Frequently Asked Questions

The Retreat Safety Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating Best Retreats, an independent safety registry for ayahuasca and plant medicine retreats. The questions below cover what we do, how we work, and the safety basics every prospective participant should understand before booking a retreat.

For deeper safety education, see our Insights Blog. To report a retreat incident, use our incident reporting form.

About Best Retreats

Who runs Best Retreats?

Best Retreats is operated by The Retreat Safety Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Missouri (EIN 41-5114645). Our President and Co-Founder is Chris Brewer, who works in financial compliance at Bead.xyz, previously at Square and Cash App, and holds a degree in Anthropology from Washington University in St. Louis. He is currently enrolled in the AyaSafety program at ICEERS. Our Chief Compliance Officer is Drew Davidson. More on our team at Leadership.

How is Best Retreats funded?

We are funded by donations to The Retreat Safety Project, Inc. and by accreditation fees paid by retreat centers that voluntarily participate in the Best Retreats Accreditation program. We do not earn commissions on bookings, take referral fees from retreat centers, or operate as a travel agency. Trust grades are determined independently of accreditation status. See our Donate page and Accreditation Standards for details.

How are trust grades determined?

Trust grades reflect our independent evaluation of each retreat center based on publicly available information, user-submitted incident reports, public records, and our research methodology. Factors we examine include incident history, screening practices, facilitator qualifications, transparency, and patterns of complaint. Grades are not influenced by whether a center participates in our accreditation program. Full methodology is on our Trust Grade page.

What is Best Retreats Accreditation?

The Best Retreats Accreditation program is a voluntary, fee-based program for retreat centers that meet our published safety, ethical, and operational standards. Accredited centers commit to ongoing compliance review, transparency requirements, and incident reporting. Accreditation does not guarantee a high trust grade and is independently evaluated. See Accreditation Standards and Get Accredited.

How do I report a retreat incident?

You can submit an incident report through our incident reporting form. Reports may be submitted anonymously. We do not disclose reporter identities to the retreat centers named in their reports. Incident information may be used in our research and may be published in aggregated or de-identified form. Our handling of incident reports is described in our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Retreat Safety Basics

What should I look for in a safe retreat?

Look for clear medical screening processes, named exclusion criteria, real emergency protocols, transparent staffing and facilitator-to-guest ratios, honest incident history disclosure, and structured integration support. Operators that treat your safety questions as disrespect rather than due diligence are signaling a problem. Our retreat screening guide covers this in detail.

Who should not participate in an ayahuasca retreat?

Ayahuasca poses serious risks for some individuals. People with certain cardiovascular conditions, seizure disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, current pregnancy, or active substance dependencies are commonly considered contraindicated. Many medications interact dangerously with ayahuasca, particularly SSRIs, MAOIs, and stimulants. This is not a complete list, and screening decisions should be made with a qualified medical professional. Harm-reduction resources from ICEERS and Chacruna provide additional guidance.

What medications interact with ayahuasca?

Many medications interact with ayahuasca, sometimes dangerously. The risks are highest with SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, and stimulants, due to ayahuasca’s MAOI activity. Other categories with documented concerns include certain blood pressure medications, opioids, and serotonergic supplements. Anyone considering participation should disclose all medications and supplements to a qualified medical professional and to the retreat’s screening process. Do not stop prescribed medications without medical supervision.

What happens if something goes wrong at a retreat?

Outcomes depend significantly on the retreat’s emergency protocols, staffing, location, and willingness to communicate honestly with families and authorities. The most common patterns we see in serious incidents include weak screening, slow emergency response in remote locations, facilitator overconfidence, and post-incident concealment. Our documented cases analysis covers what publicly known incidents reveal about prevention.

Is ayahuasca legal?

Ayahuasca’s legal status varies significantly by jurisdiction. In the United States, ayahuasca contains DMT, a Schedule I controlled substance, and is generally illegal except for certain religious uses recognized by federal court rulings (Santo Daime and União do Vegetal). It is legal or decriminalized in some South American countries with regulatory variation, and legal status is changing in some U.S. states and other jurisdictions. Anyone planning to attend a retreat should research the legal status in the specific country and jurisdiction where the retreat operates.

Using Best Retreats

Does Best Retreats book retreats or process payments?

No. We are a research and consumer protection organization. We do not book retreats, process payments, take commissions, or operate as a travel agency. All bookings and payments are arranged directly between you and the retreat center.

Can I trust user reviews on retreat websites and booking platforms?

Reviews can help identify patterns but have known limitations. Reviews tend to overrepresent positive experiences, underreport serious incidents and misconduct, and can be subject to review-washing where critical reviews are removed or buried. We recommend cross-referencing multiple sources, including independent forums like Reddit, harm-reduction databases, news searches, and our own incident reports.

How do I support The Retreat Safety Project?

You can support our work through donations on our Donate page, by submitting incident reports about retreats you have attended or witnessed, by sharing the directory with people considering retreat participation, and by contacting us with corrections or updated information about specific retreats.

The Retreat Safety Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization recognized by the IRS. EIN: 41-5114645.