Legal psychedelic retreat in the Netherlands

There are different types of psilocybin retreat in the Netherlands, ranging from three to five days. The main difference between them is that some will hold just one psilocybin ceremony, while others will provide two. On a three-day retreat like Tangerine Retreat, we offer one dose of psilocybin, helping you benefit from more significant and longer-lasting effects.

With the right preparation and personalized support prior to the retreat, one ingested dose is sufficient to produce a fulfilling journey full of personal revelations.

The distinction between the two is nuanced:

A retreat is like taking a time-out, stepping away from the daily grind with the aim of emotional reset and having breakthroughs that spur personal growth and self-discovery. The stay is overseen by transformation coaches or facilitators. This is more of an intense, one-off personal development endeavor; a retreat doesn't heal but acts as a springboard for moving forward.

Psilocybin therapy, on the other hand, is a more extended psychological engagement targeting mental disorders. This therapeutic process takes place under the watchful eye of a mental health professional: hypnotherapist, psychotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, and so on. Psychedelic therapy combines psychotropic intake with psychotherapy or hypnosis sessions.

A retreat can beneficially be a part of a therapeutic journey where a therapist aids the attendee in prepping for and integrating their experience, both pre and post-retreat.

However, a retreat in and of itself isn't therapy and is managed by facilitators, not therapists.

What’s the difference between magic truffles and magic mushrooms? Psilocybin truffles are not like the truffles you eat in fine-dining restaurants.

Psychedelic truffles are just the dormant parts of hallucinogenic mushrooms, otherwise known as sclerotium. This specimen grows underground and plays a major role in conserving the mushroom’s nutrients – including the psilocybin molecule – during harsh environmental conditions. Think of it as a sort of hibernation reserve for mushrooms which allows them to grow back when conditions improve.

In the Netherlands, taking psilocybin truffles is legal for adults over 18. It’s therefore not unusual to see American, British, Belgian, Swiss, and French tourists travelling to the Netherlands to participate in a retreat.

However, you won’t find any legal retreats offering magic mushrooms in either Europe or the US, since magic mushrooms are completely illegal since the 1960s.

In general, psilocybin is taken like a herbal tea. Participants are given a fresh truffle that they then grind down and infuse with ginger in some hot water.

This all happens within the framework of a ritualistic ceremony that helps participants reach a level of emotional reconfiguration. Respecting this ritual is essential for tapping into the solemnity of the whole ceremony.

Psilocybin is a molecule that occurs naturally in many varieties of mushroom and its presence has been well-documented since the dawn of humanity. When psilocybin enters the human body, it is transformed into psilocin, a hallucinogenic that temporarily affects brain chemistry. Several studies suggest that psilocin works by attaching itself to serotonin receptors in the brain, which usually regulate things like mood and motivation.

When under the influence of psilocybin, connections between neurons seem to change, leading to temporary sensorial and perceptual distortion, similar to lucid dreaming, euphoria or hallucinating. This alteration to how neurons communicate with each other helps bring up emotions that had been buried deep down. This is the time to come to terms with these deep-rooted emotions and try to draw from them.

Patients suffering from depression tend to have an interesting reaction to psilocybin. Numerous studies show that patients suffering from forms of depression that resist antidepressant treatment can show a marked improvement in their mental health following an experience with psilocybin.

One of the latest studies to show this demonstrates how 25 mg of psilocybin had a significant effect for up to three months on patients for whom traditional treatments had failed. However, typical treatment for depression doesn’t currently take this into consideration. The medical profession and international governing bodies require several more years of studies into psilocybin before they’ll think about accepting its use in certain cases.

As with depression, research points to the potential effects of psilocybin on people suffering with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and alcohol addiction. People who have participated in psychedelic retreats say almost unanimously that their anxiety reduced in the months following their experience.

A study published in JAMA Psychiatry also notes that subjects with alcohol use disorder were twice as likely to completely stop drinking alcohol as those who took a placebo.

Based on our participants’ experiences of these different types of retreat, we’ve chosen to provide one dose of psilocybin on our retreats. Firstly, with a single dose, we can offer an attractive price and allow a wide audience to try the psilocybin retreat experience.

Additionally, we apply a very thorough support protocol to prepare the minds to receive the molecule and experience an increase in sensory receptivity: one-on-one discussions, group discussions, evocation of sensitive subjects, and meditation sessions.

With proper preparation, the mind will be much more receptive to receiving the molecule. It’s a step towards guaranteeing positive results. A deep preparation gives you the opportunity to go further in your personal quest. In this case, it is not necessary to take two doses.

It is not recommended to take any psychedelic substance without proper supervision. From a legal and ethical stance, we do not recommend it.

Firstly, our experience shows us that preparation is important. It’s essential to be ready to engage with the issues and anxieties in your life and embark on a journey of personal development. This is the only way to open the mind to new ideas and for the issues you need to work on to become clear to you. The preparation stage is what psychedelic retreats offer you above any other experience, as our facilitators are on hand to assist participants towards their own consciousness and guide them through difficult feelings.

Also, the effects of psilocybin can be overwhelming and lead to brief sensations of confusion. In that situation, it is much better to be under the supervision of people who are trained to put you at ease, remind you that you’re in the midst of a temporary experience, and recentre you on your spiritual journey.

In accordance with Dutch law, Tangerine Retreat only offers psilocybin truffles and not mushrooms. For the majority of people, taking magic truffles is completely safe. Any feelings of confusion or hallucinations are temporary and participants are able to go about their normal lives after a good night’s sleep.

There are, however, recommendations to take into account. People suffering from psychotic disorders and cardiovascular diseases, patients on certain classes of antidepressants, and pregnant women are at a higher risk and may not get all the benefits from the experience.

We strongly advise against any interactions between monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, modulators, and serotonin stimulators.

Psilocybin is used as a positive disruptor of neurochemistry. It acts on serotonin and dopamine receptors, which capture more neurotransmitters. This chemical hypersensitivity leads to extensive stimulation of neurons.

The result is as simple as it is surprising: hidden emotions, buried memories, and the connections between different events in our lives become clearer and more accessible. This emotional availability opens the mind to long-term psychological work through all kinds of classic therapies. However, research on psychedelic mushrooms, dosing, and microdosing is still ongoing.

When under the influence of psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, LSD, Ayahuasca, or Ketamine, the brain undergoes a true chemical revolution and the mind gains a better understanding of its traumas. According to several studies on hallucinogens, these altered states of consciousness provide a good foundation for addressing mental or behavioral disorders.

However, it cannot be said that hallucinogenic drugs treat depression or obsessive-compulsive disorders. Studies regarding the potential medical use of psilocybin in psychiatry or medicine suggest that psychedelics create a favorable terrain for neuroplasticity in the prefrontal cortex. This temporary alteration could make therapy (EMDR, psychotherapy, hypnosis, coaching) more effective for depressed individuals.

Therefore, consuming psilocybin truffles is the starting point of a more comprehensive approach to regain control over daily suffering and reduce symptoms of depression.

Truffles contain a relatively harmless and non-addictive hallucinogenic substance. Therefore, they do not lead to dependence. The undesirable effects are sometimes nausea or headache.

The concept of a bad trip is more relevant to people with psychosis (such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, dissociative disorder), for whom the ingestion of psilocybin is strongly advised against and can cause long-term effects (like paranoia). Similarly, people undergoing treatment with certain psychoactive drugs or antidepressants such as Prozac, Deroxat, or Seroplex should consult a doctor to evaluate potential risks and benefits.

In a legal retreat, a team of professional facilitators is present to prevent any negative situation, anxiety, or panic.