The experience: Often described as a dream-inducing substance that has the ability to elicit a near-death experience, ibogaine, at the very least, can bring about deep introspection and emotional processing. It’s widely considered one of the most physically demanding psychedelic experiences because of how long it lasts: described as non-linear, participants may remain in a lucid state without sleep for a full day or longer. Because of the medicine’s intensity, most retreats, such as Etereo Baja in Baja California Sur and New Path Ibo near Rosarito in northern Baja California, offer personalized programs that include pre-treatment preparation, full medical screening, psychotherapy integration, and aftercare planning. After pre-screening is complete, participants usually enter the ceremony with the plant in one of a few different ways: by chewing directly on the root bark, digesting a powdered form of the bark in a tea, or by capsule with powder or extract inside. Thereafter, the experience —considered the longest of all psychedelic trips—usually lasts between 12 and 36 hours and can involve deep life review and detoxification of the body. Purging is common, and many describe the journey as receiving messages or visions from an ancient intelligence. In some cases, participants are even hooked up to medical equipment to monitor their vital signs due to the medicine’s effect on heart rhythms, while other retreat experiences are more rooted in the ancestral practice and incorporate traditional Bwiti music and ceremony.

Sweat lodge ceremony, or temazcal, with a psychedelic element (Psilocybin, Ayahuasca, or San Pedro)

This ancient Mesoamerican purification ritual originated in what is now Mexico and Central America and continues to be incorporated into everyday life by descendants of the Mexica, Maya, and Zapotec. A temazcal is typically helmed by a temazcalero, who guides participants through a sweat lodge ceremony held within a dome-shaped structure meant to symbolize the Earth’s womb. The structure is usually made of wood and covered with blankets or made of clay or concrete. To heat it, the temazcalero adds fire-heated volcanic stones, known as abuelitas, in the center of the dome, where they place water infused with herbs on top to create a medicinal steam. Participants usually move through four rounds—aligned with the elements of earth, air, fire, and water—while the temazcalero leads chants, prayer, and intention. The traditional sweat lodge practice did not include psychedelics, but in some retreat settings, psilocybin, ayahuasca, or San Pedro (Huachuma) are included to deepen the experience, blending ancient rituals with modern psychedelic healing.

The experience: Psilocybin is the most common psychedelic to consume before entering a temazcal, allowing the peak to unfold within the heat and darkness. At Arkana Spiritual Center in Mexico, temazcal and mushroom ceremonies are both offered, but held separately—with the lodge used for preparation. In Ecuador, Gaia Sagrada offers a rare combined ceremony where ayahuasca and San Pedro are consumed inside the sweat lodge, though the practice is a modern fusion brought from Mexico rather than an Indigenous Ecuadorian tradition. Nearby in Ecuador, Hayulima Sanctuary also offers temazcal, ayahuasca, and San Pedro ceremonies—held separately, with the sweat lodge serving as a tool for deeper integration.

Synthetic options (like MDMA & LSD)

Unlike traditional plant medicines sourced from natural landscapes like forests and deserts, some synthetic psychedelics are gaining traction for therapeutic healing purposes, mainly MDMA and LSD. First developed in the early 20th century—MDMA in 1912 by Merck, and LSD in 1938 by Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann—both synthesized compounds are rooted in chemistry and science yet have found their way into the modern psychedelic renaissance due to their therapeutic promise.

The experience: MDMA and LSD have varying effects on the human psyche and rival the visionary states induced by natural psychedelics. MDMA is noted to have heart-softening effects by dissolving emotional barriers and amplifying compassion, while LSD is celebrated for the expansive and introspective journeys it elicits, often opening doors to inner creativity. As of now, both remain Schedule I substances in the United States and many other countries. But that may soon change: MDMA-assisted therapy is in its final stages of FDA approval, with rescheduling anticipated as early as 2025. LSD is also undergoing a resurgence in clinical research, with promising results for anxiety, depression, and end-of-life care. Still, no legally sanctioned retreats currently offer MDMA or LSD, though access exists through clinical trials or underground sessions in countries with more relaxed laws.