4 Day mushroom Retreat Alicante

Original Review from November 2023:
My intention for booking this retreat was to use magic mushrooms as a sacred healing tool for inner transformation. This was unfortunately not fulfilled. I cannot recommend this retreat. The good: The location can be found easily and is close to Alicante city center. The atmosphere during arrival time was very friendly, welcoming, positive and relaxed. The helpers (mostly very young women in their early twenties) were friendly, open and positive spirited. During the whole retreat weekend there were several occasions where the helpers created positive and helpful situations, for example, they were in charge of the food, they helped with arrival, they helped during ceremony, they offered a talking circle, they offered yoga sessions and were always there in case of questions/problems. The bad: The host of this place is a very troubled, unbalanced and - at times - aggressive man, that is not in control of his emotional state. He often appeared tired, bored, strained, and high. His temper was dangerous for the group in several situations. One example of his unreasonable behavior being that he entered a sharing circle with a joint in his hand, another example being that he was high himself during a ceremony, and he was high on at least two substances while driving a car with four participants himself. Another example of troubled behavior being that he tried to sell drugs during the final circle. For me, it was not at all a trustworthy retreat, mainly because of the unstable character/personality of the host. I wouldn't recommend the retreat to anyone. This is not a place for safe experience with plant medicine.

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La Mezquita's Response May 2024:

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. Your feedback is invaluable, and I want to express my deepest gratitude for bringing these concerns to our attention.

Please accept my sincerest apologies for any discomfort or unease you may have experienced during your time at our retreat. It deeply saddens me to hear that your expectations were not met and that you did not feel the healing and transformative environment that we strive to create.

Upon reflection on your feedback, I have taken significant steps to address the issues you raised. It's been a journey of profound self-realization for me personally, as your review prompted me to confront some of my own shortcomings.
I'd like to shed light on my own story which is reflected in this short film made about my life in 2017. "Journey to Spain and Feel the Psychedelic Sensations of San Pedro | HEALING POWERS". For anyone interested, the documentary can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tYHbIGEfi8&t=1

I want to clarify a few points that seem to have been misunderstood. Firstly, regarding the incident with the "joint" during the sharing circle, I must clarify that it wasn't a joint but a blend of various herbs, it was consumed in an open-air setting.

Please also understand that as facilitators, we take a small dose for the purpose of maintaining clarity and guidance throughout the session. However, I assure you that these doses are minimal and do not compromise our ability to ensure the safety and well-being of our participants.

Regarding the issue of driving, your safety is paramount to us. We now use a van as a driver.

Also, I want to address the misunderstanding regarding the sale of drugs during the final circle. Our intention is not to promote or facilitate the sale of drugs but to provide ongoing support and integration services for our guests. This includes offering microdosing packages and educating individuals on the responsible and safe use of psychedelics. This allows them to partake in psychedelic experiences without spending 1000s of euros.

In light of your feedback, I have undergone profound changes and improvements to ensure that our retreat center remains a safe, nurturing, and transformative space.

Once again, thank you for your feedback. It has been a catalyst for positive change.
With warmest regards,
Sanson

Original Review from March 2023:

The staff at La Mezquita is without a doubt one of the most welcoming, attentive, genuine, warm joyful, compassionate and loving group of people I've had the chance to encounter. My initial anxieties around not having slept or eaten enough were received with genuine compassion, and acted upon almost as matter of urgency, which made me feel instantly safe. This attitude wasn't for show: I noticed it throughout the week-end, without fail, not only between staff and non-staff but also between staff themselves, which tends to be rarer. This made La Mezquita feel more like a community or even a close family than a regular business. The setting for the first ceremony was impeccable: the white ample clothing, the candles, the smells, the ornaments, the decor, the music and overall room preparation and cleanliness all felt aligned with the purpose of the gathering. This carefully planned and quiet orchestration helped to create a sense of peace, leading up to the intensely solemn moment of drinking. The gentle contemplative piano, followed later on by the folk guitar and joyful group singing felt just right, in their sequence, mood and energy. The crackling fire was at times the only thing I could hear, and was very soothing and comforting. Unfortunately, I often felt uncomfortable in the presence of Sanson, or when witnessing his behaviour. The second day, he showed up more than 15 min late to the ceremony and the staff had to start filling in for him. He finally entered the room wearing a bathrobe and smoking what looked like a cigar. Without an apology, he sat down and started walking us through the preparations. As we were going around the group assessing our individual states, he quantified his to be 1 out of 10, which made non-staff and staff alike uneasy. One of them even tried to reframe it as a vulnerable and courageous thing to say in order to lighten the mood. After a minute or so, he gave up talking after saying he had nothing else to contribute. The rest of the staff had to continue improvising through the preparations. Other instances of this kind of attitude made me feel either like I was an annoyance to him or that we, as a group, were here to support him rather than the other way around. The way he handled checking me in, the conducting of other business in front of us, his absence at the second integration circle or the inappropriate comments about French people I unfortunately overheard all contributed to reinforce that sense of unkind, self-preoccupied behaviour. Coming from the person who is supposed to be our guide and our support throughout a challenging experience, I find this attitude difficult to accept. Sadly, even what felt initially like genuine and caring moments - as he walked us back to the flat - ended up being clouded by this overall unease. I obviously don't know for sure - maybe it was the absence of piano on the second day - but I can't rule out the influence of these preoccupations on the unfolding of my second ceremony. On this particular point, I wish at least one person in the staff wouldn't drink during the ceremony (maybe I got that wrong?), break out of the group and do regular check-ins. A lot of care and attention is given around the moment of purging, as well as when asked for, but I wish someone had come over unsolicited regularly, given how difficult it is to attract attention in a dark room, in this altered state, where a hand up might well be just part of a contemplation and not a call for help. The flat I stayed at was not up to standards. It was clearly somebody's permanent place, that had be vacated in a rush for the week-end. The bathroom floor was not hoovered, a bathrobe was hanging, there was a bucket of dirty water in the laundry room, the fridge had left-over perishable food. My bed was generally ok, although the metallic bed frame was unstable. On the more logistical side of things, I think the mail that was sent the day before our arrival was really good and informative, but could have been sent a couple of days earlier to make for a smoother transition. For instance, a few of us didn't quite get the importance of white clothing until that message, which was quite late to act upon. Ultimately, it saddens me that one person's attitude ended up tainting my experience of this otherwise wonderful, whole, supportive and kind group of people. This is a rare jewel, and one that I would recommend going for blindly, if it wasn't for some of the more concerning caveats.

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La Mezquita's Response May 2024:

Dear Guest,

Thank you for sharing your experience with us following your recent ayahuasca retreat at La Mezquita. Your feedback is incredibly valuable to us, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude for taking the time to provide such detailed insights into your stay.

I'm truly heartened to hear that you found our staff to be welcoming, attentive, and genuinely compassionate. Creating a safe and supportive environment for our guests is our top priority, and I'm glad to hear that you felt cared for throughout your time with us.

I'm also pleased to hear that you found the setting for the first ceremony to be impeccable, and that the atmosphere helped to create a sense of peace and tranquility. It's our aim to provide a serene and harmonious space for our guests to embark on their inner journey with ayahuasca.

However, I must express my sincere apologies for any discomfort or unease you may have experienced in the presence of Sanson during your retreat. I want to assure you that your concerns have been taken very seriously, and we are committed to addressing them in order to improve the overall experience for our guests.

Regarding the second ceremony, I want to provide some context that may help to explain the challenges you encountered. Sanson was personally dealing with a significant relationship breakup during that time, which understandably affected his demeanor and availability. While this doesn't excuse any lapses in professionalism, I hope it provides some insight into the circumstances that may have contributed to your experience.

In addition, I appreciate your feedback regarding the accommodation provided. We are constantly striving to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and comfort, and I apologize if your expectations were not fully met in this regard. Rest assured, we will review our processes to ensure that all guest accommodations meet our standards moving forward.

Warm regards,

Sanson - Retreat Lead

Original Message from September 2022:

When I arrived at the mezquita I was nervous and closed into my shell, a wall i had been building for a long time. The whole experience was amazing: the atmosphere, the feeling of safety, the music, especially the live Piano. Sanson was very skilled and professional guide. I was given just the right amount to reach where i needed. I didn't manage to achieve ego death, but i was looking for healing not that. I could have deeper but we decided not to. I will be returning for a deeper experience when i have fully integrated this experience. It was the great spiritual awakening of my life. I had never heard of spiritual well being before this retreat, and that's why I never saw it as a priority. Thank you for making this possible.

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La Mezquita's Response May 2024:
You seem to have had a magical experience. Was it a mistake that you left two stars?

I felt comfortable from the beginning and was happy to meet such lovely people

La Mezquita came along in my life at the exact time I needed them. Jolie, Klara, Pepi, Peter and Sansom are the absolute best. Sansom told me he and his staff “had my back” and they absolutely did. I can’t recommend them highly enough!. The group I went through the process with were kind, loving and caring people from all over the world. We all gathered there for all different reasons and we all gave eathother the space and room to learn, grow, and heal. If you are considering La Mezquita - take the leap - Sansom’s got you! Hope you meet Peter! He is a wonderful human being and someone I want to connect deeper with. He touched me in a deep and profound way! Thank you guys! It was nice to meet so many cool people. Namaste!