Support & FAQ
We’re here to support on every step of your journey with us!
How can we help you?
The application/screening form is the initial step in our registration process. This screening allows us to identify any conditions or contraindications that may affect your safe participation or disrupt group cohesion.
Certain psychiatric, physical, medical, or other issues could potentially preclude safe involvement in our programs. After our team reviews your form, you can expect a response within 3-5 business days.
Our program is ideal for individuals seeking personal transformation, a deeper connection with self, nature, and purpose, improved relationships, exploration of mystical realms, or a spark of creativity.
Visit the Registration page to get started.
We will get in touch with you by email or phone (if we do not hear back from you by email) to sechedule a personal interview. This is an opportunity to get to know each other and determine whether this program will be a good fit for you.
Our preparation program includes detox information, workbook, and preparation calls. We will guide you through all of the necessary steps to safely prepare physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Yes, please attend an Informational Session to speak with us. If you can not make any of the available times, please contact us to arrange a conversation.
Yes, you can attend with your partner / family member / friend, while its important to consider that the best outcome comes from focusing on your own journey. If you’re planning to come with a loved one, we recommend each of you staying in an individual bedroom (do not share rooms).
Fort Collins is the closest city to Red Feather Lakes, where Drala Mountain Center is located. A little further south, also good options, are Loveland, Longmont, Boulder, and Denver (which is about a 2-hour drive from the retreat center).
Psilocybin is the active ingredient in psychoactive mushrooms found in Mexico, South America and the southern and northwest regions of the United States. Some cultures like the Aztecs used the “divine mushroom” as part of their spiritual and traditional celebrations and rituals.
Psilocybin is considered to be an entheogen. Entheogens are hallucinogens and psychedelics that are naturally occurring and chemically manufactured substances originating from plants or certain species and are used as tools for greater self awareness and healing, and spiritual connectedness and clarity in life. They are known to have great power over the ego allowing detachment from identifications and labels; shattering self-delusion; exposing false beliefs; and revealing areas of one’s personality that are not serving the individual in their relationships and life, promoting immediate self-awareness and self-growth.
Psilocybin increases brain connectivity, allowing for increased communication between different regions, resetting the brain to a balanced and healthy state. It affects the brain’s prefrontal cortex, part of the brain that regulates abstract thinking, thought analysis, and plays a key role in mood and perception.
An experience on a high dose of psilocybin mushrooms (3 – 5 gms) includes increased intensity of emotional experiences, increased introspection, and altered psychological functioning in the form of “hypnagogic experiences” similar to a dreaming state — a transitory state between wakefulness and sleep.
Perceptual changes such as visuals, synesthesia, emotional shifts, and a distorted sense of time are all characteristic of a psilocybin experience as well. These effects are typically felt an hour or so after orally ingesting a dose.
You will begin to notice changes in your visual perception, such as halos around lights and objects, and geometric patterns when your eyes are closed.
Your thoughts and emotions will also begin to change. It’s not uncommon to have a sense of openness to thoughts and feelings that you tend to avoid in your everyday life. A sense of wonder and delight with the world around you, the people in your life, and your thoughts is also quite common, along with a sense of peace and connection with the universe.
For more detailed information, read our article, “Working with Psilocybin.”
In clinical studies, psilocybin has shown significant benefits with low risk and is generally well tolerated by most individuals. Potential physical side effects may include nausea, vomiting, disorientation, and headaches. The primary psychological risk associated with psilocybin use is experiencing periods of overwhelming distress.
Possible side effects of plant medicine ingestion:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Visual distortions
- Euphoria
- Decreased need for sleep
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Overwhelming emotion
- Increase in body temperature
- Headache
- Lightheadedness
- Paranoia
- Fear
Many individuals with various conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or chronic pain, may be interested in our program. Some of these individuals may be taking serotonin-based medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or selective serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) to maintain their quality of life and functioning. Common examples of SSRIs and SNRIs include Zoloft, Prozac, Lexapro, Effexor, Cymbalta, Trintellix, and buspirone.
It’s important to note that our programs are non-medical and are not intended to treat any medical conditions for which you may have been prescribed SSRIs or SNRIs, antipsychotics and/or anxiety medications.
The psychedelic effects of psilocybin are believed to be primarily mediated by its interaction with the serotonin receptor known as 5HT2A. Similarly, SSRIs and SNRIs also influence the serotonin system, including the 5HT2A receptor, but in more complex ways. When psilocybin is taken concurrently with SSRI/SNRI medications, individuals often report a less intense psychedelic experience. This interaction is thought to be due to the modulation of serotonin signaling pathways by both psilocybin and these medications.
Due to the contraindications between many of these medications and psilocybin mushrooms, we are unable to accept participants who are currently taking these medications.
No. However, participants will be welcome to self-organize if they wish to carpool. You’ll get a chance to meet fellow participants during our Preparation group meeting.
All meals from dinner on Friday, August 9 to lunch on Sunday, August 11, will be provided by Drala Mountain Center. These will include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
We are offering two scholarships for the reduced, sliding scale fee of $495–$1,495. We ask that you pay what you can. Priority will be given to applicants who can provide a work exchange. Opportunities to help include photography or media production; managing social media; and administrative assistance.
If you decide to cancel your registration for any reason, you must let us know as soon as possible. For cancellations prior to July 7, we will refund your program fee minus the deposit ($750). This deposit is non-refundable regardless of illness, flight cancellations/delays, emergencies, death or travel/weather circumstances.
After July 7, we cannot refund your full program free, but 50% of the balance can be applied to a future retreat with us within one year.
Important: The retreat center is requring that all participants test negative for Covid within 24 hours prior to the retreat. We recommend you purchase travel insurance, in case you happen to test positive.
We reserve the right to cancel or postpone the retreat due to unforeseen circumstances. In this event, your deposit and payment will be refunded in full, but we are not responsible for travel or lodging expenses.