Reflections from Retreat
Accounts written by people who have sat with the medicine, shared with their permission.
Every journey with iboga is its own. What follows are reflections offered by past participants — some brief, some long — describing what the week held for them. They are individual experiences, and they are not predictions of anyone else’s.
Everyone on the facilitation team was attuned, humble, and held a deep reverence for the medicine.E.B.
The People Who Hold It
On the facilitation team and the container they create.
In such good hands
“Sitting with iboga was incredibly healing and transformative, and I was in such good hands. Everyone on the facilitation team was attuned, humble, and held a deep reverence for the medicine.”
E.B.Kind and skillful guidance
“This is a profound medicine being offered by a kind and skillful group of facilitators, and receiving it under their guidance has undeniably changed my life for the better. I am actively recommending them to my friends and family.”
K.H.You will be in great hands and hearts
“The facilitators are incredible, impeccable, kind, heart-centered, intelligent, and supportive in all the right ways. Seeing the life-altering transformations of several other participants was one of the most inspiring things I have witnessed.
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The land, the people, the experience, and the medicine touched me on a deep and profound level that will stay with me for the rest of my life. If this medicine calls to you in any way, I highly recommend taking the leap with Medicine Spirit. I loved every single moment of my journey there. You will be in great hands and hearts.”
Slow and gentle, with care
“If there’s a way for this medicine to be shared with the world, it is the way Jay is doing it. That was reflected in my own experience with the medicine — slow and gentle, with a great deal of care, understanding, and compassion.
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I can’t imagine him working with anyone other than these facilitators; they make a wonderful team. And don’t forget: we are all children of life — don’t forget to play!”
Everyone contributed to that magic
“It was an excellent retreat, and all the participants and facilitators contributed to that magic. Thank you.”
M.R.Held with intention and humanity
“What made the experience particularly meaningful was the environment created by the Medicine Spirit team. I felt genuinely cared for and supported throughout. There was a sense of intention, respect, and humanity in the way the retreat was held.”
R.M.It is probably not for the faint of heart — but it is for anyone willing to experience something terrifyingly new.B.K.
What the Medicine Asked
On the ceremonies themselves — the beauty and the difficulty.
For anyone feeling nervous
“For those nervous or apprehensive about the medicine: my first ceremony was one of the most blissful, gorgeous, insightful, clear, and lucid journeys of my life. I got to experience a journey within the journey, asking my deepest questions of myself, the medicine, my soul, the higher wisdom.”
Lindsey MorrissChallenging, and supportive throughout
“Deeply transformative. Positive, embodied, and challenging — and supportive throughout.”
J.B.A deep soul-level shift
“My iboga retreat with Medicine Spirit was one of the most epic, delicious, wonderful, beautiful experiences of my life. I loved every single moment of it, including the deeply challenging parts.
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I fell in love with the retreat center, the land, the nature, the river and the animals, the space holders and their incredible high-vibe food, the balance of masculine function and feminine beauty in the aesthetic of the center, and all of the extracurricular activities — prayer ties, intention setting, fireside chats, music, sharing circles, the hot springs adventure, hiking up the canyon.
The medicine ceremonies themselves are hard to put into words. The effects are still unfolding for me, but I know a deep soul-level shift occurred that is slowly revealing itself in my conscious mind.”
Trust and integrity abound
“Participating in retreat with the Medicine Spirit team has been arguably the single most impactful experience of my life thus far. The medicine’s potency stands on its own merit; the team’s carefully curated offering amplifies it.
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Trust and integrity abound within this group, and their wealth of knowledge and experience sets it apart when it comes to care for each participant. Medicine Spirit has done a phenomenal job of weaving cultural, spiritual, and scientific elements into the experience in a way that further enhances the mechanisms for change that reawaken within us.
I cannot recommend this highly enough. While it is probably not for the faint of heart, it is for anyone who possesses a willingness to experience something terrifyingly new and reconnect with what and who they truly are.”
An immensely special environment
“Jay and his team offer a powerful opportunity to experience a transformative medicine in an immensely special environment. If a group setting is the right iboga path for you, this is a wonderful place — the additional group healing and processing activities are excellent, including the temazcals and excursions. As a bonus: the food will blow your mind.”
S.B.Recommended with all of my being
“I can only recommend it with all of my being. There’s no point in making grand statements — it was meant for me. And everything that is meant for a person will be arranged perfectly for them.”
M.My experience was profound and deeply personal. I came away from the retreat with a level of clarity that is difficult to put into words — not simply clarity about individual questions in my life, but a deeper sense of perspective about what really matters and how I want to live.
The experience also strengthened my connection to something beyond myself. There were moments of stillness and insight that felt deeply spiritual, and they have stayed with me well beyond the retreat. More than anything, I left with a renewed sense of purpose — a feeling that I had reconnected with an inner compass that can sometimes get lost in the noise and momentum of everyday life.
What made the experience particularly meaningful was the environment created by the Medicine Spirit team. I felt genuinely cared for and supported throughout. There was a sense of intention, respect, and humanity in the way the retreat was held, which allowed me to fully surrender to the experience and explore what arose.
I am deeply grateful for the experience, for the people who held the space, and for what it opened up in me. I left feeling clearer, more connected, and with a renewed appreciation for the life I have and the purpose with which I want to live it.
R.M.What Stayed After
On the weeks and months that followed.
An entirely new version of myself
“It is difficult to overstate how impactful this week was for my life. It has given me not simply a new perspective or an incredible experience, but an entirely new version of myself that I can choose to step into.
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It showed me specific ways to meet my life and myself from a place of much more agency and conscious direction. I’m so grateful for this week, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is truly committed to doing the work within themselves.”
A journey of self-love and trust
“This was a week that set me on a journey of self-love, direction, and trust in God and in myself. I know that I am fiercely loved and protected. My outlook on humanity and on life itself has improved dramatically.”
H.S.An inner compass, reconnected
“I left with a renewed sense of purpose — a feeling that I had reconnected with an inner compass that can sometimes get lost in the noise and momentum of everyday life.”
R.M.Reviews from Retreat.Guru
The facilitators held the space beautifully
“The retreat was extremely well organised with additional healing activities and integration / group support. The facilitators held the space beautifully and showed deep compassion towards all participants.”
2026 retreat participantDeeply dedicated to the work
“Jay has vast experience of ancient healing cultures and big heart. He is truly dedicated to helping people and has done intense work to initiate himself at the origin of the medicine he works with. He’s a compassionate and genuinely lovely human.”
2026 retreat participantThese reflections are shared with the permission of the people who wrote them. Each account describes one person’s experience. Iboga is a powerful medicine and is not right for everyone; every application is reviewed individually, including a medical screening.