Atmosphere

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

Wasiwaska: An In-Depth Review for an Ayahuasca Research Center in Florianópolis, Brazil

Wasiwaska, the Research Center for the Study of Psychointegrator Plants, Visionary Art and Consciousness, is a non-profit seminar center in Sambaqui, on the north of Santa Catarina Island, Florianópolis, Brazil, directed by anthropologist Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna, that hosts 10 to 14-day seminars with academic lectures, breathwork and art, per its website. Published accounts from 2001 to 2010 describe ayahuasca sessions led by Luna at its seminars, but its current pages no longer advertise any ayahuasca sessions and mention ayahuasca only as a lecture topic. It has a respected founder and a small, academic format. Against that, it does not say whether ayahuasca is still served, publishes no contraindication policy, medical staff or refund terms, and has no independent reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: A house with seven guest rooms and a botanical garden at Sambaqui, about 25 km from central Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil.
• Approach: Interdisciplinary seminars on plants, visionary art and consciousness, with Holotropic Breathwork and workshops; ayahuasca sessions were part of earlier seminars, and current seminars do not advertise them.
• Suitable For: People interested in academic study of ayahuasca; anyone expecting ceremonies should confirm first. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions if ayahuasca is served.
• Costs: Seminar fees are not published; the last published fee was $1,600 in 2005, per a MAPS document. A 2026 residence program without ceremonies costs R$1,480 to R$6,850. No refund terms are published for seminars.
• Overall Assessment: A long-established, scholarly center with no incidents found, offset by unclear disclosure of ayahuasca use, no published screening or medical cover and no independent reviews. Directory evaluation: B-.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

No listings or reviews were found on Tripadvisor, Retreat Guru or BookRetreats. A 2002 participant account in the MAPS Bulletin describes a positive intensive with 16 sessions led by Luna. An anonymous 2011 forum thread says inquiries went unanswered. No reviews of 3 stars or lower 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 Portuguese-language news for reports involving Wasiwaska and Luis Eduardo Luna.

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

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

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Dr. Luis Eduardo Luna, a Colombian-born anthropologist and co-founder of the Usko-Ayar painting school in Pucallpa, directs the center with cultural producer Adriana Luna, per its organization page. In his own article he wrote that the seminars combine ayahuasca sessions with breathwork and lectures. The site says it is a registered Brazilian non-profit but gives no legal name or registration number.

Is ayahuasca served now? No seminar page from 2021 to 2027 lists ayahuasca sessions, while a 2027 seminar includes talks on imagery made “before ceremony” and “medicine work”. We have not confirmed whether sessions still take place.

Screening and medical support. The application form asks only about conditions and medications, and no contraindication policy, medical staff or emergency protocol is published.

Status. Operating, with seminars listed for October 2026 and April 2027.

Legal context. Brazil’s CONAD Resolution 1/2010 limits ayahuasca to religious use, bars selling it and tells groups to avoid tourist packages, per Normas Brasil; paid seminars with sessions would sit uneasily with it.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

If ayahuasca is offered, ask for written medication rules first. 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

Earlier seminars used ayahuasca led by Luna; its current use and source are not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf such as chacruna, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: Subtropical island coast facing the mainland, with a large garden of sacred plants, per its location page.
• Rooms: Seven guest rooms with views; the residence program adds self-catering units.
• Style: Academic seminars with invited scholars, art and breathwork.

Practical guidance: Fly to Florianópolis (FLN); the last 800 m to the center is a dirt road.

Should You Book?

Possibly, as an academic seminar. Ask in writing whether ayahuasca will be served, who leads it, the screening and medication rules, who on site is medically trained, the emergency plan and the refund terms. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Wasiwaska presents itself as a research center for psychointegrator plants, visionary art and consciousness, with an advisory board of well-known researchers. 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

Seminars are listed 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.