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Church of Gaia: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in Spokane, Washington, USA

Church of Gaia is a small, membership-based ayahuasca church in Spokane, Washington, founded by Connor Mize with Shipibo-Conibo ceremonial leaders from Peru, which in May 2025 became the first group to receive a DEA religious exemption for ayahuasca through the agency’s petition process rather than a lawsuit, per the Spokesman-Review. Membership is free for adults 21 and over. Against that, its own FAQ says it is not yet holding ayahuasca ceremonies, no medical professionals will supervise them, and its screening and emergency policies are described only in press.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: Monthly gatherings at rented or public venues in Spokane, and ceremonial grounds of about 50 acres at Diamond Lake, about 40 minutes north, still under construction, per its FAQ.
• Approach: Planned four-day stays with two ayahuasca ceremonies of about five hours led by Shipibo-Conibo maestros, for no more than 10 people, with integration days between; current activity is councils, circles, family events and land days. The exemption covers ayahuasca only.
• Suitable For: Adults in the Inland Northwest seeking a legal, religious, community-based setting who accept that ceremonies have not yet started. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: Membership is free and gatherings run on donations; no ceremony price or suggested donation is published, per its membership page.
• Overall Assessment: A federal religious exemption, small ceremonies, free membership and named Shipibo leaders, offset by no ceremonies held yet, no medical professionals at ceremonies and unpublished screening and emergency policies. Directory evaluation: B.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Church of Gaia has no reviews on any platform; it is a membership church with no commercial listings. Press coverage reported about 65 members in August 2025, per Bloomberg, and nearly 70 by December 2025. No accounts from ceremony participants were found. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English and Spanish-language news for reports involving Church of Gaia, Connor Mize, Shaleesa Mize and the three Shipibo ceremonial leaders named in press.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found against the church. Its DEA petition was approved in May 2025 without litigation.

The wrongful-death verdict against Soul Quest in Florida involves a different church.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Connor Mize is founder and leader and has said he does not claim to be a shaman or curandero, per the Spokesman-Review in 2024; his wife Shaleesa Mize assists with operations, per Bloomberg. The ceremonial leaders named in press are Maestro Tito Amasifuen Valera, a Shipibo-Conibo elder of about 86, his grandson Teddy Romayna Rodríguez and facilitator Ketty Melissa Yuimachi Castro. A board oversees operations, but no members are named. The site says it is a registered 501(c)(3); no EIN or state registration was found (unverified).

Legal status. The church filed its petition in 2022, had a DEA site inspection in February 2023 and was approved on 16 May 2025, per The Microdose; conditions include security, storage and tracking protocols and reporting ceremony sites to the DEA. The terms are not public, and a law firm notes that an exemption won without litigation may be vulnerable to DEA policy changes, per Harris Sliwoski. DMT remains a Schedule I drug for everyone without an exemption.

Screening and medical support. The membership form asks no medical questions, but each ceremony requires a separate application and interview covering psychiatric history, heart conditions, recent surgery and medications such as antidepressants, per the 2024 Spokesman-Review report. The church said “medical professionals will not supervise ceremonies”; facilitators are to receive medical training and equipment will be on hand. No contraindication list or emergency protocol is published. The nearest hospital to the grounds is the critical-access Newport Community Hospital, in the same postal area; Spokane’s larger hospitals are about 40 minutes away.

Status. Operating as a church community, with councils and circles listed for November 2026 on its calendar. Asked whether it is holding ceremonies, its FAQ answers “No, not yet”, pending religious visas for its Shipibo elders. A Peruvian retreat center claims ceremonies began in late 2025 (unverified).

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Screening criteria are described in interviews, not in a published policy, so ask for them in writing. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca of Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, per Psychedelic Week; the church intends to brew its own sacrament under its DEA agreement. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Off-grid forest land near Diamond Lake in northeast Washington, with a yurt-style maloca planned.
• Rooms: Not described; access roads, buildings and bathrooms are still being built.
• Style: Shipibo ceremonies within an American membership church that also runs councils, circles and family events.

Practical guidance: A local church for members; no transfers are offered, and the exact address of the grounds is shared only with members.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you live in the region and want a legally protected, religious setting. Ask in writing for the screening criteria, the contraindication list, the emergency plan and who at a ceremony is medically trained, and confirm that ceremonies have started. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Mize says Shipibo-Conibo teachers trained him and that he plans to train further under them. The church chose the petition route because, he said, “We didn’t have the money to pursue a lawsuit”, per DoubleBlind. It is unrelated to Ayahuasca Healings, an earlier Washington group that called itself a legal ayahuasca church. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Membership applications are on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.