Retreat Review - Marosa Ayahuasca Center

In June of 2022 I traveled to Marosa Ayahuasca Center near Iquitos in Peru, to do a two week plant medicine retreat, which involved 8 ayahuasca ceremonies and a master plant dieta. Here is a review of my experience there.
Intro 00:00
My review format 01:20
Marosa background information 03:40
Facilities 07:37
People and culture 14:09
Activities 24:32
Ceremonies and medicines 26:06
Final thoughts 28:51
The center is owned by Maestra Angela from the Shipibo tradition. Here is a link to their website - www.marosahealingcenter.com/
#ayahuasca #ayahuascaretreat #marosa
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[@bluecavalry]

@AdeptusPsychonautica Rob, Thank you for your great video review. I was at Marosa at the beginning of 2023. I feel that your review was spot-on, as I spent several weeks there. Beautiful place. Great cabins. Good food and plenty of it. I also really miss the good-natured Shipibo people very much. I would definitely say that this is NOT the place for beginners. Zero guidance for those who have trouble. On the other hand, if a person already has good experience with Ayahuasca, they may consider this place a bargain. Unfortunately, I found the cost expensive, considering the lack of guidance or help. I found myself having to talk to other guests, and we were all trying to diagnose our experiences and next steps. It would have been a much experience if there was someone who actually helped with ceremony preparation (mental state) and with integration afterwards. Unfortunately, it almost felt like I was supposed to let Mother Ayahuasca tell me how much to drink each night. No guidance or help. Agree with the Tony thing too. He spends most of his time in Iquitos and shows up right before ceremonies. Definitely NOT a facilitator or any real help - other than collecting money when I showed up. This may not be fair to Tony, but when someone is looking for guidance and help, he is not trained at all in helping people. Authentic? Yes. Beautiful place and people? Yes. Ayahuasca experience? lacking for those not experienced with psychedelics.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Thanks for letting me know and I really appreciate you taking the time to write your own experience about this center. I will pin this to the top of the comment section so that people will be able to see what has changed since I was there, and unfortunately it doesn't sounds look much has

[@pablosearth]

This was a much needed, honest and appreciated review. It gives us all a better sense of questions to ask retreat centers that perhaps we haven't been to before. Some people may take it for granted that all the measures you've highlighted like toilets and facilitation etc are naturally taken care of. Thanks so much for this open review, really really helped.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Cheers Paul 🙏

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

This was a really difficult review to write. Its never fun to be critical of people of people who I feel close to, but I honestly believe that this kind of reality check will be helpful to them in the long term. Now that I have gotten the objective stuff out of the way then my next few videos will be focusing more upon my subjective experiences with the medicine during my retreat.

[@emberaura9619]

I think just being in another highly spiritual persons presence is a blessing of unlimited energy exchange and profound inner outter wisdom#currency💰

[@julesdrums6167]

Looking forward to hearing about your experiences!

[@wholisticurbanite2248]

Well, I completely appreciate your honesty, thank you so much🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

[@aleksal9132]

I'm considering a retreat and searching for the right place. You reviews are most helpful. Thank you so much! 🌱

[@Mar-G_]

What a great review, Rob! Love your emphasis on truth in these reviews (but really throughout your whole outwards communication). Really appreciate your efforts in balancing firm, open and direct communication whilst staying fair to all involved! I know how hard it can be sometimes to not tip the scales and come off as either unfair, or too lenient. And I have to say: this might have been (been a long time since I seen your other retreat reviews) one of the best works of yours, where I can't sense any tipping to either side! Greetings from Northern Germany, Marcel

[@RaraAvis1138]

Hes the best, so honest and open

[@HenryKlausEsq.]

Something to consider for those looking for a suitable retreat: it doesn't matter how experienced or independent you are - if you have a medical emergency and the only way out is via a shitty road via a shitty vehicle where you have to get out and push occasionally, with no one necessarily available to drive you or even know that you're in need of help...good luck.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

This is one of the things that was on my mind during my time there, and I briefly mention this in the video when I talk about the "the road" and what that might mean in a worst case scenario.

[@tigerscorpion111]

I also spent two weeks at Marosa. This was in February 2022. At that time there was a sober person at every ceremony that would help me walk to the bathroom which I really needed, even a shaman a few times. There was garbage around but definitely not close to that much on my visit. There was a translator at the time but again it was someone staying there long term working on their own process. As far as activities being announced often you wouldn’t know until the time of but people would come to your cabin and get you or you just find out at meals an hour or so prior to. I really hope to go back.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I’m guessing you were there while Jordan was on site? After speaking with Jordan it is my understanding that he runs things very differently when he is at Marosa, but alas while I was there he was back in the USA.

[@chipc4936]

I so admire you, Brother.

[@williamj1813]

Thank you for sharing. I appreciate your honesty.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

My pleasure!

[@RaraAvis1138]

Those things are too important to me, especially at my age and health. I appreciate so much what you do for us all Rob! Thank you! 🕉💜

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Its my pleasure Rara 🙏

[@reid1967]

Very good review, and great to see that they took your concerns seriously, that shows promise for the future. Regarding the rubbish, I was talking to someone at the Temple of the Way of Light (also shipibo) and he said it was an ongoing struggle to stop littering, the issue he said that the Shamans et al were used to everything they used being taken care of by the jungle - you eat a banana, toss the skin into the jungle, it disappears. He had to keep explaining that eg plastic yoghurt tubs don't disappear if you throw it in the jungle.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I have heard that before - it might have been you actually!

[@smurfyday]

Thank you so much for the review. Please review other centers! Thanks

[@LiaHartman]

So, I went to Marosa and came back. And I have to say that I am overjoyed by the fact that I didn’t give in to the doubts sown in me by this review; I am happy that I listened to my intuition that Marosa is the place for me; I am glad I went. I’ll start by saying that if you are the type of a person who is looking for a 5-start resort type of healing retreat, this is not the place for you. You better pass it over, so to speak. But, if on the other hand you are looking for an authentic, genuine place, with genuine people who are in it not as much for the money as for helping people heal whatever they need to heal, this is the gem you are looking for. Marosa’s style is for those people who choose a retreat that allows them to truly connect with the nature, with themselves, with the plant medicine, and with the unseen world in the most unobstructed manner possible. At all times, there was someone there translating for us, helping us during the ceremony if the need arose, and the Maestros are pure, genuine, authentic, and knowledgeable healers. I’ve had moments during the ceremonies when I struggled with the things coming up for me, and not only they knew and sensed my struggle, but either Maestro Gilberto or Maestra Angela didn’t leave my side until they saw me on the other side, safe, joyful, healed, and whole. At one time Maestro Gilberto sang to me until I was overwhelmed by a genuine, healing and joyful laughter (he even chuckled with me as he was singing his icaro); at another time, Maestra Angela poured in me all the love I had ever chased, wanted, needed, begged for and never experienced until I started crying of happiness in her arms! Yes, Ayahuasca does a lot for us, but without the shamans’ knowledge of how to sense and maneuver the energies within us, the experience is not as deep and healing as it needs to be and these two not only know their craft, they ARE their craft! The two shamans gave each one of us the attention we each needed and their “professionalism” so to speak is absolute perfection. Yes, the bathrooms are a bit far from the bungalows we stayed in, but not as far as to poop or pee your pants, lol! Personally, I appreciated the distance between where the bungalows are situated and the rest of the retreat (bathrooms, dining area, and maloca) because it gave me the peace and quiet I needed to reflect on my experiences. I’ve spent many hours in my hammock pondering, journaling, daydreaming, or simply being, without being bothered by the life happening on the other side of the bridge. At Marosa, you become part of the place, in synergy with all there is there. Also, keep in mind that Marosa is a place that is still developing, since they were hit very hard by the two years of Covid craziness to the point where their mere existence was questionable for a brief minute. Marosa is not a place tainted by western investors who are looking to make money from people’s need for healing. Marosa is there, kept afloat and alive by beautiful people who believe in their mission, and is there for people who look for healing rather than touristic and materialistic fluff. I truly envision a beautiful future for this place and I pray they stay as genuine and authentic as I found them to be. Having said all this, I’m not telling anyone go or don’t go. What I’m saying is if you feel called to go to Marosa, you’ll know it and do it. You will never regret it. Personally, I can’t wait to go back, this time for a longer stay. None of the fears I felt after watching your review of this place came to pass. On the contrary, for a few days, I got to inhabit a piece of physical heaven that brought alive the heaven in me. And this, no amount of money or cushioned toilet seats can bring about!

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Glad you had a positive experience, but to strawman the issues raised in this video into a need for "cushioned toilet seats" is entirely dishonest. Also keep in mind that you are reaping the benefits of those of us who spoke up against the problems we experienced, and so provided the feedback which allowed the center to fix the issues.

[@LiaHartman]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica Far from me the thought of glossing things over. I, just like you did in your review, shared my honest opinion about the center, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for me was perfect. It gave me all I needed and more. I imagine that like me, there are other people out there who want to have an experience as authentic as possible, as close as possible to how the locals live. If anything I personally experienced there is due to feedback provided by people like you, then I feel lucky and truly thank you! In my opinion though, the healing I was blessed to receive is due less to critiques and reviews, and more to what the place, its people, and the ayahuasca itself has to offer, and this is what my comment highlighted. Rest assured that the community of potential ayahuasca drinkers shopping around for the best place to go value your work, as much as I did when I watched your video. But in the end, I think our intuition knows best where to guide us, and in my case, I was not disappointed one bit :)

[@Rissy617]

@@LiaHartman Thank you so much for sharing Lia. My intuition is showing me Marosa too but I'm nervous. How bad was the bridge? 😂

[@LiaHartman]

@@Rissy617 Not that bad; but keep in mind that it was the dry season... I have no idea how bad it can get when it rains. But you should contact them and ask

[@soudavonekhamvongsa1861]

@@LiaHartman thanks for your review! I’m so nervous to go and I think I’m gonna do it!

[@visualize25]

Hey Rob hope you are doing well! I was in your batch at Marosa. Kinda funny timing because its been just over a year since the retreat (wow time flies by!). I remember watching this last year and for some reason Marosa popped back in my mind recently and brought me back to this video. I don't think I commented on this before, but your review was pretty spot on. I'm glad to hear comments about Marosa improving some stuff, but your review was important feedback that likely contributed to some of their changes. Back then with it being my first experience with Ayahuasca I went there with pretty much an empty slate and wasn't 100% sure what to expect. The seemingly disorganized nature of it, lack of integration at the end, and lack of explanation was suboptimal and definitely not the best environment for first timers. Looking back what I was disappointed in the most was I really had no understanding of the Master Plant Dieta other than given a short description of what the plant helped with. To be fair I did notice some people in our group who probably did enjoy it the most were more "go getters" and made sure they immersed themselves as much as possible. When I was there I was really trying to take it all in, and I'm generally a reserved person but reflecting back I was actually amazed how drastically open I was about sharing my thoughts or my experiences. But it would have been nice if there was some formal mechanism to talk through things with others, especially at the end with integration because I didn't fully understand how to handle returning to the normal world. But in short, I regret nothing about the experience, I think there's good people there and its almost like a hidden gem if they can change parts of the program. I enjoyed our group as well, hopefully everyone is doing well. I might visit Switzerland in the coming months and if I do I'll send you and J a message

[@emmm_4465]

As a beginner I was intrigued by the cost but the points you bring up have shown me to reconsider for my first time as admittedly I'd like more of a social experience with slightly more home comforts, the unfamiliarity of this centre I sense would tip me into a sense of vulnerability, especially as I am a solo female traveller. Perhaps when I am more experienced or with a friend for support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your in-depth review!

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Glad it was helpful!

[@alsdean]

Hey there, just watched the video and I have to say that most of the points that you mentioned which are contras I can look over, but I can really see that it pissed you off or mabye me in the future. But the pros are exactly what I'm looking for and I view it as a tradeoff that might be necessary for the raw authenticity. But thank you very much for your genuine words!

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Glad you found it helpful David 🙏

[@andyz4321]

Even though you shouldn't have had to be the one to do it because you were there to learn about yourself... it's beautiful that you were able to be there for her when she needed it. I've noticed on other psychedelic journeys when one person is really struggling and the others r not. The others trips almost don't kick in fully until the struggling person in our group is settled and better. Soon as that person is better. The trips of the helpers in my group start kicking in full force. It's Like the medicine knows... that some of us need to be grounded enough to stabilize the situation.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I totally agree, and for sure that feeling of “service” in being there for another human being is a beautiful thing, so I’m glad I coukd be there for her. And hey… maybe that was the lesson within that experience, telling me that this is something I want to do more of 🙂

[@AngelDucattiforever]

Frankly, I was expecting something like how great it was, and then you just blew my mind.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

It would be nice to simply say it was great, but it is what it is 🤷‍♂️

[@janetjacks3406]

Can really appreciate how hard it is to criticise something or someone when you know their heart is in the right place and it doesn't sound like it would take much to fix it. On the other hand the lack of a sharing circle the next day was the thing that I would find most depriving and serious as I think this is such a help in the integration process. I hope they take on board your concerns, which I am sure they will as these sorts of things would turn most people off I suspect.

[@LiaHartman]

Well, I'm going there in two days. I will try to come back here and comment on my experience. Thank you for your honest review. I am curious to see if anything changed there after your review.

[@peacepuffz]

Good Luck!

[@christina9238]

update ? :)

[@LiaHartman]

@@christina9238 If you read through the comments, you will find mine, after being at Marosa

[@johnfree2833]

Sounds great,I will bring a bucket to lay it down because 2 hip replacements from long booze use slows me down....

[@christopherlarkin7818]

Thanks mate

[@christopherlarkin7818]

Have you been to Hummingbird healing Centre?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

@@christopherlarkin7818 I haven’t I’m afraid

[@MrAfaqelahi]

Thank you it's very insightful I have a zoom meeting with Jordan tomorrow and will ask him for reassurance. I'm hoping to book after September for a month dieta and needed to hear this. I have anxiety and suffer from Ibs a lack of mindfulness on their part would be a deal breaker for me if there is no 1 to 1 with the shaman or building a relationship to help with healing.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I hope that they can provide what you need. Let me know you get on 🙏

[@ufo-nut9575]

Nice Review

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Thanks!

[@stancooper5436]

Based on your observations, Rob, I would add first time drinkers to the list of people I wouldn't recommend this place to. It can be overwhelming enough without these compounding factors. This sounds like a shame but it is hard to see how they can have such a gigantic blind spot. I hope they get their act together and as you say, a full time dedicated facilitator is the way forward.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I think it varies mate. There were some first time drinkers there who seemed OK, and that might be that they were more adventurous or less anxious than me.

[@roccosage8508]

Paying it forward book recommendation - I spent a month in Peru and experienced ayahuasca for the first time. But someone I met there recommended a book called “Man Being Volume 1: The Transmission”. It covers everything from dreams, death, the afterlife, time travel, reincarnation, extraterrestrials, Vatican and Renaissance secrets, Ancient civilizations, Lemuria, Atlantis, Jesus, Sinai, Egyptians and the Pyramids. Blew my mind. Highly recommend it.

[@eringrace7386]

I just did an 11 day retreat here and found good things and very concerning things echoed in this video. 1. The road and safety. The road getting to the retreat is about 25 minutes on the tuk tuk. A dirt road is an understatement…it’s truly hard to describe how bad it is. It’s very bumpy, feels like a roller coaster and it feels the tuk tuk can tip over at any moment. There are giant grooves that the wheels have to maneuver around and plank boards are missing from the bridges. if anyone was to need medical attention it would have been very difficult getting to any sort of hospital. Not to mention, there is a real possibility of someone getting injured (breaking an arm or leg or worse) driving on that road. 2. Professionalism. Tony, part facilitator, part helper? I’m not quite sure what his role is but he speaks English so he helps you get settled in and helps you during the ceremonies. I didn’t have the best experience with him. When I first arrived I was very nervous and I had a lot of anxiety. I was concerned with the road being in the state that it’s in, i was also on medications the week before, which I realized upon getting here the shamans were not aware of even though Markham was aware and said they were okay. Anyways, the point is I was having a lot of fears and doubts about my safety and whether i should drink the medicine or not. It seemed like tony took this very personally, and made me feel that I was a burden and an annoyance because I was not as “easy” as the other participants here. Maybe it’s just because things got lost in translation, or maybe I’m just reading into things but I felt misunderstood and disliked for the majority of my stay here. It left me with a very bad taste in my mouth and didn’t inspire a lot of confidence. It felt like he made my doubts it about him and why I didn’t like the retreat, again very personally. Instead of professionally addressing the fears with love and compassion and not pressuring anyone to stay by saying things like “if you leave you’ll break my heart” which seemed kind of emotionally manipulative. Some of the participants were also pressured into buying souvenirs from their shop, and he seemed very displeased when I didn’t buy anything. 3. Lack of guidance, support and understanding of trauma. They are fairly hands off here, which is fine. But again, if you have severe trauma it might not be for you. During the ceremonies if you are having a difficult trip, all tony will tell you is relax and stop thinking negative things. You’re kind of left to your own devices and if you need emotional support and guidance you won’t get it from the shamans or tony. If you need a lot of support, there’s a good chance you’ll end up feeling invalidated and like you’re on your own. They did bring in a facilitator towards the end of my stay which was amazing. She was really an anchor of presence love and wisdom. Markham was also an amazing support. But neither people are here full time. 4. Consent and male led retreats. Something else worth mentioning is the presence of meastra Angela. It was very important to me, being a woman that there was a female shaman as well as a male shaman. Gilberto sings most of the Icaros, and if you need help during the ceremony you deal with tony. So even though it’s marketed as maestra Angela being the main person during the ceremonies, you’ll mostly be dealing with men at this retreat. After talking with the other participants in the retreat, I also came to learn that Gilberto only physically touched the females, not the male during the ceremony. For me it was over my belly, pelvis and legs. After the first ceremony I asked not to be touched and that was respected. Still though, it made me uncomfortable. It’s hard to know what the intentions were, it could have been completely harmless. I feel like if they made sure to ask consent before laying hands, it would make a lot of people especially with body trauma feel safer. 5. Animals and the jungle excursion. The jungle excursion was a real treat. However when I went I was told we would be actually walking through the jungle and seeing animals in nature. They take you to see anacondas that are in a cage and sloths that are kept as sort of pets. They did say they let the anacondas and sloths back into the jungle to be free when there’s no tourists, but it’s hard to know what actually happens. I really didn’t want to participate in animal tourism in any way. 6. The wifi. The wifi is extremely limited and very slow. It’s good for sending a message here and there but if you need to change flights, pay bills, make calls or do anything like that it’s nearly impossible. I get wanting to limit the time people spend on their phones, and not everyone will need to use the wifi while they are here. But it would have been nice to have the option for good working internet even if it was only for an hour or so a day. The good things I found were 1. Safety during the ceremony. Tony was always available to help if someone needed to get to the bathroom, needed extra blankets or water. I was never left alone, someone always knew where I was and no one was allowed to leave the ceremony besides to go to the bathroom until the ceremony was finished. Tony was also accommodating and allowed me the option to change the length of the retreat which I appreciate. 2. I am so grateful for everyones kindness here! Miguel, Mary, Jhoao and Manuel always had warm smiles and were always so welcoming and helpful. Markham was also amazing and although he was in the USA he told me to reach out to him whenever I needed help or someone to listen. He really helped calm my anxieties, was very understanding, kind and offered guidance and wisdom. I was very thankful for him. 3. The location is beautiful. You’re surrounded by the jungle and you have your own private room. All in all I feel that they do ultimately want healing for people however the road, severe unsafety from tony and lack of trauma information is truly dangerous and I would never return because of that.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Hi Erin, thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed comment and I really appreciate your honesty. Its sounds like we had a very similar experience there. I would ask that you forward your comments to the center and can only hope that they take this feedback onboard.

[@InesAzaiez]

Thanks a lot Rob for such a honest review! I talked to Marosa people and Jordan some time ago and they seem genuine and willing to help, however, the lack/absence of facilitation and integration is of concern! Especially, not having a sober facilitator during the ceremony is a big No No for me. Hopefully, those aspects will be addressed in the future! Thanks again and all the best to Marosa 🌸🙏🏼

[@Illumignostic]

A sober facilitator? Lol. That’s not how it’s done, and as a facilitator myself, there is no reason for me not to drink during ceremony. In fact I couldn’t possibly do what I do without the medicine. Having said that, my dose is considerable less than the attendees would take.

[@DiodeMom]

@@Illumignosticwhat if someone gets ill - has a heart attack or whatever? Who takes care of them?

[@InesAzaiez]

@@Illumignostic Thanks a lot for your input! I totally understand that there are different ways to facilitate and as long as you can drink the medicine and be fully capable of help, that is good for you and for the participants :) .. However, this has not been the case during the experience of Rob and also in my experience, all the facilitators that I worked with in the past were sober .. :)

[@InesAzaiez]

@@DiodeMom Yes, that is my concern ..

[@Illumignostic]

@@DiodeMom me. The visions are feignt, but will reduce themselves into thin lines if I neeed to do something. Every real shaman on Earth drinks. Traditionally, the patient didn’t drink at all. Ayahuasca ceremonies are mostly a modern invention.

[@allanbond3673]

Been waiting for this, Seems like a fair analysis, was really helpful bro thankyou for such honesty, bit of a noobie question but what exactly is the role of a shaman? I heard aubrey marcus say one time choose your shaman wisely, Are they like a spirit guide that help you through the trip? Why are they necessary? What could happen without one? Cheers From Australia

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

The shaman(s) are there to conduct the ceremony and to act as a go between for you and the plants you consume. So yes a spirit guide is a fair analogy. I don’t think “necessary” is the right word, because you can consume these substances without them, but having them guide you through this experience has its benefits.

[@Thefare1234]

They also control the energy of the room by singing and drumming. Sometimes the room's energy goes chaotic, and many people start releasing their emotions by screaming and doing other weird things. I have noticed in those situations, shamans can somewhat bring back harmony by singing and playing music. Also, when someone has a particularly tough trip, they can help to calm them down by chanting or offering other medicines that can facilitate purging.

[@Thefare1234]

In the retreat center that I go to, we don’t even have any private rooms. We sleep where we do the ceremonies, and there are only two washrooms for a group of 15-17 people. We only have two shamans and no facilitators. The cost is relatively low, which is the most important thing; otherwise, many of us wouldn’t be able to afford it.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Which is absolutely fine if that is what you have agreed to and are comfortable with.

[@acovingt]

you and rachel were in my dream last night we were all at some craft fair painting armor and it was pretty random

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

That is random, sounds fun though 🙂

[@KUPHSER]

Is it worth going to Peru for ayahuasca retreats at the moment? I heard Peru was having a bit of trouble recently?

[@IgnisPerseverans]

Did you have to quarantine for 2 weeks when you got to puru? I'm planning on going to arkana Amazon and on their website it said puru has a mandatory quarantine for 2 weeks for anyone coming in the country. It also said that time at arkana counts towards the quarantine time?? I'm confused like what do they mean it counts towards the time?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

No, that was true when the pandemic was at its peak, but those rules were dropped over a year ago so don't worry about it. I have been to Peru twice in the last twelve months and there is zero quarantine.

[@IgnisPerseverans]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica Awesome! They should update their website lol

[@redmi8781]

What you think about Symmetric vision and Dmt enlightenment channels? Does it look like dmt visuals?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Realistically nothing on this earth comes anywhere close to recreating DMT visuals - they are impossible shapes, of impossible beauty, that are not only alive but also are singing themselves into existence 🙂 That said I love the work of those artists, and they are relatable as being "something like" DMT visuals.

[@marcustan6273]

How was the master plant dieta ? Which plants did you diet ?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

The plant I dieted was Ajo Sacha - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansoa_alliacea I will talk about it in a separate video

[@dovidschwartzberg475]

Waiting for a review on La Luna del Amazonas near Iquitos

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

It might be a while before I am back in Peru. I am looking at trying some retreats in either Mexico or Jamaica next time, but we'll see 🙂

[@Imsamhill]

Have you had experience with Rythmia? I’ve heard they have sketchy practices

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I've certainly heard of them because they have a lot of PR as one of the bigger (and more expensive) centers, and yes I am aware that there has been some controversy around them. Personally though I have not been so I can't really comment on it

[@cr-nd8qh]

O think im done with mushrooms after my last trip. I cant get over the anxiety

[@soma_trippin]

Dont get me wrong, but our western expectations vs their reality is HILARIOUS :D I have been in south America and I remember some situations :-) but you might say other retreats are different and you would be true, its just funny you know :-)

[@timmy69690]

I'm thinking of bringing of camera to a retreat center, thoughts ?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Many people do, its not unusual to see people taking photos or videos while on retreat.

[@devfromthefuture506]

My friend, meet me ask you. what do know about Ayahuasca in central areas of Brazil, like Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I don't have any personal experience of them as I haven't traveled to Brazil.

[@devfromthefuture506]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica I'm glad you answered. Thanks. I for follow your channel for a long time, I never smoked DMT but I think it's amazing subject. I live in Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil and I drink Ayahuasca here since 2008. The culture of drinking Ayahuasca here in the largest cities in Brazil is a very complex a colorful culture. There more than 500 places that we can drink Ayahuasca here in southeast Brasil, a lot are for free of charge. The is a more than 5000 songs about drink Ayahuasca in many different musical genres, there is architecture and fashion that developed around it. It's simply amazing, and also sad that many people from outside Brazil don't know about this magical human group behavior that have been developing around Ayahuasca , for more than 80 year down here.

[@doobtubed]

Never thought 'sign me up', then 'er, maybe not' so quickly 😬

[@DissolutionSolution]

Thanks for your review but you should mention that you are doing a dieta and this (if it's properly done) means no socialisation, no books, no connection to internet, basically is a period of full isolation and doing nothing but meditating on the connection with the plant you are dieting. Seems that there was a lack of clarity on what the process is based in the lack of guides and facilitators . Thanks !!

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I'm not really qualified to make that kind of statement. I did the dieta according to the minimal guidance I received and its not my place to say if that was done properly or not, because I have no expertise on how they should be conducted.

[@edmondprice6215]

This does not sound like an efficient well conducted operation. I want some paved roads with clean toilets with comfortable plush seating.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Well the toilets were clean so thats 1 out of 3

[@ufo-nut9575]

You have my curiosity about the few additional complaints... what was one other one if you dont mind...please complain...ha!

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

One that springs to mind is that just before a ceremony, literally minutes before we drank the ayahuasca, a staff member went on some long rant about how good this center is and how bad other centers are. He went on about how other centers have evil shamans who are trying to attack us with black magic, and how lucky we are to be here because other shamans steal your healing from you. I found it very inappropriate to be both badmouthing other centers, and also implanting ideas about black magic and psychic attacks in peoples heads moments before a ceremony. It had a certain culty vibe to it as though these are the only good shamans and everyone else is out to get us.

[@ufo-nut9575]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica Yea..being defensive and promoting yourself on your home turf is never a good look. Filling your skull with negative boogymen thoughts is annoying also. sounds like you took the bad with the good in stride at this one.....probly very challenging for certain people though.

[@bipbop9923]

the bathroom distance doesnt seem so long man ..

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I might not seem it, but it is 🙂

[@DiodeMom]

No, sorry, but JUST the fact that they don’t have sober facilitators should be a huge red flag. For anyone. That is dangerous. Let’s say the 60 year old lady you mentioned hadn’t had a kind person like you to help her?? What if she broke a limb or hip getting down the stairs to go to the restroom? Then she’d just be laying there screaming high on aya? Then if someone did discover her, what then? A 20 minute trip to the town in a tuktuk? Good lord.

[@mich4445]

I think as a westerner there are many needs wants and expectations which are quite different from a traditional ceremonial setting. They have to adapt to our life style and we come in contact with people who have a complete different understanding about live and living. It might be best to try to understand their roots and the way they conduct ceremonies between there own tribe members, anthropologist probably have the best view on it.

[@SN00PICUS]

Are traditional ceremonies generally surrounded in snack wrappers and liquor bottles? I would think if anything that should be absent...

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

As SN00PY mentioned the majority of stuff I mentioned had nothing to do with the ceremonial aspect. Nothing about their tradition would denote excessive littering or not communicating, and I know this because this is not my first ayahuasca retreat within this tradition.

[@willielast]

can you tell me (as a White westerner) why going to a retreat & drinking nasty tasting aya is better then staying in my comfortable home & doing pharmahuasca? I know i sound rudely skeptical (sorry) but I dont get how so many westerners accept the Peruvian Aya rituals so quickly & easily? Why? That tobacco stuff is so super weird too.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Sure, there are a number of reasons ranging from simple to complex. Firstly - The Amazon rain forest is one of the most spectacular locations on the entire planet. You could completely remove ayahuasca from the equation and it would still the trip of a lifetime. Some people enjoy traveling and experiencing different cultures, and if so then why not do the substance in the setting of the people who have built any entire way of life around it? Perhaps there is some value in spending time with those who have completely assimilated psychedelics into their everyday existence? For some "nasty tasting aya" is not a big deal. You get a cup and you drink it - don't be such a baby! 😀 The concept of "retreat" is to get away from all the things in ones normal life and deliberately make things simple in order to work on ones self. In practical terms this is almost impossible sat in your comfortable home doing pharmahuasca. This becomes particularly apparent in situations were people are looking to work on deep rooted problems like PTSD and depression - these issues require more guidance than just getting high at home. There are many more reasons but hopefully that has given you enough to mull over, and don't forget its not an exclusive choice. A person can recognize the benefits of multiple approaches and do all of them. PS: I'm not sure what you mean by weird tobacco stuff 🤷‍♂️

[@willielast]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica those are all excellent reasons to go to Peru! (I luv travelling too) and this is not a "but"... but... I wish we could create our own rituals & ceremonies over here in the UK (& other western countries) that are just as meaningful to us. I don't believe in gods or spirits, so its harder for me to accept the drink they make for you, as I would prefer good clean pharma. maybe they should offer both options? I would totally be up for doing Peruvian Retreat + Pharamhuasca. btw, what I mean by weird tobacco stuff, is the when they blow on you & also dont guests sometimes ingest some tobacco mixture too that makes them really ill?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I totally agree we should make our own rituals, and again its not an exclusive choice - both can exist so people could do whatever rituals they want in whatever locations they have access to. I also don't believe in gods or spirits, and such beliefs are not a requirement for any of the retreats I have attended, if it was then I wouldn't have attended them, so try not to jump to conclusions. I would disagree that they should offer pharmahuasca at a traditional retreat, that totally misses the point! Its like going to the middle east and asking for English food, its absurd. If you are visiting another culture then you are doing so to experience that culture, its not realistic to expect that culture to bend to you - just do your own thing at home if its that important to you. I have never done the tobacco purge thing you are talking about so I can't really speak about that, but in regard to having smoke blown on you then its really not that big a deal. People of all cultures have been doing stuff with incense and burned herbs since forever. Peruvian shamanism is not unique here.

[@willielast]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica I think i did a bad job of explaining. I would have to know the language, or all the chanting & Icaro singing may as well be their shopping list! It looks like they really believe in what they are doing, & because I don't, I would feel like a fraud. Also, AFAIK, they use those vines because they believe it has a spirit. Anyway, you are amazing! Your channel is amazing! & your advice is amazing! Thank you! 💖

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

They believe every plant has a spirit but that doesn't mean you have to, like I said it isn't a requirement. Most of the chanting isn't in a particular language so it isn't meant to be understood, it is meant to be experienced.

[@christobalgonzalez3529]

How much HCl harmine do i take for a pharmahuasca effect

[@bearschmidt3180]

Why would they have trash everywhere, if people are paying all that money for the experience. It would be extremely hard for me not to walk around with a trash bag and pick up trash . Even if I was a paying customer. If I ran a retreat, it would be clean ASF.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I actually did walk around myself to pick up the trash. I think it was seeing me do this that made them realize how bad it was.

[@bearschmidt3180]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica good man !

[@zndxt1970]

This video looks TERRIFYING with the beauty filter making your old skin so smooth is very very very disturbing.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I know! I have been playing around with the settings on my camera and did something weird

[@4ESOUL]

Haha... When I first saw it, I was like damn, this guy reversed his age so much after doing that much ayahuasca.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

@@4ESOUL I wish mate! I turn 45 this year and those grey hairs keep coming 🙂

[@zndxt1970]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica Hahah! I thought u did it intentionally and was like uhhh we can see what is happening. I'm cracking up real good rn on .3 of shrooms

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

@@zndxt1970 Ha! Enjoy your shrooms mate 🙂🙏

[@claravalencia2458]

After watching your review twice ,I could disagree with quite a lot of things that you said. Here it is, in a nutshell - my recent experience at the center in the month of January 2023. I truly believed in my heart that Marosa was the place for me despite watching your video. Having read multiple articles, and a few books and having watched numerous videos about the ayahuasca experience, I felt pretty comfortable with my ability to handle a little adventure and was excited to embark on that journey. I knew that one man’s lash out over a bumpy road, distance to the bathroom, and supposedly “complete” lack of organization (whatever that means in your book) would not stop me since I was dead set on going there. Experiencing ayahuasca is something very different for everyone and like with any other choice in life, one should be aware of what they are looking for. In my case, I got exactly what I looked for - a clear mind, and a life-changing experience, while I was surrounded by very real, hardworking people, trying to help others like me that needed healing. I was going humble, and very aware that I will have to put in the work, I mean introspective work. After all, my intention to do ayahuasca in the first place is to discover or overcome my issues and struggles, not to socialize with people and play buddy-buddy. So when you are talking about group activities I don’t get it; this is not a vacation unless for you it was or it was supposed to be. On a different note, Marosa is building a hammock lounge in proximity to the dining room for people who want to hang out there, read, etc. I was also very aware of the fact that the facilities will be very basic and I strongly believe this should be a must for more ayahuasca centers. I wasn’t expecting a five-star hotel, neither I was expecting people to hold my hand and guide me every step of the journey. I went there to guide myself and feel OK with myself without the comforts, without expectations, without frustration. As far as the facilities go, in my opinion - the simpler it is, the better. The whole recommendation for ayahuasca preparation involves restriction and abstinence that somehow makes us uncomfortable - restrict salt, no pork, no alcohol, etc. And I think it’s for a reason. So if you are bothered by such details, like how far the bathroom is, maybe you should check out Soltara or Arkana? Btw, as of January 2023, Marosa is building bathrooms close to the bungalows and this is already set in motion. I had no problem communicating my needs or questions and there was always someone I could talk to if I had any questions. There were orientation pages describing all the basic stuff like orientation papers that everyone could read on their own and simply ask a question to either the shamans, Tony, or the other people that are doing the retreat. I think your expectations weren't set properly at the beginning and maybe your whole disappointment stems from there. Maestra Angela and Maestro Gilberto, I can’t thank them enough for their icaros and their help. I literally cried when I was saying goodbye and in my heart I know I will be back. Similar to @LiaTwentyTwo, I’ve had hard times during the ceremonies when either maestro or Maestra came to the rescue. The touch and grace of these people are something that cannot be described or explained, you just have to experience it. I enjoyed playing volleyball with Kathy, Percy, and Jessy. I had great conversations with Tony and felt really touched by his story. I have nothing but love and admiration for these people. Jessy’s kids - Angie and Luci helped me so much with their smiles, laughter, and ease - forever grateful there were there. Markham, and his words of inspiration and genuine help, made the difficult parts of the journey somehow bearable. His presence filled me with hope and he was the facilitator from that dictionary screenshot you shared. Definitely went above and beyond. There are many people in my circle that would like to visit Marosa with me, and I can’t be more grateful to the universe that I’ve found that gem. Yes, Marosa is a diamond. Is it in the rough tho? I don’t think so. People are working every day to expand the facilities, the whole family is part of the operations and they became my family and my rock during my time there. Every person I met there was happy and willing to help with whatever. Willing to talk, willing to listen. The energy and the magic are there, but your heart needs to be open to receive it. Rob, I don’t know you personally, but I couldn’t help but notice how many times in your review you used vulgar language. I found your language to be quite offensive for an informative KZbin video - words like ”sh*t” and “f*cking” don’t quite sit right with me. Expressions such as “that’s not my f*cking job”, “nobody could get their sh*t organized” or “it really pissed me off” makes me think that you were expecting a lot, but you weren’t heard. Lots of anger and entitlement. Maybe next time you do ayahuasca, try and set an intention to actually work on that frustration because I don’t think anyone is digging you cursing in your video. Also, if you really, really wanted to help them improve and get better - maybe you could have kept a few things to yourself and just discuss issues with them. They would have taken the feedback seriously, but you wouldn’t have hurt their hearts and ultimately their growth(you badmouthed them). I want to end this on a positive note and THANK YOU for making your other video, where you interviewed Markham about ayahuasca during your stay. I hope that one day you go back and give Marosa a second chance. 💜

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Honestly I am happy to hear that you had a productive retreat with them, but try and keep in mind that your recent experience is benefiting from people like me who raised issues like this so that the center could address them. Everything I covered in this video was raised directly with the center face to face during my time there, and I was not the only one to raise them - so if you are operating under the assumption that I did not communicate this to them directly, well that is completely incorrect. The center had problems, it sounds like they corrected these problems - you are welcome.

[@claravalencia2458]

​@@AdeptusPsychonauticathat's great then. Hard to say how much you influenced them addressing the issues. Very hard to say because nobody but you was there at that time , so we have no context - therefore irrelevant to the comment. Can't wait for your Part 2 one day, if you ever decide to come back.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

@@claravalencia2458 eh? Multiple people were there at the same time as me, and how does that make what I say irrelevant?

[@claravalencia2458]

​@@AdeptusPsychonautica correct me if I am wrong, but this is solely your point of view. Nobody but you and the rest of the people that were doing the retreat knows what exactly was the situation, how issues were raised, what conversations happened then and there to address these issues. So how can we really judge whether or not because of your criticism Marosa has improved ? What I know and saw with my eyes is that they are doing everything to the best of their abilities to grow the retreat, to heal people, to improve facilities, which seems like the most natural thing to happen when you care about what you do.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

@@claravalencia2458 sure this is entirely my point of view, just as your comments are solely your point of view - thats how points of view work, so I guess yours is just as irrelevant as mine 🙂 Now realistically I have no idea that Marosa HAS actually improved at all, but I will take you at your word that it has. Maybe you could try a similar act of good faith and open yourself up to the possibility that maybe there is some legitimacy to what I am saying here. I know from speaking to both Markham and Jordan that they acknowledged my complaints as legitimate, apologized, and stated categorically that they would correct the issues - again, your welcome.

[@Sidekick_2010]

Try micro dosing crack in the morning

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I'm good thanks

[@brianjones1548]

Lol…I don’t think crack and meth come from the earth.

[@brah04X]

Sounds like a shit place tbh, hope they get things together.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

It was a nice place, it just has its problems

[@damirregoc8111]

Why did you start smoking that mapacho there, Rob? It's still tobacco, a nasty, deadly habit, nevermind if you got it from some jungle dweling Indian. It still reeks. And creates cravings.

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

Same reason I do anything - because I want to 🤷‍♂️

[@damirregoc8111]

@@AdeptusPsychonautica That is a good reason.

[@Illumignostic]

My opinion…stay away from anything anywhere near Iquitos

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

I have a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Iquitos, even while acknowledging that its an absolute pit of chaos

[@dwaynedibley1396]

It sounds like they are making a lot of money for doing very little. Did it feel like a cash grab?

[@AdeptusPsychonautica]

No its not a cash grab, and like I mention in the video their prices are very good for what they are offering. But they are understaffed and lack experience at running retreats. They definitely need to hire some more people and get themselves organized. Probably a good thing for them to do would be to get some work exchange volunteers.

[@MrBrindleStyle]

Did you even listen?

[@allanbond3673]

@@MrBrindleStyle lol