Not all ayahuasca retreats are created equal. From unqualified shamans to medical emergencies and cult-like dynamics, the risks are real – and too often ignored by glossy retreat websites and fake review platforms.
This is your essential pre-booking library to stay safe, informed, and empowered. These are the 15 most important guides to read before choosing a retreat, based on real incident data, survivor stories, and trusted sources.
Created by Best Retreats — the most comprehensive safety-forward ayahuasca directory online.
🚩 Ayahuasca Safety Red Flags & Emergency Protocols
Ayahuasca Retreat Red Flags: 10 Signs of an Unsafe Center
The anchor guide: Learn the most common warning signs of retreat centers that prioritize profit over safety.
What to Do If You Have a Bad Trip or Psychological Crisis During a Retreat
What’s normal, what’s not, and how facilitators should respond when panic, psychosis, or dissociation strikes.
What Happens If Someone Dies or Gets Hurt at an Ayahuasca Retreat?
The truth about emergency protocols, evacuation failures, and what most retreat websites never disclose.
How to Report an Unsafe or Abusive Ayahuasca Retreat Center
Who to contact and how to document incidents – including Best Retreats, ICEERS, consulates, and Reddit forums.
💊 Medical & Psychological Risks You Must Know
Medical Risks of Ayahuasca: Interactions, Contraindications, and Fatal Cases
SSRIs, MAOIs, heart conditions, epilepsy — get the cleanest explanation anywhere of when ayahuasca becomes physically dangerous.
The Hidden Dangers of Kambo, Bufo, and San Pedro Ceremonies at Ayahuasca Retreats
Why mixing medicines can be life-threatening. Includes guest reports, retreat names, and verified red flags.
The Dark Side of Integration: When Post-Retreat Blues Become a Crisis
Many people crash after the high. This guide explains how and why integration failure leads to anxiety, confusion, or depression.
Ayahuasca Isn’t for Everyone: Who Should Not Attend a Retreat
A clear, honest guide to physical, mental, and emotional red flags. Who should wait — or walk away entirely.
🎭 Abuse, Manipulation & Misconduct
How to Spot a Fake Shaman: Red Flags and Common Scams
Charismatic abuse, made-up lineages, spiritual gaslighting — what real guests say and how to verify authenticity.
Ayahuasca Cults: When a Healing Center Crosses the Line
The 2025 guide to high-demand retreat groups that operate like cults. Isolation, love bombing, and financial control exposed.
Why Women Need to Be Extra Cautious When Choosing a Retreat
Sexual misconduct is one of the most underreported problems in this space. Learn how to screen for safe staff and centers.
⚖️ Legal & Ethical Risks
Are Ayahuasca Retreats Legal? Country-by-Country Safety Guide
Some countries look the other way — others arrest, deport, or extort. Understand the legal gray zones before you fly.
Can You Sue an Ayahuasca Retreat? Legal Options If Things Go Wrong
You probably can’t — but here’s what you can do. Civil actions, whistleblowing, liability waivers, and redress options.
🌐 Review Manipulation & Industry Accountability
Why Some Retreat Centers Use Fake Reviews — and How to Detect Them
The ayahuasca industry’s dirty secret. Learn how review fraud works and how Best Retreats verifies real guest sentiment.
✅ Use Best Retreats to Book Smarter
Best Retreats is not a booking engine. We’re a research-first platform that ranks centers by:
- Incident reports
- Guest sentiment across platforms
- Medical transparency
- Refund clarity
- Integration quality
Use us to compare centers side-by-side, not just by price or pictures, but by truth, risk history, and straight up trust grades.
Healing is sacred. But so is your safety.
Comments