Every year, groups of people flock to Treasure Beach in Jamaica with the same goal: to become happier, more content people. MyrcoMeditations is a lush retreat that focuses on the intentional use of psilocybin mushrooms as a wellness practice. While the company recognizes the long and beautiful history of magic mushrooms in shamanic practices, they shy away from new-age ceremonies and rituals. Instead, they let the experience of psilocybin speak for itself, guiding their attendees through magical psychedelic psilocybin trips.
You may be wondering how a microdosing retreat is even legal. Unlike many parts of the world, growing, selling, administering, and consuming psilocybin mushrooms in Jamaica is completely acceptable. Although not technically ‘legal’, it is considered an unregulated substance by the government. Over the years, it has brought an enormous amount of growth and prosperity to communities across Jamaica. MycroMeditations owns its own cultivation company which is 100% operated by locals which helps their community maintain economic stability.
A Quick Microdosing 101
Microdosing, or the act of taking very small amounts of drugs to reap health and wellness benefits without producing whole-body and mind effects, has become incredibly popular in recent years. You can microdose on most drugs, but the most common drugs to practice with are LSD and magic mushrooms, scientifically called psilocybin.
Although these drugs are still illegal in the USA, there have been major movements to change that. As of 2021, the cities of Denver, Oakland, Santa Cruz, Washington D.C., and Somerville and Cambridge, Massachusetts have decriminalized the use of psilocybin. As of last year, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize psilocybin and legalize it for therapeutic usage.
The MycroMeditation Experience
MyrcoMeditation is a seven-night retreat with three guided doses of psilocybin mushrooms. One of the most important aspects of the experience at MycroMeditation is figuring out each person’s correct dose. Everyone is different, which is why they take care to decipher the perfect dose per person, depending on their experiences with psychedelics in the past, their body size, overall anxiety and nervousness, and more.
Interestingly, the potency of each mushroom within the same harvest can vary greatly. To ensure that their dosage is streamlined, they dry out their mushrooms, crush them into powder form, and insert the mushroom powder into .5 gram capsules for safe administration.
The retreat hosts groups of between 12 and 16 people at once, allowing members to feel a sense of communal bond and shared experience. There are opportunities to have one-on-one discussions with the facilitators to help attendees process their emotions and thoughts to improve personal growth.
Anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, and other mental illnesses are common and deep-rooted into our psychology. MycroMeditation facilitators believe that there is no such thing as a ‘bad trip’ and whatever the mushrooms stir up within you is what needs attention the most. They ask attendees to welcome the challenges and hardships that may present themselves during a session and to use their experiences to help guide healing conversations.
Outside of their psychedelic trips, attendees can enjoy the lush retreat grounds and beaches amongst their other group members. There are opportunities for group therapy and one-on-one talk therapy to help each person process their experience.
The Science & Research
Starting in 2018, attendees of MycroMeditation’s retreat have contributed to the Ceremony Study conducted by the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. Here, participants are interviewed and researched in the weeks after their psilocybin experience to better understand the healing effects of the mushroom.
The Ceremony Study researches feelings of depression, psychological well-being, social connectedness, and overall mystical experiences. Studies were done using the Watts Connectedness Scale (WCS) - which measures the degree of connection that each attendee felt to themselves, the world, and the people around them - showed that participants felt a 35% increase in overall connectedness for over 6 weeks post-experience. Similarly, using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology Scale (QIDS) - which assesses degrees of depression - showed that participants felt 51% less depressed after four weeks post-experience and 34% less depressed up to six months after attending.
Dozens of 5-star reviews left by satisfied customers prove the effectiveness of MycroMediation’s retreat. It is clear that the retreat is groundbreaking for most, allowing them to live fuller and more comfortable lives in its wake.
Retreat Options
You probably aren’t surprised that attending one of MyrcoMediation’s retreats costs a pretty penny. Each retreat option reaches far into the thousands of dollars range depending on how high-end you want your experience to be.
All of the accommodations come with hot water, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and meals. The most expensive retreat options come with a renowned chef cooking you a three-course dinner daily.
Before you can dive into the crystal blue Jamaican waters and experience the power of psilocybin, you’ll have to fill out an extensive application, which covers your mental and physical medical history, reasons for wanting to attend, any trauma or abuse you have experienced in your lifetime, medications, substance abuses, previous experience with psychedelics and more. Once your application is approved, you can finalize your trip.
If you’re interested in trying non-psychedelic mushrooms to improve your mental and physical well-being, consider Alchemi Mushrooms. We grow all of our organic mushrooms on our family farms to create daily capsules and adaptogenic powders to improve your daily life.
