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

ICU Ayahuasca: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies in the Netherlands

ICU Ayahuasca offers individual and small-group ayahuasca ceremonies combined with holotropic breathwork and inner-child work, led by Avigdor “Avi” Beker, whose bio describes moving from Israel to the Netherlands and leading independent ceremonies since 2015. Formats run from one to four and a half days for up to four people. It rates 5.00 from three reviews on its Retreat Guru center page and 5.00 from two on Beker’s teacher page, all praising a safe, caring small group. Against that, ayahuasca’s DMT is a List I drug under Dutch law, no screening, medical cover or emergency plan is published, its listings disagree on where it operates, no prices or legal entity are published, the only AyaAdvisors review was posted under the facilitator’s own name, and no activity is evident after July 2023.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: “Bergen op zoom in the nature,” 10 minutes from the train station, according to its Retreat Guru listing; AyaAdvisors gives Rozenburg, near Rotterdam. No address is published.
• Approach: Western neo-shamanic ayahuasca ceremonies with holotropic breathwork, inner-child healing, rapé and mapacho, for people who are “very sensitive” and want individual attention.
• Suitable For: No one, until the facilitator publishes screening, emergency arrangements and current dates. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions, and participants face legal risk in the Netherlands.
• Costs: No prices are published on any listing.
• Overall Assessment: Small groups and kind reviews, offset by no published safety framework, a substance that is illegal in the Netherlands, conflicting locations, no prices or legal entity, a self-posted review and no evident activity since 2023. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers say they felt safe and guided, describe a respectful, “competent and kind” team, good food and a small group that eased first-timer fears.

The negative feedback. No negative or neutral reviews appear on any platform.

Who is writing the reviews. Only five independent reviews exist across five years, all short. The single AyaAdvisors review appears under the name “Avi Beker” and reads as a participant’s social media post copied by the facilitator. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms and English, Dutch and Hebrew-language news for reports involving ICU Ayahuasca, Avigdor Beker and the co-facilitator named in a review.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this center.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: None found.

Other Dutch ayahuasca groups have faced deaths and prosecution, including a 2019 death after a session in Eersel that led to a 2025 trial, as the Public Prosecution Service announced; none involves ICU Ayahuasca. Our earlier profile found no theft, sexual misconduct or crime.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Legal risk. DMT is on List I of the Dutch Opium Act, and courts treat ayahuasca as controlled; possessing, preparing or administering it is prohibited, according to ICEERS. In 2019 the Supreme Court upheld a Santo Daime member’s conviction for importing ayahuasca, so no lasting religious exemption applies.

No safety framework. No intake form, contraindication policy, medical staff, emergency protocol or integration program is published, and no breathwork certification is cited.

Status. Retreat Guru lists no dates, and the latest review is from July 2023.

Who runs it. No Chamber of Commerce (KvK) registration was found for ICU Ayahuasca or its facilitator.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The facilitator is Avigdor Beker, whose first ayahuasca experience was in 2011 and whose independent ceremonies began in 2015, not “since 2011.” The facilitator’s own Retreat Guru listing places the ceremonies in Bergen op Zoom rather than near Rotterdam. We found no source for prices of $1,500 to $2,500 or the listed figure of 450. The AyaAdvisors praise our earlier profile attributed to a 2017 guest review is posted under the facilitator’s name, and the word “tailored” does not appear in it. We found no source for the website icuayahuasca.com or for guest praise attributed to it; those remain unverified.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

None of the listings mention a medical questionnaire, exclusions or emergency arrangements. Because ayahuasca is illegal in the Netherlands, ask in advance how emergency services would be called. 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

The brew’s source and preparation are not described. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains. Rapé and mapacho tobacco are also used.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: A private space in a natural area near Bergen op Zoom, per the facilitator’s listing; one reviewer described a small village near the sea.
• Rooms: Not described.
• Style: Individual or groups of up to four, mixing ayahuasca with breathwork and inner-child sessions, in English.

Practical guidance: Pickup is offered from Bergen op Zoom train station.

Should You Book?

We do not recommend booking. Ayahuasca is illegal in the Netherlands, and no safety, screening or emergency information is published. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Avigdor Beker’s bio describes a first ayahuasca experience in 2011, then guiding group ayahuasca and iboga ceremonies for a large, unnamed Dutch ceremony organization, before running independent ceremonies from 2015. A 2023 review names a co-facilitator, Arine. No lineage or formal training is claimed. 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

No current dates are listed; Retreat Guru shows only a contact form. 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.