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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if The 5th Dimension submits its own information.

The 5th Dimension Healing Spiritual Retreat: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Retreats near Iquitos, Peru

The 5th Dimension was a Canadian-owned ayahuasca center on the Amazon in Indiana district, about 45 minutes by boat from Iquitos, Peru, run by brothers Charlie and Will Edgar with Shipibo healers, offering 7 and 14-day retreats with about four ceremonies a week plus kambo and nunu snuff, according to its Retreat Guru page and Tripadvisor listing, where all reviews are five-star. Against that, most reviews were posted in a few weeks of early 2020, no prices, screening, medical staff or emergency plan were published, its marketing claimed benefits for PTSD, arthritis and diabetes, and nothing is dated after August 2020.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: The Amazon riverbank in Indiana district, Loreto, about 45 minutes by boat from Iquitos, next to the Explorama lodge, per Tripadvisor.
• Approach: 7 and 14-day retreats with Shipibo healers, about four ayahuasca ceremonies a week, optional kambo and nunu, and excursions to Monkey Island and nearby villages, for up to 12 guests.
• Suitable For: No one until the center shows current activity. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No prices were found; no deposit or refund terms were published.
• Overall Assessment: Warm reviews of a riverside center with named Shipibo healers, offset by a review burst, unsupported health claims, no published safety information and no activity since 2020. Directory evaluation: C-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

Tripadvisor shows 5.0 from 13 reviews, AyaAdvisors 5.0 from 28 (27 five-star, one four-star) and Retreat Guru 5.0 from 3, dated November 2019 to August 2020. Guests praise feeling safe, the Shipibo healers, the facilitator and translator, clean cabins and the excursions. Most Tripadvisor reviews were written between late January and early March 2020 by accounts with few contributions, and the same guests’ stories appear on all three platforms (unverified pattern). No reviews of 3 stars or lower exist. 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 The 5th Dimension, Charles Edgar, William Edgar and the named healers.

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

The healers are known by first names only, which limits this search.

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Screening and medical support. No medical questionnaire, contraindication list, medical staff or emergency protocol was published, although kambo was offered. Hospitals are in Iquitos, an hour or more away by boat and road (estimate).

Health claims. Its marketing claimed benefits for PTSD, depression, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and diabetes without evidence.

Who runs it. A 2018 press release names Charles Edgar as co-founder and announced an opening on August 1, 2018, per Dakota Digital. The master Shipibo shaman is never named, and his experience is given as 25 years in two sources and 40 in a third. No company or tax registration was found.

Status. The last documented stays are from February 2020 and the last review from August 2020. The Tripadvisor and Retreat Guru pages remain online with no programs. No closure notice or rebrand was found.

Legal context. Ayahuasca is legal in Peru, but no law licenses retreat centers, per ICEERS.

Corrections to our earlier profile. Our earlier page said the center was potentially closed and being monitored for rebranding; no closure notice or rebrand was found, and nothing is dated after August 2020. The center was in Indiana district, east of Iquitos. The 999 price has no source and remains unverified. Our earlier grade was C; the grade is now C-.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

No contraindications were published, and kambo was offered alongside ayahuasca. 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 undisclosed recipe, plus kambo and nunu snuff. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Rainforest on the Amazon riverbank east of Iquitos.
• Rooms: Rustic cabins with showers and flush toilets, and a large maloka.
• Style: Shipibo ceremonies under Canadian management, with home-style meals and river excursions.

Practical guidance: Guests met at a hotel in Iquitos on the first morning.

Should You Book?

No current retreats are listed. If the center reopens, ask in writing for prices, screening, kambo safety and the emergency plan. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

The center announced its opening in 2018 and hosted guests from 2019 to early 2020. 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. 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.