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04 · Safety and rigor
How do you make this as safe as it can be?
Screening, preparation, supervision and setting. This is where a structured program differs most from the unregulated retreat market.
The most widely used safety framework in this field was published by researchers at Johns Hopkins. It recommends excluding volunteers with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders or other severe psychiatric conditions, and providing interpersonal support from at least two trained monitors throughout a session.1
Beckley's application, screening and facilitation protocols are built on that published guidance.2 Risk is reduced by these measures. It is not eliminated. Psilocybin is not suitable for everyone, and our screening exists to identify who should not take part.
How this research relates to a Beckley retreat
The studies described here were run as clinical trials, in hospitals or research settings, using standardized synthetic compounds under medical supervision. Beckley is not a clinical program. Our retreats are non-clinical wellbeing experiences that use natural psilocybin and are built around preparation, a guided experience, and integration.
What the guidelines recommend
Three of the core safeguards from the published safety literature.
Trained monitors
Published guidelines recommend interpersonal support from at least two study monitors present throughout a session.
Psychosis history
Guidelines recommend excluding people with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders or other severe psychiatric disorders.
Facilitator ratio
Beckley programs maintain a minimum of one facilitator to four participants during ceremony, usually closer to one to three.
What the guidelines actually say
Johnson, Richards and Griffiths published a review of the risks of hallucinogen administration together with a set of safety guidelines for human research. The paper has become the reference point for how these sessions are run responsibly.1
Two safeguards sit at its centre. The first is screening: excluding people with a personal or family history of psychotic disorders or other severe psychiatric conditions, because of the risk of precipitating or worsening such conditions. The second is support: at least two trained monitors present for the duration of a session, providing continuous interpersonal contact rather than clinical observation at a distance.1
How this maps onto our programs
Our application process assesses each applicant's personal, medical and psychiatric history with their consent, and applications are declined where participation could lead to adverse interactions or complications. Programs run with a minimum of one facilitator to four participants during ceremony, usually closer to one to three. In Jamaica an on-site nurse is present during ceremonies with an on-call doctor available, and in all locations there is access to nearby medical care.2
An important distinction
Some members of our facilitation team hold medical or psychological qualifications. They do not act in a formal medical capacity while facilitating a program, and a Beckley retreat is not a clinical service. Where we describe someone as a physician or psychologist, that describes their professional background, not the role they perform during a retreat.2
What this does not mean
Safety protocols reduce risk. They do not remove it, and we would rather say so directly.
- Screening is imperfect. It relies on accurate self reported history and cannot identify every person for whom a psychedelic experience would be unwise.1
- The guidelines were written for research. They were developed for controlled studies. A retreat is not a clinical trial, and applying the guidance to a group program requires adaptation.1
- Facilitators are not acting as clinicians. Professional qualifications describe background, not the role performed during a program.2
- Difficult experiences still occur. Challenging psychological experiences are a known feature of psychedelics even under good conditions, which is why preparation and integration are part of the program.1
- This is not a treatment claim. Beckley programs are wellbeing experiences, not clinical treatment for any diagnosed condition, and they are not offered in the United States.
References
Every figure and finding stated on this page traces to one of the sources below.
- Johnson, M.W., Richards, W.A., Griffiths, R.R. Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008. View on PubMed
- Beckley Retreats program and safety information. beckleyretreats.com