Wellness / Multi-Level
Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles
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Umbrella entry for the diverse set of Western-facing ayahuasca retreat facilitator circles (often Peru, Costa Rica, USA) that exhibit high-control patterns. Distinct from the established Brazilian Santo Daime / UDV churches.
CLCI radar
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Moderate Control
BITE breakdown
Behavior Control5/10
Information Control5/10
Thought Control5/10
Emotional Control5/10
Modifiers (+0)
0 — umbrella entry for specific high-control Western-facing ayahuasca facilitator circles; not the established Brazilian churches.
Profile facts
Founded
2000s+
Members
Tens of thousands annually; sub-set in high-control circles smaller (2026).
Active in
LatAm, USA, Europe
In context
Western ayahuasca tourism has produced multiple documented facilitator-led communities with cult-like dynamics: charismatic 'shaman' figures, substantial retreat fees, severance from outside therapists, sexual misconduct, and occasional retreat deaths. Specific cases include the 2018 Sebastian Woodroffe lynching aftermath, multiple Western-facilitator sexual-misconduct allegations.
Key control doctrines
- Charismatic 'shaman' authority
- Plant-medicine sacrament framing
- Severance from outside therapy
Recovery resources
- The Dream (podcast) — Jane Marie's investigative podcast on MLM cults.
- Anti-MLM Coalition — Ex-distributor advocacy community focused on MLM exit and financial recovery.
- Truth in Advertising (TINA.org) — Consumer-protection watchdog tracking MLM income-claim and product-safety issues.
- ICSA (International Cultic Studies Association) — General referral and cult-aware therapist directory.
- Freedom of Mind Resource Center — Steven Hassan's organisation; BITE-model resources and family-side exit guidance.
See the full curated list at /resources.
Legal cases & controversies
- Multiple retreat deaths and misconduct cases
Evidence by BITE axis
Behavior Control
- Sexual misconduct documented at multiple retreats
Information Control
- Plant-medicine sacrament framing
Emotional Control
- Substantial retreat fees
- Severance from outside therapists
- Occasional retreat deaths
- Charismatic 'shaman' figures
- Charismatic 'shaman' authority
- Severance from outside therapy
- not the established Brazilian churches
Timeline
- 2000s+Western ayahuasca tourism boom
- 2010s+Multiple high-profile incidents
- 2019MAPS publicly disclosed that former clinical sub-investigators in a sponsored trial had violated ethical standards during therapy sessions
Evidence matrix
Structured sources cross-linked to the claims they document. Tiered per the source hierarchy. For free-text citations see the Sources section below.
Sources
- Various journalism on Western ayahuasca tourism search ↗
- ICEERS plant-medicine analyses search ↗
- Psychedelic drugs-a new era in psychiatry? — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6787540 open ↗
- Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7447679 open ↗
- Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9207256 open ↗
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8028769 open ↗
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056407 open ↗
- Pharmacological-assisted Psychotherapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7874936 open ↗
- Breakthrough Therapy — https://www.fda.gov/patients/fast-track-breakthrough-therapy-accelerated-approval-priority-review/breakthrough-therapy open ↗
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A promising novel approach to treatment — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6879520 open ↗
- Drug Scheduling — https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling open ↗
- Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4592297 open ↗
- American Psychiatrists' Opinions About Classic Hallucinogens and Their Potential Therapeutic Applications: A 7-Year Follow-Up Survey — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11658671 open ↗
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5001686 open ↗
- Psychedelic drugs to treat depression — https://post.parliament.uk/psychedelic-drugs-to-treat-depression/ open ↗
- Classic psychedelics and alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of human and animal studies — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9541961 open ↗
- Taking Psychedelics Seriously — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5867510 open ↗
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367557 open ↗
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5367551 open ↗
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5203697 open ↗
- Current Perspective on MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5917000 open ↗
- Intranasal Esketamine (Spravato) for Use in Treatment-Resistant Depression In Conjunction With an Oral Antidepressant — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6534172 open ↗
- Efficacy of psilocybin for treating symptoms of depression: systematic review and meta-analysis — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11062320 open ↗
- Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6343205 open ↗
- Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11635828 open ↗
- Can psychedelics enhance group psychotherapy? A discussion on the therapeutic factors — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10350738 open ↗
- Lower-dose psycholytic therapy - A neglected approach — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9755513 open ↗
- The entropic path to mental health: How psychedelic therapy works and why it matters — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10919602 open ↗
- Therapeutic use of psychedelics: Spirituality, ethics and mental health — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10311554 open ↗
- Race and Ethnicity in Psychedelic Research: A Review of Demographic Reporting — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6069717 open ↗
- Minorities' Diminished Psychedelic Returns: Income and Education's Impact on Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12069501 open ↗
- Psychedelics in PERIL: The Commercial Determinants of Health, Financial Entanglements and Population Health Ethics — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11481016 open ↗
- Oregon Psilocybin Services — https://www.oregon.gov/oha/ph/preventionwellness/pages/oregon-psilocybin-services.aspx open ↗
- Psychedelics and Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy — American Journal of Psychiatry (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1176%2Fappi.ajp.2019.19010035 open ↗
- Psychedelic therapy: a roadmap for wider acceptance and utilization — https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41591-021-01530-3 open ↗
- Psychedelic drugs—a new era in psychiatry? — Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience (2019) — https://doi.org/10.31887%2FDCNS.2019.21.2%2Fdnutt open ↗
- Psychedelic Treatments for Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Patient Experiences in Qualitative Studies — CNS Drugs (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs40263-020-00748-y open ↗
- Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature — Journal of Pain Research (2022) — https://doi.org/10.2147%2FJPR.S360733 open ↗
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy — Harm Reduction Journal (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12954-021-00489-1 open ↗
- Psychedelic Psychiatry's Brave New World — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2020.03.020 open ↗
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881108093587 open ↗
- Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions — International Review of Psychiatry (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F09540261.2018.1486289 open ↗
- Assessing the risk–benefit profile of classical psychedelics: a clinical review of second-wave psychedelic research — Psychopharmacology (2022) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00213-021-06049-6 open ↗
- MDMA‐Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review With Meta‐Analysis — The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fjcph.1995 open ↗
- Efficacy of psychedelic treatments on depressive symptoms: A meta-analysis — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881120919957 open ↗
- Psychedelics for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and existential distress in patients with a terminal illness: a systematic review — Psychopharmacology (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00213-021-06027-y open ↗
- Pharmacological-assisted Psychotherapy for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis — European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F20008198.2020.1853379 open ↗
- MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: A promising novel approach to treatment — Neuropsychopharmacology (2019) — https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41386-019-0482-9 open ↗
- Psychoactive Substances in Prehistoric Times: Examining the Archaeological Evidence — Time and Mind (2015) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F1751696X.2014.993244 open ↗
- LSD before Leary: Sidney Cohen's Critique of 1950s Psychedelic Drug Research — Isis (1997) — https://doi.org/10.1086%2F383628 open ↗
- Flashback: psychiatric experimentation with LSD in historical perspective — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F070674370505000703 open ↗
- A new behavior change program using psilocybin. — Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice (1965) — https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fh0088612 open ↗
- Regulation of human research with LSD in the United States (1949-1987) — Psychopharmacology (2017) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00213-017-4777-4 open ↗
- LSD Research: The Impact of Lay Publicity — American Journal of Psychiatry (1968) — https://doi.org/10.1176%2Fajp.125.5.685 open ↗
- The early use of MDMA ('Ecstasy') in psychotherapy (1977–1985) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2050324518767442 open ↗
- Psychedelic medicine: a re-emerging therapeutic paradigm — Canadian Medical Association Journal (2015) — https://doi.org/10.1503%2Fcmaj.141124 open ↗
- The Psychopharmacology of ±3,4 Methylenedioxymethamphetamine and its Role in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2015) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.2015.1094156 open ↗
- UC Berkeley launches new center for psychedelic science and education — https://news.berkeley.edu/2020/09/14/uc-berkeley-launches-new-center-for-psychedelic-science-and-education/ open ↗
- Transdisciplinary Center for Research in Psychoactive Substances — https://research.pharmacy.wisc.edu/tcrps/ open ↗
- Center to Study Psychedelics for Treatment of Depression, Anxiety — https://dellmed.utexas.edu/news/dell-med-launches-center-to-study-psychedelics-for-treatment-of-depression-anxiety-ptsd open ↗
- $40m psychedelic medicine institute launches in Melbourne — https://www.smh.com.au/national/40m-psychedelic-medicine-institute-launches-in-melbourne-20210728-p58dlo.html open ↗
- Harvard launches new Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture — https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/newsplus/harvard-launches-new-study-of-psychedelics-in-society-and-culture/ open ↗
- American Psychiatrists' Opinions About Classic Hallucinogens and Their Potential Therapeutic Applications: A 7-Year Follow-Up Survey — Psychedelic Medicine (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1089%2Fpsymed.2023.0036 open ↗
- A Survey of American Psychiatrists' Attitudes Toward Classic Hallucinogens — Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1097%2FNMD.0000000000000828 open ↗
- Australia to allow prescription of MDMA and psilocybin for treatment-resistant mental illnesses — https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/03/australia-to-allow-prescription-of-mdma-and-psilocybin-for-treatment-resistant-mental-illnesses open ↗
- How a Leftist Activist Group Helped Torpedo a Psychedelic Therapy — https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/health/fda-mdma-psychedelic-therapy-psymposia.html open ↗
- Clinical applications of hallucinogens: A review. — Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (2016) — https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fpha0000084 open ↗
- Psychedelic drugs to treat depression (2023) — https://doi.org/10.58248%2FRR09 open ↗
- Effects of Setting on Psychedelic Experiences, Therapies, and Outcomes: A Rapid Scoping Review of the Literature — Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences (2022) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2F7854_2021_298 open ↗
- Treatment of Alcoholism Using Psychedelic Drugs: A Review of the Program of Research — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (1998) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.1998.10399714 open ↗
- Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) for alcoholism: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2012) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881112439253 open ↗
- A systematic literature review of clinical trials and therapeutic applications of ibogaine — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jsat.2021.108717 open ↗
- Examination of the Phenomenology of the Ibogaine Treatment Experience: Role of Altered States of Consciousness and Psychedelic Experiences — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2017) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.2017.1290855 open ↗
- The antiaddictive effects of ibogaine: A systematic literature review of human studies — https://doi.org/10.1556%2F2054.01.2016.001 open ↗
- How toxic is ibogaine? — Clinical Toxicology (2016) — https://doi.org/10.3109%2F15563650.2016.1138226 open ↗
- Psychedelic Treatments for Substance Use Disorder and Substance Misuse: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.2023.2190319 open ↗
- Classic psychedelics and alcohol use disorders: A systematic review of human and animal studies — Addiction Biology (2022) — https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fadb.13229 open ↗
- Taking Psychedelics Seriously — Journal of Palliative Medicine (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1089%2Fjpm.2017.0684 open ↗
- Existential suffering in the palliative care setting: an integrated literature review — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jpainsymman.2010.05.010 open ↗
- Embedding existential psychology within psychedelic science: reduced death anxiety as a mediator of the therapeutic effects of psychedelics — Psychopharmacology (2019) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00213-019-05391-0 open ↗
- Psychedelics as Medicines: An Emerging New Paradigm — Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2016) — https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fcpt.557 open ↗
- Psilocybin produces substantial and sustained decreases in depression and anxiety in patients with life-threatening cancer: A randomized double-blind trial — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2016) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881116675513 open ↗
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial — Journal of Psychopharmacology — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881116675512 open ↗
- Validation of the revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire in experimental sessions with psilocybin — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2015) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881115609019 open ↗
- Effects of existential interventions on spiritual, psychological, and physical well-being in adult patients with cancer: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlle — https://doi.org/10.1002%2Fpon.4829 open ↗
- Current Perspective on MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder — Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10879-017-9379-2 open ↗
- Blinding and expectancy confounds in psychedelic randomized controlled trials — Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F17512433.2021.1933434 open ↗
- Caution at psychiatry’s psychedelic frontier — Nature Medicine (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41591-021-01524-1 open ↗
- Challenges with benchmarking of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy — Nature Medicine (2021) — https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41591-021-01525-0 open ↗
- Efficacy of psilocybin for treating symptoms of depression: systematic review and meta-analysis — BMJ (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1136%2Fbmj-2023-078084 open ↗
- Ayahuasca: Psychological and Physiologic Effects, Pharmacology and Potential Uses in Addiction and Mental Illness — Current Neuropharmacology (2019) — https://doi.org/10.2174%2F1570159X16666180125095902 open ↗
- A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the effect of psilocybin and methylenedioxymethamphetamine on mental, behavioural or developmental disorders — Australian & New Zealand Journal — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F00048674221083868 open ↗
- Decreases in Suicidality Following Psychedelic Therapy — The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry (2022) — https://doi.org/10.4088%2FJCP.21r14057 open ↗
- Psychedelics for the Treatment of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder: Efficacy and Proposed Mechanisms — International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fijnp%2Fpyae057 open ↗
- Psychedelics, OCD and related disorders: A systematic review — Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jocrd.2024.100873 open ↗
- Obsessive–compulsive disorder with poor insight: A three-year prospective study — Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry (2010) — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.pnpbp.2009.12.007 open ↗
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder with poor insight — Comprehensive Psychiatry (2002) — https://doi.org/10.1053%2Fcomp.2002.30798 open ↗
- The relationships of classic psychedelic use with criminal behavior in the United States adult population — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2017) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881117735685 open ↗
- Study suggests psychedelic drugs could reduce criminal behavior — https://www.uab.edu/news/research/item/8802-study-suggests-psychedelic-drugs-could-reduce-criminal-behavior open ↗
- Hallucinogen use predicts reduced recidivism among substance-involved offenders under community corrections supervision — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2014) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881113513851 open ↗
- Psychedelic use and intimate partner violence: The role of emotion regulation — https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881118771782 open ↗
- Psychedelic use and intimate partner violence: The role of emotion regulation — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881118771782 open ↗
- Psilocybin use is associated with lowered odds of crime arrests in US adults: A replication and extension — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2022) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F02698811211058933 open ↗
- Set, Setting, and Matrix — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (1997) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.1997.10400190 open ↗
- Psychedelics and the Entropic Brain Beyond the Self — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F10508619.2023.2192078 open ↗
- Can psychedelics enhance group psychotherapy? A discussion on the therapeutic factors — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2023) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F02698811231155117 open ↗
- Social identity processes as a vehicle for therapeutic success in psychedelic treatment — Nature Mental Health (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs44220-024-00302-5 open ↗
- The History of Psychedelics in Medicine — Handbuch Psychoaktive Substanzen (2016) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2F978-3-642-55214-4_96-1 open ↗
- Lower-dose psycholytic therapy – A neglected approach — Frontiers in Psychiatry (2022) — https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyt.2022.1020505 open ↗
- Medical Contraindications to "Classic" Psychedelic Use — https://psychedelics.ucsf.edu/blog/medical-contraindications-to-classic-psychedelic-use open ↗
- 10.13140/RG.2.1.2364.8888 — https://doi.org/10.13140%2FRG.2.1.2364.8888 open ↗
- Psychedelics are a promising therapy, but they can be dangerous for some — https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/well/mind/psychedelics-therapy-ketamine-mushrooms-risks.html open ↗
- Diminished psychedelic returns on distress: Marital status and household size — PLOS ONE (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0293675 open ↗
- Psychedelics and workplace harm — Frontiers in Psychiatry (2023) — https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyt.2023.1186541 open ↗
- Informed Consent and Ethical Oversight in Psychedelic Therapy — https://doi.org/10.1176%2Fappi.ajp-rj.2024.200108 open ↗
- US FDA declines to approve first MDMA-based PTSD treatment — https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-fda-declines-approve-first-mdma-based-ptsd-treatment-2024-08-09/ open ↗
- The Abuse Potential of Medical Psilocybin According to the 8 Factors of the Controlled Substances Act — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.neuropharm.2023.109481 open ↗
- Psychedelics for substance use disorders: are women being addressed? A scoping review — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925002567 open ↗
- Psychedelics for substance use disorders: are women being addressed? A scoping review — International Journal of Drug Policy (2025) — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.drugpo.2025.104960 open ↗
- Inclusion of people of color in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy: a review of the literature — BMC Psychiatry (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12888-018-1824-6 open ↗
- 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.872335 — https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyt.2022.872335 open ↗
- 10.2105/AJPH.2006.097170 — https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2006.097170 open ↗
- The CIA's Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A 'Poisoner In Chief — https://www.npr.org/2019/09/09/758989641/the-cias-secret-quest-for-mind-control-torture-lsd-and-a-poisoner-in-chief open ↗
- Psychedelics, embodiment, and intersubjectivity — Journal of Psychedelic Studies (2023) — https://doi.org/10.1556%2F2054.2023.00257 open ↗
- Minorities’ Diminished Psychedelic Returns: Income and Educations Impact on Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, and Asians — Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs40615-024-02023-y open ↗
- American Indian areas and psychedelics: A test of the minorities’ diminished psychedelic returns. — Journal of Rural Mental Health (2025) — https://doi.org/10.1037%2Frmh0000302 open ↗
- Minorities' Diminished Psychedelic Returns: Gender, Perceived Stigma, and Distress — https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fpsychoactives3020019 open ↗
- Religious Social Integration, Psychedelics, and Psychological Distress — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.2024.2425021 open ↗
- Religion, Psychedelics, Risky Behavior, and Violence — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1080%2F02791072.2024.2346132 open ↗
- Navigating Psychedelic Policy — Contexts (2024) — https://doi.org/10.1177%2F15365042241229715 open ↗
- Stigma, psychedelics use, and the risk of reduced formal mental health care. — Stigma and Health (2026) — https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fsah0000546 open ↗
- Community Healing and Decolonizing Psychedelic Medicine — https://doi.org/10.1556%2F2054.2023.00292 open ↗
- F.D.A. Panel Rejects MDMA-Aided Therapy for PTSD — https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/04/health/fda-mdma-therapy-ptsd.html open ↗
- Disclosed: Conflicts of Interest in the Psychedelics Ecosystem — https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/events/details/conflicts-interest-psychedelics-ecosystem/ open ↗
- As investors pile into psychedelics, idealism gives way to pharma economics — https://apnews.com/article/e3f629f817781b096d72535e022d8b2f open ↗
- Books Received — Medical Law Review (2022) — https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmedlaw%2Ffwac032 open ↗
- Taking Risks to Protect Others—Pediatric Vaccination and Moral Responsibility — Public Health Ethics (2023) — https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fphe%2Fphad005 open ↗
- Psychedelic tourism is a niche but growing market — https://www.economist.com/international/2019/06/08/psychedelic-tourism-is-a-niche-but-growing-market open ↗
- Welcome to the trip of your life: the rise of underground LSD guides — https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/dec/06/lsd-guides-psychedelic-assisted-psychotherapy open ↗
- Diversity, biology, and history of psilocybin-containing fungi: Suggestions for research and technological development — https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.funbio.2022.01.003 open ↗
- 2022FunB..126..308V — https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2022FunB..126..308V open ↗
- DARK Classics in Chemical Neuroscience: Psilocybin — ACS Chemical Neuroscience (2018) — https://doi.org/10.1021%2Facschemneuro.8b00186 open ↗
- 9 Mind-Altering Plants — https://www.britannica.com/list/9-mind-altering-plants open ↗
- Psychedelic therapy: a roadmap for wider acceptance and utilization — Nature Medicine (2021) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41591-021-01530-3 open ↗
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy — https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-021-00489-1 open ↗
- Ethical and legal issues in psychedelic harm reduction and integration therapy — Harm Reduction Journal (2021) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12954-021-00489-1 open ↗
- Psychedelic Psychiatry’s Brave New World — Cell (2020) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2020.03.020 open ↗
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety — http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881108093587 open ↗
- Human hallucinogen research: guidelines for safety — Journal of Psychopharmacology (2008) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881108093587 open ↗
- Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions — https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2018.1486289 open ↗
- Current perspectives on psychedelic therapy: use of serotonergic hallucinogens in clinical interventions — International Review of Psychiatry (2018) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1080%2F09540261.2018.1486289 open ↗
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance — http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00213-006-0457-5 open ↗
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance — Psychopharmacology (2006) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00213-006-0457-5 open ↗
- Pilot Study of Psilocybin Treatment for Anxiety in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer — Archives of General Psychiatry (2011) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1001%2Farchgenpsychiatry.2010.116 open ↗
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial — http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0269881116675512 open ↗
- Rapid and sustained symptom reduction following psilocybin treatment for anxiety and depression in patients with life-threatening cancer: a randomized controlled trial — Journal of Psychopharmacology — https://dx.doi.org/10.1177%2F0269881116675512 open ↗
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms — Scientific Reports (2017) — https://dx.doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41598-017-13282-7 open ↗
- FDA approves magic mushrooms depression drug trial — https://www.newsweek.com/fda-approves-psychedelic-magic-mushrooms-ingredient-psilocybin-depression-1086759 open ↗
- FDA - _Food and Drug Administration — http://www.fda.gov/ open ↗
- DEA - _Drug Enforcement Administration — https://www.usdoj.gov/dea/index.htm open ↗
- https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-60832007000700004 — https://doi.org/10.1590/S0101-60832007000700004 open ↗
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277765496_A_social_and_cultural_history_of_the_federal_prohibition_of_psilocybin — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277765496_A_social_and_cultural_history_of_the_federal_prohibition_of_psilocybin open ↗
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617883/ — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6617883/ open ↗
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282936/ — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7282936/ open ↗
- https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.84 — https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2017.84 open ↗
- California Institute of Integral Studies — https://www.ciis.edu/research-centers/center-for-psychedelic-therapies-and-research/about-the-certificate-in-psychedelic-assisted-therapies-and-research open ↗
- The History of Psychedelics in Psychiatry — Pharmacopsychiatry (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1310-3990 open ↗
- PMID 33285579 — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33285579?dopt=Abstract open ↗
- A Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy — Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2020.1769878 open ↗
- PMID 32529966 — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32529966?dopt=Abstract open ↗
- Psychedelics for the Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders: Interpreting and Translating Available Evidence and Guidance for Future Research — American Journal of Psychiatry (2025) — https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20230902 open ↗
- The intensity of the psychedelic experience is reliably associated with clinical improvements: A systematic review and meta-analysis — Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (2025) — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2025.106086 open ↗
- Hallucinogens — Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pharmthera.2003.11.002 open ↗
- PMID 14761703 — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14761703?dopt=Abstract open ↗
- Europäische Beobachtungsstelle für Drogen und Drogensucht (EMCDDA): Drug profiles, Lysergid (LSD) — https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/lsd/de open ↗
- Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms — Scientific Reports (2017) — https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13282-7 open ↗
- Psychedelic drugs: neurobiology and potential for treatment of psychiatric disorders — Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2020) — https://doi.org/10.1038/s41583-020-0367-2 open ↗
- LSD Increases Primary Process Thinking via Serotonin 2A Receptor Activation — Frontiers in Pharmacology (2017) — https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2017.00814 open ↗
- Dreamlike effects of LSD on waking imagery in humans depend on serotonin 2A receptor activation — Psychopharmacology (2017) — https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4610-0 open ↗
- Psilocybin Biases Facial Recognition, Goal-Directed Behavior, and Mood State Toward Positive Relative to Negative Emotions Through Different Serotonergic Subreceptors — Biological Psychiatry (2012) — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.005 open ↗
- The mixed serotonin receptor agonist psilocybin reduces threat-induced modulation of amygdala connectivity — NeuroImage: Clinical (2016) — https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nicl.2015.08.009 open ↗
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Where a source includes its own URL, the open ↗ link opens it directly; otherwise search ↗ runs a Google Scholar query for the cited title — useful for verifying academic sources. For news outlets, search the outlet's own archive.
Change history
Substantive edits logged per the score-updates policy.
- 2026-05-29Phase 1 Batch J: per-group recovery resources applied via programmatic palette (closest-fit by category + subCategory + score). Palette: Wellness / MLM.
- 2026-05-20Score band scheme migrated from 4 bands to 5 (Minimal 0–5 / Low 6–12 / Moderate 13–20 / High 21–30 / Extreme 31–40). No CLCI value changed; the new Minimal band was carved out of the bottom of the previous Low band.
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Frequently asked questions
Q.Is Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles a cult?
CLCI Hub deliberately avoids the binary label "cult." Instead it places groups on a transparent 0–40 spectrum of documented control using Steven Hassan's BITE model (Behaviour, Information, Thought, Emotional). Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles scores 20 out of 40 — "Moderate Control", at low confidence. The score describes documented control patterns, not a judgement of members' sincerity or beliefs; many members do not personally experience the patterns listed.
Q.What is Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles's CLCI score?
Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles scores 20 out of 40 on the Cult-Like Control Index, which falls in the "Moderate" band. That total is the sum of four BITE axes — Behaviour 5, Information 5, Thought 5, Emotional 5 — plus a signed modifier of +0 for aggravating or mitigating factors.
Q.Why does Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles score 20 on the CLCI?
The score reflects publicly documented patterns including: Substantial retreat fees; Sexual misconduct documented at multiple retreats; Severance from outside therapists; Occasional retreat deaths. These map onto the BITE axes of behaviour, information, thought, and emotional control, and a signed modifier of +0 is applied for factors such as financial demands, leadership accountability, and exit costs. Every claim is backed by the citations in the Sources section on this page.
Q.How reliable is the Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles rating?
This profile is rated Low confidence. Low confidence means the available evidence is fragmented or largely anecdotal, so the score may change as more documentation emerges. CLCI scores are not fixed — they are revised whenever new public evidence appears, and groups that reform can score lower over time.
Q.Where can I get help regarding Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles?
If you or someone you care about is affected by Ayahuasca retreat high-control facilitator circles, start with the Recovery resources listed on this page. General cult-aware support is available from the International Cultic Studies Association (icsahome.com) and the Freedom of Mind Resource Center (freedomofmind.com). CLCI Hub is an educational resource, not a crisis service — if anyone is in immediate danger, contact local emergency services.
Found something wrong on this profile?
We accept correction requests from anyone — current and former members, researchers, journalists, family members, and the listed organisation. Submissions are reviewed by an editor; we do not auto-publish.
Disclaimer. This profile is an educational summary based on publicly available reports. Many members of this group do not experience the patterns described. Individual congregations and chapters vary widely. If you or someone you know needs support, contact a licensed therapist or the International Cultic Studies Association.