing our church and coming up on 15 years personally working with La Medicina, I’ve been astonished and genuinely inspired by people’s growth. And that’s why it’s absolutely vital to hear you on this, to really take it in. To see what we can do to acknowledge, to improve, to inspire. I’m listening. You’ve raised my awareness. We’re in constant need of growth and improvement, acknowledgment and cleansing. I hope and trust we can live up to what you’re asking from us here.

If you’re interested in reading more about how we spend our additional time and resources, visit our website to read more about our rainforest conservation project, our support work with combat veterans, and our proactive civil-rights work in Federal court.

My name is Scott Stanley. Let me tell you, it can be challenging to stand up with your full name, reputation, family, and life’s work in the balance . . . particularly in Federal court as we are now in securing all of our community’s right to freely practice by suing the Federal government to do it. We seek to maintain the calm and confident safety of each participant, each member of our church, at every level, including enforcing a protective legal umbrella. And since we haven’t had a Robert Smith come through ceremony, let me encourage you to use your actual name in your review. Quite seriously. It will allow us to continue a constructive dialog on a personal basis. But I could see how you might be reticent to use your own name. No worries. Feel free to reach out to me in the above email. You have my ear.