Aside from the question, “what if I have a bad trip?“, one of the aspects of our Retreats that tends to come with the most reservation, is the fact that we primarily work in a group setting.
This weariness stems from multiple sources: social anxiety, a fear of being vulnerable around a group of strangers, or a worry that you may not “click” with everyone in the group.
We’re here to tell you (along with multiple studies backing us up on this) – the community aspect of any type of healing retreat only amplifies the experience.
We’ve seen and have felt this to be true firsthand, both in our work with the retreats and in our own personal psychedelic experiences.
For those of you who have experimented with psychedelics, we think it’s safe to say that you can relate to the idea that having a journey alone can present its own hurdles.
While the medicine is powerful in its own right, the true beauty of the experience heavily relies on your environment and the company you hold during your trip.
Maybe you’ve been there. Alone at your house, or essentially alone in your experience at a party or in a group. Psychedelics can be-to put it mildly- intense at times. Having someone with you-particularly someone you trust you can be vulnerable- is what takes a “bad” trip, to a profound journey of self-realization and mental healing.
The community aspect of what we have to offer is a huge part of the experience, and we’d even back it up to be one of the main selling points of our retreats.
While we get some pushback from potential guests about the idea of working in primarily group settings , we know (and so do our previous guests) that the group aspect is what makes our experience so beautiful.
We offer a safe space to connect with others that you’d probably never cross paths with otherwise. We take self-proclaimed “lost souls” and lead them to each other to experience what can only be described as a once in a lifetime experience that, when explained to others outside of our world ,can only be deemed as one of those “you just had to be there” type of moments.
Behavioral scientists continue to support the idea that human beings thrive when they share meaningful connections and are part of supporting communities that share common beliefs and interests.
Will you encounter others from different backgrounds, demographics, and belief systems while at a Buena Vida Retreat? Absolutely. The group we cater to is vast. We work with Gen Z’ers, Millennials, and Boomers alike. That’s the beauty of our evolving societal mindset.
Everyone has their “stuff”.
Everyone has things they need to work through to become their most mentally fit, most aligned higher selves.
Some have carried it around for decades, coming to us as a last resort after trying every avenue or traditional western medicine to treat it to no avail.
We see it all. We experience it all. And you should too.
“If we are to overcome the problems we face, we need what I have called a sense of universal responsibility rooted in love and kindness for our human brothers and sisters.”
— Joanna Macy
Want more proof togetherness positively influences effects of your psychological well-being? Check out this study where researchers at Imperial College London analyzed how group settings for psychedelic experiences can influence outcomes for individual participants with feelings of, “intense togetherness and shared humanity that temporarily transcends social structures”.
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