Ashli TobiasComment

One of the World’s Top Psychedelic Retreats

Ashli TobiasComment
One of the World’s Top Psychedelic Retreats

One of the World’s Top Psychedelic Retreats

Are you open to rediscovering the spark in your life, being more creative and exploring your spiritual consciousness? If so, this $6000 11-week program (with six days in Jamaica) may be the thing.

Multi-Award-winning Beckley Retreats runs one of the most trusted programs in the world for personal discovery through psychedelics. They are known for bringing together modern psychedelic science with ancient wisdom. The program is built on the work of its co-founder, Amanda Feilding, dubbed the “Queen of Psychedelics” by Forbes, who created the Beckley Foundation in 1998—a think tank and NGO dedicated to furthering psychedelic research and advocating for policy reform.

Who is Amanda Feilding?

After discovering psychedelics in her twenties, Amanda Feilding devoted her life to learning more about the usage and applications of these substances. She is widely considered as one of the founders of the modern psychedelic renaissance, leading the charge through the first study published with the Imperial college. Feilding has even documented using LSD to quit smoking cigarettes— using her long-term firsthand experience. She published a study on the efficacy of psychedelics in combatting nicotine addiction. 

In addition to her personal experiences using and exploring psychedelics, Feilding has contributed meaningful additions to the presence of psychedelic research and explorations. In 1998, Feilding founded the Beckley Foundation as an initiative to open up research regarding psychoactive substances. More recently, Feilding and the Beckley Foundation developed the Beckley Retreats programs of “science-backed psychedelic experiences.” 


What is the Beckley Foundation?

According to the Beckley Foundation’s website, the foundation’s purpose is a two-parter; the scientific side of things, and the policy side of things. On the scientific front, the foundation aims to explore the impact of psychedelics on the brain, learn about their potential benefits and potential harm, and explore new avenues of how these substances can be used in the treatment of various illnesses. On the side of policy, the foundation aims to action change in global drug policies to facilitate harm reduction and develop improved policies. The scientific program, which focuses on substances such as cannabis, MDMA, and psychedelics, is led by Feilding herself.

What are Beckley Retreats?

While the Beckley Foundation covers the research and policy side of Feilding’s mission, Beckley Retreats allows the individual to get up close and personal with Feilding’s work and experience healing for themselves. Encompassed in these programs are practices of daily guided meditation, clean eating, regular access to nature, guided breathwork, and mindful movement such as restorative yoga. Currently, these six-day in-person retreats in Jamaica have waitlists filling up through May of 2023. 

What Happens at the Retreats

In a sample immersion program schedule, you can see that the entire program takes eleven weeks to complete. While this may sound intimidating, included in these eleven weeks are four weeks of pre-retreat virtual preparation time, six days of immersion in Jamaica, followed by six weeks of post-retreat virtual integration time. 


What goes on during the pre-retreat preparation?

During the pre-retreat preparation phase, you will participate in group workshops, one on one intake calls, journaling and preparation exercises, and introductions to well-being practices.

What goes on during the immersion?

Once you begin your immersive experience in Jamaica, your first day will consist of opening ceremonies, orientation, and meals, of course. Your days two and four at the retreat are when the psilocybin ceremonies take place, in addition to practices of meditation, movement, nature walks, and breathwork. The third and fifth days focus on ‘integration sessions,’ which help you to process your experiences during the ceremonies. During these retreats you’ll also be participating in a digital detox, so get all of your Netflix-binging in before you go.


What goes on after the immersion?

During the six-week virtual ‘rewiring’ program, you work to build habits and make changes. You will participate in daily well-being practices, weekly group calls, as well as meditation and breathwork modules. 

During every part of your retreat, you will notice Beckley’s commitment to safety. Safety is encapsulated in every component of your journey. From the location to the staff to individualistic attention, every part of Beckley retreats are designed to provide a supportive and safe environment to those who participate. 

As research continues to further our knowledge of the healing powers of psychedelic substances, there is no one better than Amanda Feilding to trust with your psychedelic exploration. Alongside her work developing and founding these retreats, Feilding’s research and experience have provided our scientists and society in general with a breadth of knowledge we would not otherwise have discovered. There truly is no legend like Amanda Feilding.