If you’ve been following the wellness space lately, you’ve probably noticed that psychedelics are having a massive moment. They’ve moved from the fringes of counterculture right into the centre of serious conversations about mental health and healing.
But what does a "mushroom retreat" actually look like? Is it just a bunch of people tripping in the woods, or is there a method to the madness?
I recently watched a fascinating breakdown from Jimmy Wightman over at the Delve Deep Meditation channel. Jimmy is a meditation teacher - someone usually focused on breathwork and mindfulness - who decided to trade his meditation cushion for a psilocybin retreat at Beckley Retreats in Jamaica.
His goal? To see if the buzz about psychedelics overlapping with deep meditative states was true.
Here is the lowdown on his unique experience.
Why a Meditation Teacher Went on a Mushroom Retreat
Jimmy wasn't just doing this for fun. Over the last few years, there's been an explosion of research exploring how psychedelics and meditation might complement each other. Both seem to offer insights and healing, just through different pathways.
As someone who's spent years teaching meditation, Jimmy wanted to understand that overlap firsthand. And from what he describes, he definitely found it.
What Actually Happens on a Mushroom Retreat
The retreat follows a carefully structured rhythm over about a week. The place looks absolutely stunning, with jungle views, swimming pools, the works. So you arrive, settle in, and spend the first day preparing.
This isn't just "here are some mushrooms, good luck." You learn about the research, discuss dosage with facilitators based on your experience level, and practice grounding techniques like breathwork, yoga, and meditation.
Then comes the first ceremony. You're in a group of around 12 people, lying down with eye masks, listening to music, and navigating whatever comes up internally. Facilitators are present the entire time (you can raise your hand if you need support) but mostly you're on your own journey, working through what the medicine reveals.
The Confusing First Journey
Jimmy's refreshingly honest about his first experience. He says it was intensely confusing. High-dose psilocybin isn't exactly subtle, and making sense of what happened required a full day of integration afterward.
The group shares experiences, processes together, does movement exercises. Basically giving your brain time to piece things together before jumping back in.
The Second Ceremony: When It Clicked
After another integration day, there's a second ceremony. Jimmy was nervous going in after how intense the first one was, but this time something shifted. Even though he took a higher dose, the experience was less confusing and more revelatory.
This is where the meditation connection became crystal clear for him. He describes it as being "taken out of his mind" and able to observe it from a distance - what researchers call decentering.
Suddenly he could watch his thought patterns loop, see how they connected to his life, and recognise how to break through repetitive cycles. It's essentially what meditation aims for, but through a completely different route.
Plus the visuals. He hints that wandering through those Jamaican gardens while on psilocybin is something beyond words, though the real work happens lying down with your eyes closed, doing the internal exploration.
The Long Game: Integration Matters
What struck me most about Jimmy's account is how seriously Beckley takes integration. The focus is as much on preparation and integration than the actual psychedelic experience.
You start preparing on Zoom weeks before you even arrive. After you leave, there are continued integration sessions and app access to help you actually apply whatever insights or healing emerged.
Because high dose psilocybin is now joke. And the people who go oon these retreats are doing real work to learning something about themselves—healing wounds, gaining insights, and changing how you show up in your relationships and daily life.
The Bottom Line
Jimmy's emphatic about safety. If you're going to explore high doses of any plant medicine, do it somewhere with experienced facilitators who can hold space for you. The confusion can be real, and you need to trust the people around you to fully surrender to the experience.
He's not planning to make this a monthly thing, or even every six months. Maybe once a year, maybe just when it feels necessary. But the insights he gained - about his mind, his patterns, the overlap between psychedelics and meditation - seem profound enough that he felt compelled to share.
For someone who's dedicated his career to meditation, that's a pretty strong endorsement of what these experiences can offer when approached with intention, structure, and proper support.
Why We Recommend Beckley (And a Gift for You!)
Beckley Retreats are the "Gold Standard" in this space. They are backed by the Beckley Foundation, which has pioneered psychedelic research for over 20 years.
Because we believe so much in the work they are doing, Mushies is officially partnering with Beckley Retreats. They have very kindly offered our community a $500 (£375) discount on their upcoming retreats (in Jamaica and The Netherlands). If you feel called to explore this journey for yourself, just use the code below at checkout:
Code: BRAP-MUSHIESUK
