FAQ
After registering, you will receive a questionnaire from us by email. For your and our safety, we ask you to complete it as completely and honestly as possible. These questions are about your physical and mental health. There are also questions about you, what's important in your life, and your motivation for participating. This is because some medications are incompatible with Psilohuasca (which consists of an MAO-inhibiting plant and magic truffles and can slightly increase heart rate and blood pressure). Our team can provide you with information about this, but we always recommend consulting with your doctor or pharmacist to ensure it is safe for you to participate with your medication. This also applies to certain illnesses or conditions. We want to do everything we can to eliminate any health risks.
Safety is paramount at MindTravellers. In some cases, we strongly advise against taking a Psilohuasca journey. Some medications, like Psilohuasca, contain an MAO inhibitor. These combinations can be contraindicated. Medications that do not interact well with Psilohuasca include antidepressants, blood pressure lowering medications, and beta-blockers. Certain physical and mental conditions can also be contraindicated. In such cases, it is unwise and sometimes even dangerous to participate. See also:
https://hulpgids.nl/informatie/medicijnen/serotoninesyndroom/
We ask that you stop taking antidepressants completely at least several weeks beforehand. Follow a sensible tapering schedule, don't stop abruptly, and always consult your doctor beforehand.
We'll check everything for you using the health declaration form you'll receive. Take this very seriously and, if in doubt, always consult with us, your doctor, or your pharmacist.
To get the most out of your journey, we recommend, if possible, spending two weeks preparing mentally, physically, and energetically. The right mindset (intention, physical state of mind) and setting (the circumstances in which Plant Medicine is consumed, guidance, ritual, music, etc.) largely determine the outcome of your experience. Physical and energetic preparation means avoiding dairy and red meat before the ceremony. Minimize coffee, salt, and sugar. This allows you to start your journey as "purely" as possible.
These preparations also help with your entire process, as you are consciously cleansing yourself. For 48 hours before and 48 hours after the journey, it's best to avoid foods containing tyramine, as these can raise your blood pressure during the ceremony. Tyramine is found in, among other things: Alcohol (including non-alcoholic beer), various types of cheese, processed meat and fish, and game products. The day before the journey, eat as light as possible and consume little to no fat. This will help keep your blood pressure as low as possible. It also reduces the risk of nausea and headaches.
It's best not to eat anything during the last few hours before the journey. For two weeks leading up to the ceremony, avoid drugs, alcohol, medications (if possible, consult with us or your doctor), nasal sprays, and supplements. The contraceptive pill is an exception. Take this well in advance of your trip due to the possibility of vomiting. Tip: download the Trip app (Psychedelic Guidance from Field Trip Health), which contains many wonderful meditations, news, and other tools to help you prepare for your trip.
Just as important as having a good reason to travel with us is thinking about setting an intention. It's like preparing a compass for your journey. This way, you can get the most out of it. What do you hope to achieve with your journey? What do you want to get out of it? A psychedelic experience isn't just anything; conscious preparation provides a foundation; setting—or thinking about—an intention is part of that.
Think about this carefully over the next few days and write it down if you like. You can share this intention in the group session beforehand if you'd like, but of course, you decide for yourself whether you want to do so.
And then the day of the trip arrives. Upon arrival, we'll first show you all our rooms.
If you have booked a group trip, we will first do an introduction round so that everyone gets to know each other a little.
We then start with an information session in which we explain how the ceremony will proceed, what you can expect and how we work together.
Before the journey begins, your intentions will be shared. If you prefer to keep these private, that's fine too. Afterward, you'll be served tea, and then you'll lie down on your mattress and close your eyes. We've created beautiful music that complements these psychedelic journeys. This allows you to connect with your deepest emotions. Of course, we, as guides, are always nearby to help you if things get difficult. The journey itself lasts approximately 4 to 6 hours. Afterwards, there will be a vegetarian meal with a healthy soup and plenty of time to share your experiences, either alone or with others.
Magic truffles work for 4-6 hours, sometimes longer. Psilohuasca can take longer, including the onset and "descending" phase, which can take 7-8 hours.
Yes, that's possible. Even though you're in your own world during your trip, you can still see and somewhat understand the normal world. If you need to go to the bathroom, you can simply get up and walk.
You'll always be accompanied by a MindTravellers instructor to ensure you don't lose your balance. We'll make sure you go to the toilet and return to your mattress safely.
Be sure to bring comfortable clothes. Since we don't wear shoes in the ceremony room, it's nice to bring slippers or flip-flops. Also, bring everything you need for your overnight stay with us.
Hiking boots and a jacket are helpful for the walk. You may want to bring swimwear for the river swim.
Our space
We'd love to welcome you to our spacious old building, which we purchased in 2006. It has recently been renovated with a large kitchen and a beautiful ceremony space in the heart of the Netherlands, in Culemborg.
It is close to the river, a nice place to integrate the inner journey with each other.
You'll feel right at home with us; the atmosphere is homely, and there are plenty of places to find peace and quiet if you prefer not to be around others. We prioritize peace and cleanliness, so you'll find healthy, fresh food and crisp linens!
The experienced guides are seasoned travelers and are there to lovingly support you throughout the journey with their knowledge and experience. They ensure peace and tranquility during the ceremony so that everyone feels safe.
With their own psychedelic travel experiences and often therapeutic background, they can understand well what is happening and therefore support you as best as possible.
Even after the trip, it's helpful to work with the new insights, ideas, and feelings. By exploring how you can apply what you saw and learned on the trip to your daily life.
Sometimes feedback from experienced supervisors can be very helpful.
We believe integration is an important, if not the most important, part of your entire experience. A psychedelic journey is actually part of the healing experience you can have, often with such a profound experience. It's important that you take the time and space to work with your insights and how you want to apply them in your daily life.
To best apply all the new ideas and thoughts to your daily life, time has been set aside for this. We'll reflect together during a sharing session on what we've felt, seen, and learned. You're welcome to participate as actively as you like.
By sharing these experiences with others, and also receiving theirs, we gain a more complete picture of the meaning of everything. We believe it's important to remain open to this, even after this weekend.
With a token, everyone takes turns 'speaking' and can talk about their feelings and share what they want in their own way.
Afterwards you can paint or take a mindful walk along the river.
These too are often beautiful moments of reflection and sharing with each other. For your own integration, we recommend the Trip app, which contains helpful articles and meditations to further develop your insights.
There are stories of people "getting stuck in their trip." This usually refers to people feeling unsettled for a while after a psychedelic experience. We believe that an anxious, difficult, or challenging psychedelic experience can actually be very meaningful. If you experience lingering feelings of uneasiness, it's wise to continue your integration process with an integration coach or another professional.
During your journey, you'll receive unconditional support from our team to help you work through anything. We'll recognize when you're struggling and support you. Learning to process a challenge like a painful memory or an emotion you'd rather not feel can be incredibly powerful. Learning how to best manage difficult emotions, thoughts, and feelings is part of the preparation. You can do this yourself, but you'll also be told about it during the introduction. You can also ask questions about this during the screening process.
In short, plant medicines help you process and heal unresolved emotions. You'll feel better, but that doesn't mean you'll feel better immediately. This is normal; it often happens during therapy.
Are all my problems solved after the psychedelic trip?
No, definitely not. You gain a lot of new insights, you can see through a new door, but you have to take the steps that will take you further. So it can be a catalyst for change, but change is a choice you have to make yourself.
That is after your inner journey, in your ordinary daily life.
If you want to drive after the session, we first need to determine that you are completely balanced and that it is safe to do so. We therefore ask that you follow our advice. You may be more tired than you realize. Public transportation is within walking distance, and we prefer that you be picked up if possible.
That's possible, but we recommend taking the time to reflect and integrate what you've experienced. In the days following a session, you're still very open and information comes through very quickly. You've had a mental shower; take some time to settle down before you're swept away by the daily grind.
Besides medical contraindications, it's especially important to maintain a certain level of balance within yourself to cope with the "other world" you enter under the influence of a mind-altering substance. You need to be able to regulate yourself somewhat when old pain or repressed emotions surface during a journey. We certainly help with this, but ultimately, most wisdom comes from within. A solid mental balance is a good starting point for experiencing a psychedelic experience and being able to interpret it so that it can be useful in your daily life.
Yes, that's definitely possible. It can be very comforting to share your experience with someone close to you, or with a group of people. Sharing such a special experience is beneficial for your process; if you've never experienced a psychedelic journey yourself, it remains quite abstract for the listener. Many journeys are about various forms of love and being loved. You feel a different connection, on a deeper level. Being able to share this with a partner or loved one is wonderful.
At MindTravellers, we combine traditional knowledge with modern science. We don't employ shamans, but skilled facilitators who work with music, are energetically sensitive, and, above all, guide your journeys with passion and compassion. There is certainly room for the mystical and spiritual experiences people often experience—however, we leave it to the unfolding process of the healing and power of the plant medicine, without our influence.
We understand. Feeling nervous is perfectly fine, and it's common. However, if you're afraid, we'd love to talk to you about it. We're here to answer all your questions as best we can. A truffle trip might be a better fit for you. Giving up control can be an inner struggle; we'll help you with this as best we can.
After arriving, we'll first enjoy a cup of tea and introduce ourselves. We'll then begin with a ceremony information session, which will last about an hour. During this session, we'll explain how we work with the plant medicine and with each other, and how we ensure safety for each other. Afterward, everyone can ask questions so they can begin their journey at ease. Then, everyone can choose their mattress, and we'll open the day's ceremony.
The psilohuasca journey can sometimes cause some nausea, which is much less common than with ayahuasca. Sometimes there is physical discomfort at first, which we sometimes consider a literal form of "surrender."
Then, a visual phase often begins, where you can see shapes and objects in multiple dimensions; it can seem as if you are a shape yourself, or part of something you haven't seen before. Try to imagine yourself as a curious scientist discovering something for the first time.
That's not necessarily a bad thing. You might be slightly more likely to experience nausea or a headache. We always advise you to arrive as clean and rested as possible.
Our two-day ceremony on Friday begins at noon, the Saturday two-day ceremony at 1 p.m., and the three-day ceremony on Friday begins at noon.
After the meal and evening chat, it's nice to stay overnight and experience the sharing the next day, the first part of the integration process. Sleeping after the trip is an important part of the healing process.
We offer all the necessary facilities for a comfortable experience, including showers. Our focus is on ensuring a safe and supportive environment, so you can take the time you need to rebalance after the ceremony.
This can be beneficial because you have the opportunity to integrate the insights and experiences from the ceremony into your daily life while the memories are still fresh. You can rest, reflect, and take the time to be aware of the changes that have occurred within yourself.