Atman Retreat

20 Reviews on “Atman Retreat”

• Denis L. 2 years ago

  The Atman retreat was an amazing experience in all dimensions. I won’t speak of the ceremony itself because that will be different for everyone, but Aaron and the team ran a well-designed and professionally-managed event from start to finish. The facility was first rate, with historic buildings modernized for comfort and lovely grounds that fronted the water, were gated for security and provided plenty of space for privacy when desired. The on-site kitchen and support staff were fabulous and the food was mostly vegan, Jamaican style and absolutely delicious. The ceremony space was large and beautifully laid out in a way that reinforced the serious and spiritual intention of the event. The structure of the retreat, from opening ice-breaker activities and pre-journey meetings with our guides to the post journey integration exercises (solo and group), were sufficient to support a meaningful and intentional ceremony. The facilitators/guides were all extremely qualified (hundreds of guiding experiences each!) and very caring and supportive people. Our group of 11 participants were all great people who were there for the right reasons and we became very close in a short time. I would say that the group setting and activities struck the right balance of privacy and supportive community and felt the group structure enhanced the ceremony in every way. I wholeheartedly recommend Atman Retreats to any serious explorer, especially first-timers. You won’t regret choosing Atman.

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• Jennifer W. 2 years ago

  I can’t add much to the chorus of superlatives but I attended recently so I’ll say Aaron and Shawna continue to do amazing work. Plant medicine fosters neuroplasticity and you feel it happening in the ceremony. Your brain is so disorganized that the walls are breathing, people have auras etc, you feel the presence of a teacher with the mushrooms and in part it connects everyone in the ceremony like it does with trees and plants. I felt it very strongly and even though I didn’t go that deep I felt like I was processing a lot of communal energy. The emphasis on integration afterwards , the hand outs, the sharing of experiences is all part of the medicine. Even if you don’t have the journey you want you will go on the one you need in a safe container. After the isolation of the pandemic it felt holy in an embodied way that was deeply healing.

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• Agam N. 2 years ago

  I went to this retreat more out of curiosity than anything. I did not think I had a problem that needed to be solved or a personal crisis that had to be addressed or anything of this nature. And yet, the experience was nothing short of revelatory and transformational. It was a cathartic feeling of experiencing the world, and myself in it, anew, with acceptance and joy. I learned something about myself that I probably would not have learned otherwise. The memory of this experience is still with me.

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• Brian K. 2 years ago

  I simply can’t put how meaningful this experience was for me. It was life changing for me personally.
  The facilitators could not have been more perfect. A group of very happy, supportive, caring souls that enjoy helping people through their journey. I’ll forever be grateful for my man Mark who was there for me as I went through some tough personal demons.
  I was very nervous and somewhat skeptical about the group settings, but after 4 days the group feels like family. It’s and incredible setting for healing and you are in the care of experts.
  I went in struggling with alcoholism, anxiety and PTSD and left feeling like a brand new person. I’ve told people my soul weighed 1,000 pounds before the retreat, but after, light as a feather. Not everyone has an experience like I did so I’m very grateful. You get out, what you put into anything and I followed their recommendations exactly as instructed prior to arrival, during the retreat and more importantly, after the retreat.
  Not only were the facilitators caring, loving and amazing, they are all EXPERTS, in psilocybin therapy and usage in general.

  I’ve walked away from this experience a new person because of the support and program they’ve provided. Integration is extremely important and something everyone there did an amazing job educating and preparing me for success.

  I highly recommend this for anyone struggling with anxiety, depression, addiction, or any past trauma.

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• A G. 2 years ago

  I thank my guide Carla, my healer Julie and Sacha and Sanchin and the visionary Aaron for your perspective and your excellence. This is a first psilocybin experience experience beyond reproach. The vibe is inviting, the music is groovy and the experience is Disciplined and SSSpiritual. Welcome to the Medicine!!

  — AG

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• Anita S. 2 years ago

  Atman Retreat was an incredible experience. I can not say enough about the Facilitators and the amazing way they curbed my anxiety. I learned so much during my stay and highly recommend this retreat to anyone.

  Thank you Aaron

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• Kelly B. 2 years ago

  Without hesitation, the staff and experience at Atman Retreat deserves a 5 star rating. In fact, I would give more stars if given the option. In short, at the age of 49 and completely unfamiliar with the use of psilocybin mushrooms as a form treatment, I bravely applied and attended a retreat in May of 2022. Reflecting one month later on my experience, I know that it was the BEST decision I could have made to go. I have personally battled a severe sleep disorder (onset 1990) that has impacted nearly every facet of my life, for over 3 decades and greater than half my life. As you might imagine over these 32 years, I have tackled and educated more doctors and specialists in the medical community, than I can possibly count. I’ve participated in endless sleep studies, medication trials and multiple forms of treatment, with literally no progress. I even spent 11 days at the Mayo Clinic in 2016 to ultimately correct a misdiagnosis of nocturnal epilepsy. This came after 4 years of taking anticonvulsant & sedative medications, which sadly never improved the sleep episodes which were happening 6-8 times per night, I was simply “misdiagnosed”. As as working professional and proud momma of 3, sleep deprivation is a profound challenge. It’s fair to say after 32 years, I have worked feverishly to improve this sleep disorder through failed medical support.

  So, we now fast forward the story to May of 2022 where the experience at Atman literally changed my life. Hence the 5 plus stars. The care, compassion and personal attention I received from the staff at Atman put me at ease minute one, which I needed. I trusted them and they provided a safe and secure experience for me, essentially giving me so much more that I could have ever expected. I could write a paragraph each about Aaron, Paulo, Carla, and Sasha, simply because of the impact and true gift they have given to me. Honestly, I can’t imagine many more important than the gift of sound sleep. The staff at Atman afforded me the chance to finally confront my subconscious in a way that 3 decades of medical treatment could not fix. I can tell you with conviction that this experience was so profound for me personally, that I now have greatly improved sleep patterns (per the data on my Oura smart ring) nightly. This data (taken before and after the retreat) is objective and subsequently has proven that my personal experience at Atman was truly life changing. I slept last night and I know that I will sleep tonight, as well. After 6-8 episodes a night for 32 years, you can’t begin to imagine how it feels to type those words. There is no greater gift. I will forever attribute my success overcoming this debilitating sleep disorder to the professionals who guided me at Atman. I am forever grateful. This was a long review but I think an important one. If this message happens to resonates with you….be brave, apply to Atman, be open to the experience and be ready to heal. I did and as shared, it was the best decision of my life. Be well. Smiles, Kelly

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• Maria C G. 2 years ago

  Atman Retreat , Wonderful experience!. This was my first psychedelic experience . It satisfied my expectations . The treatment itself & the amazing staff made of this treatment a great experience.

  The preparation before the treatment, the support from the Atman staff and the activities after the ceremony allowed me to get the best results of this experience.

  I definitely recommend the psychedelics treatment The place the ceremony took place was beautiful, the food & the staff from the house were very sweet and kind.
  Thanks Aaron and Atman retreat staff!!.

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• Lisa K. 2 years ago

  Life changing! The retreat was beautiful, safe, healing, and went beyond my expectations. I was nervous to attend, not being sure what to expect, but the facilitators, staff, setting and even the other participants were so warm and welcoming that I immediately felt at home. I expected a younger crowd and worried I wouldn’t fit it, but that wasn’t the case at all. My fellow participants were old and young and from all walks of life. By the end, they and the amazing facilitators felt like family. I had been feeling lost and depressed following the loss of my spouse and this retreat definitely helped me to grow and take the next steps toward healing. From the amazing food to the comfy rooms and beautiful setting, everything was perfect. Aaron and Shawna, along with the other facilitators, made me feel welcome and seen. The ceremony itself was very revealing and helped me to see my life, my loss, and the world around me in a new way. I can’t recommend highly enough, and though the positive results have have stayed with me, I hope to be able to do it again and continue the journey I started on this retreat. Thank you for this amazing experience!

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• Jacqueline K. 3 years ago

  The Atman Retreat has provided me a deep and profound experience. These few days have impacted me in deep and meaningful ways with insights and growth that will inspire me for the rest of my life.

  The guides and facilitators have been key to this experience. They created an environment of safety, acceptance, and trust. The group setting has also been vital in preparing and integrating this journey—this group of people will be important to each other forever.

  I highly recommend this journey at the Atman Retreat, as it helps heal and grow spiritually and experiences that everyone needs.

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• Cy H. 3 years ago

  An excellent team with a respect for others and the experience. I greatly appreciated the different areas of research and dedication that the facilitators possessed and shared.

  Each individual in our group arrived with different backgrounds, challenges, and interest levels. All were treated with respect and invited to be a part.

  This was my first experience. This was an excellent environment to foster a sense of respect for the healing possibilities of psilocybin.

  Thank you to the team and the work they are doing.

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• Marko T. 3 years ago

  Atman Retreat gets an easy two thumbs up from me!

  I had an immensely positive experience and I really can’t speak highly enough of this retreat. All the retreat facilitators (and other participants) were exceptionally open, welcoming and loving. The structure/schedule of the retreat was well thought out. I highly recommend this retreat experience to anyone who is curious about psilocybin, or already familiar with it, and wants to experience it in an ideal setting. Personally, I am very glad I decided to attend and am grateful to all the individuals I interacted with on the retreat.

  The communal aspect of having other like-minded participants around me, as well as the responsibilities shouldered by the facilitators, enabled me to get more out of my experience with psilocybin than ever before.

  As far as accommodations go, there was minimal to complain about. There was an onsite staff who cooked three meals a day for us and fixed up our rooms with clean sheets every morning. The only thing I might nitpick is that my room was a little warm at night, being Jamaica and all, which made it a bit more difficult to fall asleep than I would have liked. On the other hand, the kayaks and paddle boards which were available for our use on the bay during free time completely made up for that! 🙂

  I was surprised and impressed by how smoothly everything went without erring towards being too structured: it was the perfect balance of seriousness and fun! And even though I expected to connect with the other participants to some degree, I didn’t expect the connections to be so meaningful and deep.

  If asked how I would improve the retreat, I would have serious difficulty coming up with many answers– the one thing I will say is that, for these sorts of experiences, the more facilitators involved, the better. There are typically twelve participants involved during each retreat session, and I believe as many as five facilitators. Due to challenges related to the pandemic, I believe our session may have been one short, with only 4 facilitators. This had minimal impact on the quality of the experience, but I imagine having another facilitator or two would have been a significant benefit since it would allow for more one-on-one time between facilitators and participants before and after the ceremony.

  Beyond that, I can’t thank everyone enough for making this a wonderful experience! I really appreciate the work Aaron and his team are doing. I’m sure it’s not always easy but I truly believe it has a chance to make a real difference in the lives of many. Atman folks, keep it up!

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• JonScott M. 3 years ago

  Life changing. Amazing retreat experience.
  Highlights:
  • Property – Perfect mix of nature, history, and privacy. I specifically appreciated the waterfront location and the amazing trees. I recommend finding and reading the binder in the Main House that explains the history of the property. I appreciated having the Main Hall for the ceremony space as it helped solidify the group experience.
  • Team – I will be forever grateful for the guides/facilitators. All individually qualified and amazingly kind. The operations teams were great and always there to assist with a smile.
  • Group Experience – I can’t overstate the value of this aspect for my overall experience. Between the family style meals, shared living options, and gathering of like-minded people; connecting as a group was an unexpected benefit that provided so many blessings including continued friendships.
  I absolutely will book again and highly recommend.

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• Malcolm M. 3 years ago

  Malcolm M

  I attended the Atman Retreat in November 2019. It was so well run; the steps from arrival to integration were very well thought out and effectively executed. As a novice, I was surprised by how much I gained from the other participants. Originally, I thought that the group aspect would diminish the personal odyssey, but such was emphatically not the case. The entire staff was so competent and caring; without such fine people, the whole experience would have been much diminished. Five star indeed!

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• Rick W. 3 years ago

  I attended Nov. 18-21, 2021 and had such a positive experience that I returned for a second retreat Jan. 23-26, 2022. I felt connected to our guides immediately and also to fellow retreat participants. I felt like the structure and sequence of events was well thought out and ended up being perfect for me. The small group setting was appropriate for this type of retreat. I can understand how hard it must be to pull off something like this with a group of diverse people with different agendas, physical abilities and expectations. Of course the highlight of both retreats was the ceremony on day two. I felt wonderful during both experiences, completely supported and safe. I had intuitive trust in our guides and they fulfilled any expectations I had and more…embodying a true sense of service to all of us.

  These were my first two experiences with mushrooms in many years. My positive feelings during the ceremony itself included an amazing somatic journey into my body, feeling a sense of wellbeing and freedom from pain, a deep immersion into the music (excellent playlist by the way) and the feeling of safety and comfort provided by our experienced guides. They walked that fine line between being there when we needed them and allowing us to each have our own journey. Everyone has brief glimpses into feelings of euphoria and bliss. To have that sustained for 4 or 5 hours was for me totally joyful, wonderful and therapeutic.

  The historic Wharf House was perfect with beautiful views of the water, great food, and a funky retreat room which seemed perfect for our journey. Staff were excellent. Loved eating and socializing on the big deck overlooking the water, having access to the beach, kayaks, paddle boards, and the beautiful tropical surroundings.

  I had the pleasure of experiencing what it’s like when you are able to get out of your own way and enjoy a little bit of time just being an expression of life…something we all are always but somehow fail to appreciate most of the time. The screening process is super important I think. This would not be suitable for everyone. Not everyone is ready. I would not have been ready to do this at certain points in my life. But when you are ready I believe it can have tremendous value.

  I felt like Atman would be the right way to explore this type of experience safely. This was at first just based on their marketing. Now I can say that it went beyond my expectations. I feel completely comfortably recommended this retreat to anyone who is ready.

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• Taylor L. 3 years ago

  Wonderful retreat, would absolutely book again!

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• Jonathan B. 3 years ago

  I attended retreat in November 2019. This was one of the most important 4 days of my healing journey. The staff and guides where extremely helpful. Food and setting was amazing. All sessions were extremely beneficial. You will not regret this.

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• Susan L. 3 years ago

  My husband and I attended an Atman Retreat in November, 2021, after being cancelled in March 2020, due to Covid. We left half of our original deposit with Atman knowing it was a leap of faith that we would ever get to use our credit. We found Aaron to be a person of integrity. He followed through on everything. While we were at Atman, we discovered that the entire retreat was handled in a flawlessly professional and caring manner. The setting is magnificent, and the facilitators are knowledgeable, capable professionals.

  The ceremony was safely and comfortably arranged. The integration circles which followed helped put the experience to work in one’s life. The relationships which developed were heartwarming and deep. I felt a deeper connection to this beautiful, though flawed, world in a way I had never experienced before. The effects continued for some weeks after the retreat, and still guide my life in positive ways.

  I cannot recommend Atman Retreat strongly enough. I wish the whole world could experience itself as I did. Thank you Aaron and Atman Guides.

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• Ryan J. 3 years ago

  I really enjoyed my time at the retreat. I always felt welcomed and comfortable. This was my first psychedelic experience and I’m glad Aaron and his crew made it possible in a safe and controlled way. I have struggled with anxiety my whole life and I can honestly say that after this experience, I have seen major improvements with my mental wellbeing. I also appreciate that they offer low-income tickets to ensure money doesn’t stop those who could benefit from this treatment. Overall, it was a great experience and I highly recommend it, especially if it’s your first time. Thank you for everything!

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• Melissa T. 3 years ago

  I experienced profound healing at the Atman Retreat August 31 – September 2021! I am so grateful to Aaron and his team for making the retreat available. It is no exaggeration to say that my life has been comprehensively changed for the better.

  Before traveling to Jamaica for the retreat, I had experienced many unexpected, tragic losses of loved ones during my life, and as a result, I lived for many years with a good deal of anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder) and grief. The relief I experienced during the retreat and during the months since has been truly profound.

  The Generalized Anxiety Disorder that I experienced for my entire adult life has been lifted. It is amazing! The complex grief that I was experiencing before the retreat was eased considerably. I feel that I am now able to process through the grief in a healthy way.

  Before this immensely positive and transformative retreat, I had very little experience with psychedelics of any kind, and was not sure what to expect. I was a bit reluctant, to say the least. The Atman Retreat is conducted with such heart and soul, I felt perfectly safe and supported the entire time. The facilitators and guides are so caring, experienced, and well-trained, they are uniquely qualified to handle any situation that may arise so participants feel safe and are free to completely relax into the healing experience.

  I knew I could trust these people, no matter what. And, as a result, I was able to go deep into the experience and resolve not only the anxiety and grief that had burdened me for decades, but also became crystal clear on many other challenging issues that I could now set aside. My life is brighter, and I feel that I am walking through the world so much lighter than I had before.

  I really cannot recommend Atman Retreats highly enough. The accommodations are ideal; the food is delicious, fresh and healthy; the retreat villa is nestled in a beautiful tropical garden that is located on the shores of the Montego Bay Lagoon. It is, quite simply, the ideal setting. Swimming in the bay is so lovely, and you can paddle board if you wish, swim in the freshwater pool, explore the private pebble beach, and/or dance around a beach bonfire when weather permits. But, for me … the thing that stands out the most is the PEOPLE. The diversity and brilliance of the participants and the level of kindness and compassion of the highly-qualified Guides and Facilitators is really what makes Atman Retreats BEST IN CLASS.

  Thank you, Aaron and thank you to everyone at Atman Retreat!

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