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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if New Life Rising submits its own information.

New Life Rising: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats in Texas, USA and Costa Rica

New Life Rising, formerly New Life Ayahuasca, is an ayahuasca retreat run by married couple Matthew “Matt” Mormello and Jeanae White, who say they have trained since 2014 under Don Ron Wheelock in the Peruvian mestizo tradition, according to their own website. It ran for years in Piedades de San Ramón, Costa Rica, later advertised retreats near Tamarindo in Guanacaste, and in 2026 moved its schedule to a Texas Hill Country ranch near Llano as “New Life Rising Church,” a self-described religious nonprofit. Retreats for up to 14 guests cost $2,700 to $4,100, and it rates 5.0 on Retreat Guru and BookRetreats. Against that, Costa Rica’s San Ramón municipality asked the Health Ministry in 2024 to close the unlicensed center after staff did not let inspectors in, no church registration or federal exemption was found for its US ayahuasca use, both founders drink during ceremonies with no clinician on site, and its review counts look inflated.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A river ranch near Llano, Texas, about two hours from Austin, per its retreat schedule; earlier Piedades de San Ramón, Alajuela, and Guanacaste listings, Costa Rica.
• Approach: Two or three ayahuasca ceremonies a week with icaros and mapacho, plus yoga, sharing circles, an integration workbook and follow-up calls.
• Suitable For: Travelers wanting a structured, English-language group retreat who accept its legal position, after confirming medical cover in writing. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart, blood pressure or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: Texas $2,700 to $4,100 per person, including a $1,200 to $1,800 “donation” to the church, per its price page; Costa Rica listings ran $3,000 to $9,000. A 50 percent deposit holds a spot, a 5 percent fee applies to all refunds, and nothing is refunded within 14 days.
• Overall Assessment: Experienced, well-reviewed hosts with clear antidepressant rules and integration support, offset by an unlicensed Costa Rica operation that faced a closure request, unclear US legal standing, intoxicated lead facilitators, no clinician and inflated review claims. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

The positive picture. Reviewers praise Matt’s icaros, the hosts’ care, small groups, the food, the grounds and the integration support.

The negative feedback. One older guest said another facilitator’s energy disrupted their ceremony and would not return; Google shows three one-star reviews whose text is not displayed. Unverified.

Who is writing the reviews. All 94 BookRetreats reviews are five stars in every category, and the visible ones share one date, suggesting a bulk import. The operator’s own site claims “over 200,” “over 300” and “over 400” five-star reviews on different pages. 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 New Life Rising, New Life Ayahuasca, New Life Iboga, Matt Mormello and Jeanae White.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found involving this center.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: In August 2024 the San Ramón mayor told La Nación the center had no municipal business license, staff had not received municipal inspectors, and the municipality had asked the Ministry of Health to close it. The Ministry confirmed in September 2024 that it held no permit. The outcome is unknown.

Our earlier profile found no incidents.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. A phone medical screening comes before booking, antidepressants are not permitted, and one listing adds heart, blood pressure and liver conditions. No clinician is on site: the founders hold CPR and AED training and consult an unnamed doctor. Both founders drink ayahuasca in ceremony with two sober helpers. No hospital is named for either site.

Who runs it. Matt Mormello and Jeanae White lead every retreat. Matt also owned New Life Iboga, an ibogaine clinic in Costa Rica, per a 2018 video on the center’s channel. No Costa Rican company or US church registration was found.

Legal context. In January 2025 Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health declared ayahuasca healing rituals an unauthorized practice, as the Tico Times reported. In the US, DMT is a Schedule I drug; the church relies on religious-freedom law but claims no DEA exemption, and in February 2026 a federal court declined to dismiss a DMT case against an ayahuasca church claiming the same defense, as Religion Clause reported.

Corrections to our earlier profile. The Costa Rica center was in San Ramón, Alajuela, not Guanacaste, until at least 2024, and retreats now run in Texas. Groups reach 14, not 12. The $3,800 price was a Costa Rica listing price; Texas starts at $2,700. No Netherlands connection, praise on reviewmyretreat.com or Facebook group praise was found, and wildlife remains unverified. Operation since 2014, Matt and Jeanae as leaders, two trained assistants in ceremony, holistic therapies, a pool, a 5.0 Retreat Guru average and claims of thousands of guests are confirmed, mostly from the center’s own listings.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

The center bars antidepressants and advises a physician-supervised taper. 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 center says it works only with ayahuasca, plus mapacho smoke for cleansing. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Texas Hill Country ranch with a river and a cave; earlier Costa Rican mountain and dry-forest properties.
• Rooms: Shared and private rooms, some with private bathrooms and air conditioning.
• Style: A church-framed group retreat with yoga, sharing circles and a structured integration program.

Practical guidance: Fly to Austin; a shuttle runs from a meeting point about 20 minutes from the airport.

Should You Book?

Possibly, if you accept the legal risk of ayahuasca in the US and confirm in writing who stays sober in ceremony, what medical cover exists and which hospital is nearest. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The founders describe their own recovery journeys, a move to Costa Rica in 2014 and yearly master plant dietas in Iquitos; Matt describes a Bwiti iboga initiation in Gabon in 2017. Reviews also credit several first-name staff and helpers. 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: The program includes integration circles, a 28-day workbook and community calls; 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 through April 2027 are listed on the center’s 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.