Please Review This Carefully Before Applying

Our Application Process

Please note that we do not make any medical or therapeutic claims about our retreats or programming. The application process and our programming are not designed to diagnose, make medical recommendations, or offer treatment solutions; however, for your safety and the safety of other participants, we may determine that it is not advisable to participate. The following information is also presented for your convenience, to assist you with understanding any potential risks of participating in a Beckley Retreats program. However, this information alone should not be relied upon to reach any conclusions about whether it is safe for anyone to participate–only you and your doctor and/or other medical professional can make that determination.

Our Programs are Suitable for Those Seeking:

• A program for personal transformation and catharsis (not just a retreat; our program is 11 weeks including preparation and integration – for your safety and best outcomes)
• Deepening connection with self, nature, and purpose
• Improved relationships
• An exploration of mystical realms
• A spark in creativity

Psilocybin is a generally safe compound with few major side effects. Nausea, vomiting, and severe headaches are possible. Experiences are variable and may include purely physical/somatic experiences, purely visual experiences, purely emotional experiences, purely mystical experiences, or (more commonly) some combination therein. We cannot guarantee what type of experience you might have or not have. 

Additionally, there are conditions that could make the experience less safe and we try our best to screen out these conditions.

In general, we advise against participating if you have had any major medical issues or surgery which required hospitalization in the last 6 months to 1 year. 

We are Unable to Accept Individuals into Our Programs Who:

• Have active substance use/addiction issues
• Are actively experiencing severe trauma response symptoms
• Are currently taking certain psychiatric medications including mood stabilizers, or antipsychotic medications (*see note on last page of document regarding SSRIs/SSNIs)
• Only want to participate in a retreat without proper preparation or integration

Further we cannot permit individuals to participate in our programs if they have certain psychiatric conditions including but not limited to: bipolar disorder, active or recent suicidal thoughts or attempts, recent hospitalizations due to psychiatric challenges, psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or psychotic breaks, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, a family history of psychosis, or a predisposition to psychosis.

Psilocybin can cause changes in perception including hallucinations and illusions, changes-in-thought-content disorder like unusual ideas or delusions, and altered self-perception like derealization and depersonalization which increase the risk of psychosis. For most individuals these effects wear off within a short period of time and the intensity is predictable. However individuals with certain psychiatric conditions may have prolonged or overly intense psychotic experiences, and for individuals with a family history of psychosis, psychoactive drugs like cannabis and psilocybin can trigger a psychotic episode. 

On a case by case basis, we may accept individuals with clinical depression, anxiety disorders and PTSD.

Specific Physical Conditions and Medical Issues

There are some specific medical issues which prevent participation in the retreats. We cannot permit participation by individuals who are or have been diagnosed with:

• Brain conditions like epilepsy
• Brain tumor
• History of a stroke or aneurysm
• Certain cardiac issues (including but not limited to uncontrolled high blood pressure)
• Heart attack within 1 year of the retreat
• Unstable heart failure; aortic aneurysms; specific heart rhythm irregularity called “Long QT Syndrome”
• Liver damage like cirrhosis
• Kidney failure such as chronic kidney disease stage 4 and end stage renal disease
• Any form of insulin dependent diabetes
• Recent cancer diagnosis 
• AIDS with a CD4 count less than 200

Additionally we cannot accept people on retreat who are:

• Pregnant (or persons planning to become pregnant on or before their retreat dates)
• Extremely physically ill or frail

Medications and Treatments

Additionally, we cannot admit individuals taking the following medications or treatments: 

• Amiodarone
• Diltiazem
• Sotalol
• Quinidine
• Procainamide
• Dofetilide
• Ibutilide
• The immunosuppressant mycophenolate
• Currently on chemotherapy or radiation therapy

Heart Conditions and Stroke

We urge any prospective guests with a diagnosed heart condition to seek out and rely upon the advice of a trusted healthcare provider. However, due to specific actions of psilocybin that can cause unpredictable spikes in blood pressure and a specific type of irregular heart rhythm, we can not admit individuals with certain cardiac issues (including, specifically, uncontrolled high blood pressure, heart attack within 1 year, unstable heart failure, aortic aneurysms; specific heart rhythm irregularity called “Long QT Syndrome.”)

We also cannot admit individuals with a history of any type of stroke. The psilocybin ceremonies are likely safe for those with diagnosed high blood pressure, but only if their pressure is controlled on anti-hypertensive medications and they continue to take the medications while attending the retreat. 

Beckley Retreats requires medical clearance from your primary care provider or a cardiologist if you have the following heart issues: a heart attack requiring open heart surgery or a CABG at any time; individuals with a heart failure diagnosis; individuals with a diagnosis of an irregular heart rhythm including atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, ventricular tachycardia, Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome; and individuals with pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs). Ask your health care provider to weigh in on the risks of participating in a psilocybin ceremony and, if you are given medical clearance to participate, please follow any and all precautions they suggest.

Other Conditions: Proceed with Caution

Additionally, while some medical or psychiatric conditions, treatments and/or medications make it clearly inadvisable to participate in a Beckley Retreats program, others may raise the potential risks of participating without necessarily creating a clearly unreasonable risk of injury.  Please be aware of the following: 

Some medical and psychiatric conditions, medications and treatments may interact with psilocybin. While the following conditions, medications and treatments do not prevent participation in a retreat, we urge participants who have these conditions and/or take these medications or treatments to seek out and rely upon the advice of a trusted healthcare provider, discuss the potential risks with them, and participate in the retreats at their own risk. 

• Aromatase inhibitors and estrogen blockers used for breast cancer treatment may interact with psilocybin. 
• Antiretroviral medications used for HIV and immunosuppressants used for autoimmune disease and after organ transplant have many interactions with other medications and compounds, so participation in the psilocybin ceremony should be discussed with the prescribing provider. 
• If you have severe migraines or regularly take triptans as a rescue medication, please discuss participation with your neurologist or PCP. 
• Estrogen-based oral contraceptives are processed by the liver in similar fashions, and there is an unknown interaction between these contraceptives and psilocybin. 
• If you have asthma or another respiratory illness, have a plan in case you have an acute episode triggered by anxiety or breathwork practices. 
• Individuals with type 2 diabetes should take precautions against episodes of low blood sugar that could occur during the psilocybin ceremonies. 

Prescription Antidepressants (ex. SSRIs, SSNIs, etc)

Many individuals with a variety of conditions ranging from depression and anxiety to chronic pain are interested in our programs, and many of these individuals may take serotonin based medications​ — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor​s​ (SSRI​s​) or selective serotonin/nor-epinephrine reuptake inhibitor​s​ (SNRI​s​)​​ — in order ​to maintain their quality of life and functioning. Our programs are non-medical and not​ intended to​ treat any medical conditions​ for which you may have been prescribed​ SSRIs or SNRIs.  

At Beckley Retreats, we want to make psilocybin ceremonies available to a wide group of individuals while also creating the right environment for group programming. ​While ​​prospective guests on very low doses of SSRIs/SNRIs may be considered for attendance on a case by case basis​, ​we ​generally ​require that ​participants, with the ​knowledge and ​support of their prescribing physician, be at least 3 months clear of all SSRIs/SNRIs (and/or other mood altering compounds) prior to participation in our programs and complete and pass our suitability screening. Our suitability screening is used to ensure proper group dynamics and is not a tool for any diagnosis. 

While we do not know the exact mechanisms, the psychedelic effect of psilocybin is due to its interactions with the complex serotonin neurotransmitter system and the connections between different brain circuits. It is thought that a major part of the psychedelic action of psilocybin is due to its activity at the serotonin receptor called 5HT2A. SSRI and SNRI medications also act on the serotonin system in complex ways including the 5HT2A receptor. Thus, when these compounds are taken together, it is difficult to identify the ideal dose for an impactful experience and to predict a person’s reaction to psilocybin. As with the medications listed above, we urge participants who take SSRIs/SNRIs and are considering our program to seek out and rely upon the advice of a trusted healthcare provider (preferably the physician who prescribed you the SSRIs/SNRIs), discuss the potential drug interactions with them, and participate in the retreats at their own risk. People who have taken psilocybin and SSRI/SNRI medications at the same time report a less intense psychedelic experience. This is important as the transformative benefits are thought to be related to the intensity of the psychedelic experience. While Beckley Retreats is currently considering individuals on a very low dose of serotonin based medication, please be advised that we cannot guarantee that the experience will be similar to those who undergo their psilocybin journey without the interactions of serotonin based medications. The experience may be dulled.

Aged 65 and Over

We do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of age. Please note that there is a general risk of fall and injury that can occur due to the mind altering effects of psilocybin; the severity of these risks could be heightened by age-related medical conditions (including, but not limited to, arthritis and osteoporosis). Psilocybin can lead to transient feelings of dissociation, impaired perception of time and space, impaired attention, in addition to changes in perception, mood, and anxiety. If you have any issues with imbalance, physical weakness or injury, or impaired vision, please seek out and rely on the advice of a medical professional regarding safety concerns before participating.

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