Atmosphere

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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (October 2026). They will be updated if Earth Awareness submits its own information.

Earth Awareness: An In-Depth Review for Psilocybin Truffle Retreats in Teuge, Netherlands

Earth Awareness is a Dutch foundation, Stichting Earth Awareness, that runs psilocybin truffle retreats at its hand-built Nature Temple on Ambonstraat in Teuge, in the municipality of Voorst, Gelderland, between Apeldoorn and Deventer. It is led by Mark Huser, an artist and musician who built the temple, and Maya van Oosterhout, who says she has guided more than a thousand people; they say they have worked since 2006, and Dutch public broadcaster BNNVARA reports that Mark has lived on the land since 2001. It offers no ayahuasca. Five-day retreats with two ceremonies cost €1,450, three-day retreats €445 to €510 and private ceremonies €875 to €1,375. Guests rate it 4.98 from 46 reviews on Retreat Guru and 4.89 from 22 on BookRetreats. Psilocybin truffles are legal in the Netherlands. Against that, no facilitator has medical training, no emergency protocol is published, part of the screening happens on arrival day, one-to-one private and women-only ceremonies have no published safeguarding policy, and its Retreat Guru pages sell “magic mushroom” ceremonies, although mushrooms, unlike truffles, are illegal. We found no incidents.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: The Nature Temple, Ambonstraat 5, Teuge, a 140 m² round temple of wood, straw and clay on an off-grid property near Twello station, according to its Retreat Guru page.
• Approach: Psilocybin truffle ceremonies, one with live music, with a medicine wheel ceremony, breathwork, yoga, voice work, dance, meditation and integration circles.
• Suitable For: Adults seeking a legal, structured psilocybin retreat in Europe who have no psychiatric or heart conditions and take no serotonergic medication.
• Costs: €1,450 for five days (US$1,613 on BookRetreats), €445 to €510 for three days and €875 to €1,375 for private ceremonies, according to its booking page. Retreat Guru terms refund the deposit until a day before and full payment until 10 days before; BookRetreats terms are stricter.
• Overall Assessment: A legal medicine, a long track record confirmed in press, a registered foundation name, published contraindications and consistently high reviews, offset by no medical staff or emergency protocol, partly on-arrival screening, private sessions without a safeguarding policy and contradictory marketing. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers describe a caring, knowledgeable team, feeling safe and unjudged, a beautiful temple, live music, good preparation and integration and good value; one reviewer identifies as a doctor. Our earlier profile cited 2024 Retreat Guru testimonials praising Maya and Mark’s authentic approach, a guest overcoming grief with Mark’s guidance and a “brotherhood” among participants; those quotes remain unverified.

The negative feedback. No review below four stars is visible. On BookRetreats, accommodation and food score lowest, at 4.73.

Who is writing the reviews. Reviews arrive steadily on two booking platforms, with no visible burst. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms, Dutch health tribunal records and English and Dutch-language news for reports involving Earth Awareness, the Nature Temple, Mark Huser, Maya van Oosterhout and their facilitators.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: No complaints found.
• Legal action: No police, municipal or regulatory action found. In 2026 a Dutch health tribunal suspended a psychotherapist who had run an unrelated truffle retreat, according to the Staatscourant.

Our earlier profile also found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Mushrooms or truffles. Its Retreat Guru pages and booking domain (magicmushroomceremony.com) sell “magic mushroom” ceremonies, while BookRetreats and ticketing pages say truffles. Dutch law has banned psilocybin mushrooms since 2008 but not truffles, according to Drug Science. No source shows that mushrooms are used; the wording is inconsistent.

Listing contradictions. Retreat Guru says payments exclude the medicine, while other pages say truffles are included, and its amenity list claims a pool, spa and air conditioning at an off-grid site with compost toilets.

Private ceremonies. One-to-one private and women-only ceremonies are offered with no published safeguarding policy, such as a second staff member present.

Who runs it. Stichting Earth Awareness is named as organizer on ticketing pages; its Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number was not found.

Dutch legal picture. Psilocybin truffles are legal, and retreats may not make medical claims. Ayahuasca and DMT are illegal in the Netherlands, including for religious use, according to ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Teuge is in Gelderland, near Apeldoorn, not near Utrecht. Five-day retreats cost €1,450, not $1,800, and no source supports our $1,000 sidebar figure. Groups are up to 15 for five days and 24 for three days, not 12. Dates are published through October 2027. We found no source for a glass dome on the temple or for the earthawareness.net website; those details remain unverified.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Guests fill in an intake form, with a questionnaire session on arrival day and an intake call only “when required.” BookRetreats lists contraindications including SSRIs, SNRIs, tricyclics, MAOIs, lithium, benzodiazepines, heart and blood pressure medication, pregnancy, schizophrenia, psychosis and severe heart problems, and the team says it excludes people with heavy trauma or suicidal tendencies. Facilitators “do not have formal medical training,” and no emergency protocol is published; Apeldoorn and Deventer both have 24-hour hospital emergency departments. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Psilocybin truffles, the sclerotia of psilocybin-containing fungi, are served; the dose is not published. No ayahuasca, kambo or other medicine is offered.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A rural off-grid property with gardens and a round, hand-built temple with a central fire pit.
• Rooms: Private indoor tents in an upstairs studio, or the temple floor with your own gear; compost toilets, rainwater and warm showers.
• Style: Ceremony blended with yoga, breathwork, voice and dance, for up to 15 guests on five-day retreats.

Practical guidance: Take the train to Apeldoorn and on to Twello, where five-day guests are picked up; there is no airport transfer. Meals are vegetarian buffets with garden produce.

Should You Book?

It can suit adults who want a legal psilocybin retreat with an experienced team, with care. Before paying, confirm that truffles, not mushrooms, are served, ask who on site has first-aid training and what happens in an emergency, and for private ceremonies ask who else will be present. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Mark Huser says he learned from teachers in Huichol, Shuar and Shipibo traditions and designed the temple, built since 2012 from more than 40 kinds of wood. Maya van Oosterhout co-leads ceremonies and handles bookings. Facilitators include yoga teacher Laura van der Heijden, Arend-Jan te Biesebeek, Pascal van Rees, Sarah Schützle and Ramona Capilitan. 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: Use the follow-up check if helpful, and 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

Retreats are booked through Retreat Guru, BookRetreats or ticketing pages, with dates from April to October 2027. Before paying, confirm the medicine, screening and emergency plan in writing. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed October 2026.

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