Bufo Alvarius in Mexico and 5-MeO-DMT Retreat
The 5-MeO-DMT experience is indescribable. If we could put it into words, we might use descriptors like profound, exquisite, and life-changing. You might already be sold on the psychedelic experience, but you should be aware that there is a lot more to a 5-MeO-DMT retreat than taking the substance.
If you’re looking for a Bufo Alvarius retreat in Mexico, Tandava Retreats offers one of the safest containers for the experience. We put together this article to give you some valuable insights into how 5-MeO-DMT works and what to expect from a professional retreat.
The Bufo Alvarius Toad And 5-MeO-DMT
Many associate 5-MeO-DMT with the Bufo Alvarius Toad, which is also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad. While we won’t say that this association is erroneous, it’s still a bit misleading. The venom of the Bufo Alvarius Toad does indeed contain 5-MeO-DMT. However, that discovery was only made a few decades ago. Before this, psychonauts had already been working with synthetic 5-MeO for many years. Moreover, indigenous peoples in Central and South America had been using the medicine in their ceremonies for centuries.
Let’s delve into the evolution of 5-MeO.
Ancient Origins
Shamans throughout South America have been exploring 5-MeO-DMT for thousands of years. In the past, they derived this psychedelic medicine from various plants and seeds rather than a toad. Typically, the substance was snorted or mashed into a paste.
Isolation Of The Molecule
In 1936, 2 Japanese scientists named Toshio Hoshino and Kenya Shimodaira succeeded in synthesizing the 5-MeO-DMT compound. This allowed for more streamlined access to the drug in the decades that followed. Alongside magic mushrooms and other psychoactive drugs, 5-MeO became well-known to psychonauts during the decades that followed.
5-MeO-DMT research
The Modern Day
In 2011, the United States declared 5-MeO-DMT a schedule 1 drug. Thus, they put an end to any possibility for experimentation both among casual explorers and serious researchers. Anyone who consumes 5-MeO-DMT and similar controlled substances in the U.S. risks facing stiff punishment. Consequently, many have sought to work with 5-MeO south of the border in Mexico.
Meanwhile, the practice of extracting 5-MeO-DMT from the Sonoran Desert Toad has put the species under threat of extinction. Conservationists and other conscious folks have raised the alarm and encouraged the use of synthetic 5-MeO-DMT in place of the toad venom. This is far more sustainable. Not to mention, it makes it easier to create safe dosages for willing participants. That’s why we prefer to use synthetic 5-MeO at Tandava.
Applications Of 5-MeO-DMT
Our clients come to us for many different reasons. We don’t aspire to relegate them to a particular category, but we do observe some common themes across clients. Most clients that come to us intend to use 5-MeO-DMT for spiritual enlightenment or to improve their mental health.
5-MeO-DMT gives you several treatment options
This powerful psychedelic medicine is capable of doing both of those things. We will construct a container that is appropriate for you so that the medicine meets you wherever you are in your journey.
Spiritual Enlightenment
5-MeO-DMT is known as the “God molecule” for a reason. The experience itself is rather indescribable. We can’t say much about what the ceremony feels like, but we can tell you how you might feel afterward. For many users, this drug has fuelled insights that shifted their mental paradigms. The lessons they learned continue to have an impact on their daily lives.
Psychedelic Renaissance
During their psychedelic experience, many report that they undergo an ego death. Past attendees of our retreat detail that after taking 5-MeO they felt as though they had given birth to themselves. Some mentioned that the experience was comparable to delivering their first child. It’s not unreasonable to expect a similar shift in your mentality after you take 5-MeO.
Forge your own path
As we mentioned earlier, the medicine meets you where you are. Our retreat specialists will help you make the most of your experience by adopting a framework that’s right for you. We call this framework the “container”.
Many derive great satisfaction from knowing that their experience is part of a greater spiritual lineage. As a result, they opt for a 5-MeO ceremony facilitated by traditional shamans.
Alternatively, you could opt to follow a cross-cultural framework that merges Eastern and Western philosophies. Such containers follow the hero’s journey in which one experiences an initial crisis, a call to adventure, a major struggle and triumph, and then a return home. This journey runs in parallel to the feelings you get from the 5-MeO as you experience it. This lens will help you make more out of your experience compared to taking the medicine without any framework at all.
Mental Health
Of course, we also have quite a few retreat goers who are focused mainly on improving their mental health. According to a 2019 study, consumers of 5-MeO reported a sustained enhancement in life satisfaction for a year or more following their experience with the medicine. Aside from that, clinical studies have also shown that 5-MeO-DMT had a significant impact in alleviating stress and other negative mental health symptoms.
Break negative mental patterns to become your best self
Given that 5-MeO-DMT is illegal in the United States and many other jurisdictions, it is of course difficult to study the drug clinically. That said, all early signs from limited empirical research to anecdotal reports seem to indicate that 5-MeO-DMT is both beneficial for mental health and of no detriment to consumers.
POST-TRAUMATIC Stress Disorder
A study conducted in 2020 indicated that participants who took 3-5 doses of 5-MeO over 3 days saw a drastic reduction in their PTSD symptoms. While the sample size was small, the researchers urge that further research should be conducted to study the effects of 5-MeO properly. They were also encouraged to see a diminishment in thoughts of suicide and cognitive impairment in the study participants.
Anxiety & Depression
A 2019 study by Johns Hopkins University indicated that about 80% of its 362 respondents reported an improvement in anxiety and depression following their intake of 5-MeO. In fact, some participants noted that they see improvements in their anxiety only 2 hours following their consumption of 5-MeO.
Regarding the subject of depression, the matter still needs to be studied further before scientists can come to any definitive conclusion. That said, the early evidence suggests that 5-MeO is quite effective in combatting it. This could be attributed to its healing capabilities; many claim that 5-MeO-DMT helps them slay their demons.
5 Tips For Finding A Good 5-MeO-DMT Retreat
You can’t search for 5-MeO retreats blindly. Unfortunately, there are quite a few retreat centers that try to get you in and out quickly instead of offering a complete experience. With powerful psychedelic drugs like 5-MeO-DMT, this is extremely imprudent. Therefore, you should choose a retreat center that prioritizes safety and responsibility above all else.
Professionally-trained Staff
When you research retreat centers, take a look at their staff. How they present themselves to you will tell you a lot about what kind of retreats they run. Safety should be the main priority. Therefore, they should briefly discuss their experience with 5-MeO and other psychedelics.
At Tandava, all our retreat leaders and integration specialists come from some type of professional background. In some cases, these staff will specialize in working with the medicine. Alternatively, they might have a background in psychology.
A Supportive Environment
It’s a bit difficult to assess this criterion just from perusing a retreat center’s website. Therefore, you should evaluate how supportive a retreat center will be based on your communication with them, especially during your initial call. Make sure that you feel that the center representative understands your concerns and will take measures to address them.
A Fantastic Retreat Center
Some 5-MeO-DMT retreats in Mexico don’t even offer a retreat center for you to stay at. Instead, visitors must book their own accommodation and then saunter over to receive a single dose of 5-MeO. A couple of hours later, they’re released back into the world with little to no support.
These centers might be cheap, but they certainly leave you vulnerable to the otherwise minor risks that come with 5-MeO. You should select a comfortable retreat center that spares no expense to accommodate your needs.
Thorough Preparation
Part of the benefit of working with a professional retreat center is the work they put in before your arrival. A good retreat center will sit down with you on an introductory call to understand your reasons for wanting to work with 5-MeO-DMT. Then, they will explore your personal history and determine if there are any signs that you shouldn’t take the medicine.
Once this initial vetting is complete, the retreat leader can begin constructing the container for the experience with you. This will give you a filter through which you can interpret your entire 5-MeO experience. As a result, you’ll be able to better relate to the experience and alleviate some of your stress beforehand.
Integration And Aftercare
Unfortunately, some retreat centers fall short of providing the necessary aftercare following your 5-MeO retreat. 5-MeO requires significant integration. Especially after multiple doses. While the experience itself usually lasts between 10-45 minutes, participants may still be processing it for weeks to months after.
Additionally, some participants struggle to reconcile the experience when they go back to their daily lives. At Tandava, each of our retreats includes at least four integration/aftercare calls so that you can apply the lessons you learned from your 5-MeO experience to your daily life. You are free to bring up any of your concerns to us at any time following the retreat.
3 Retreats We Offer At Tandava
Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of conducting several different 5-MeO-DMT retreats at our retreat center in Tepoztlan, Mexico. Here are a few that we’ve offered recently.
Individual Retreats
We conduct individual retreats every week as they are a staple of our retreat center. Each of these retreats lasts 5 days.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is for anyone who feels open to the 5-MeO-DMT experience regardless of their background with psychedelic drugs or 5-MeO.
Of course, we also offer group retreats. Therefore, those that choose this retreat must appreciate the fact that they’re taking this journey on their own. For some people, the 5-MeO retreat is about healing, and that can be a very personal process. We will take great care to tailor the retreat to your individual needs.
What To Expect
After you first contact us, we will conduct an initial consultation call. Directly preceding the retreat, you’ll get about 2 weeks of preparatory work from us over Zoom.
The space at our retreat center
During our 5-day retreat, you will participate in 2 ceremonies with 5-MeO-DMT and 2 neurofeedback sessions. The retreat also involves exciting activities like a mountain hike, an artesian market trip, and a cacao or fire ceremony.
The cost of the retreat will vary a bit depending on which room you prefer to have during your stay. For instance, each room has a different view and thus a different price. That said, you must understand that we put the same care and attention into every 5-MeO-DMT ceremony regardless of what room you stay in. The entire retreat will be geared toward your unique container.
We also like to ease you into your days at the center. Each morning begins with yoga, meditation, and breathwork to help get you in the right frame of mind. Furthermore, you can expect 3 delicious meals every day that our in-house chef cooks to meet your particular dietary requirements. You’ll also get daily access to our hot tub, steam sauna, and pool to help you relax.
Following the retreat, you’ll receive proper integration as we conduct 4 follow-up sessions over Zoom. An integration specialist leads each session, once again taking your unique container into account.
Women’s Retreats
Once in a while, we offer exclusive 7-day retreats both built by and targeted toward women. We design these retreats to help women step into the best version of themselves. Not just through 5-MeO-DMT, but other methods too.
Our last women’s retreat occurred during the Strawberry Full Moon in June. Therefore, we organized the retreat with that event in mind. Look out for our next women’s retreat because it will likely have an interesting theme too.
Who This Retreat Is For
We want to be clear, that all female-identified persons including trans and queer folks are welcome at this retreat. Our desire is to offer an inclusive environment to all retreat goers.
The natural advantage to this retreat is that you get to bond with a group of like-minded women. It doesn’t matter what your level of experience is with 5-MeO, we’ll build a container that fits your journey.
What To Expect
Taking place over 7 days and 6 nights, the 5-MeO women’s retreat is full of enlightening activities. Throughout the process, you will work with our retreat leaders Victoria and Colette. Apart from the 2 ceremonies that you have with 5-MeO-DMT, which are conducted under careful supervision, we provide certain activities that aren’t commonly offered during our other retreats.
Our professional retreat leaders, Victoria Wueschner and Colette Condorcita
One of the pillars of this retreat is our feminine embodiment workshops. These assist women in realizing a genuine expression of their femininity. While this is an alternative lens to that which is offered in other retreats, it fits in perfectly with the prevailing theme – self-exploration.
Another cornerstone of this retreat is the Temezcal Sweat Lodge Ceremony. This ceremony doesn’t involve 5-MeO-DMT, but it is still said to have both spiritual and healing properties. You’ll only be able to understand what we mean when you’re inside the lodge and the temperature heats up to nearly unbearable levels. Chanting and singing form part of the ritual. Anyone who can’t tolerate the heat is free to leave.
We’re also proud to offer retreat-goers both plant medicine steam baths and sound healing baths. These are not offered throughout all our retreats. Our retreat leaders specialize in working with plant medicines, so the experience is enhanced.
Rest assured that this retreat includes all our standard offerings like preparatory calls before the retreat and integration calls after it takes place. Health meals, meditation, and yoga will be had by all during the week you’re with us.
Meditation Retreats
Drawing from several Eastern influences along with some of our own practices we’ve developed, our meditation retreats are quite differentiated from both typical mediation retreats and typical 5-MeO-DMT retreats. While the retreat can certainly be reinvigorating just like the others, you should also expect to do a lot of inner work.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is for experienced meditators and those who have already worked with 5-MeO-DMT in the past. Journey into your inner world with meditation practices that require intense concentration. You should be ready to take drastic measures during this retreat to help you realize the extent of your potential.
We also hope that participants in this retreat look outward. Those who wish to make a difference in this world should find themselves at home here.
What To Expect
Our meditation retreat lasts 5 days. During this time, you can expect a wide degree of personal instruction, interviews, and discussions to help you raise your consciousness and elevate the quality of your introspection. This retreat tends to focus on Vipassana-style meditation practices to help you get to know yourself. Moreover, we conduct yoga and awareness exercises every morning to properly awaken your body.
Meditation session in Tepoztlan, Mexico
One of the unique traits of this retreat is the fact that we offer you low doses of 5-MeO-DMT on a daily basis rather than conducting a 5-MeO ceremony. Our low doses will deepen your meditation practices quite a bit.
These rituals aim to help you reach the Samadhi state without the use of any psychoactive drugs. This state is similar to one’s experience during 5-MeO wherein you feel a “joyful calm” that is unaffected by ego-centric thoughts. We will help you integrate these meditation practices into your daily life with ongoing support sessions following the retreat.
Book A Discovery Call
By now, you should understand that there are quite a few options for someone looking to embark on a Bufo Alvarius retreat in Mexico. Contact us at Tandava Retreats to find the retreat that suits you best. We’ll address each of your requirements and concerns to design your retreat container. It’s always the right time to uncover new perspectives.