EvoSHIFT

We have two guiding criteria for the admission of applicants to our program: safety and group fit.

Safety: 

• Because we want to maximize your safety, we require all applicants to fill out a screening questionnaire on their mental and physical health as well as to undergo a screening call with one of our medical professionals prior to admission. While we strive to adhere to the best known therapeutic practices and professional standards, we do not provide any therapeutic care or clinical treatments for mental illnesses. This is why we do not admit participants with e.g. diagnoses of depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or anxiety disorders.

Group fit: Curating a good group

• Group dynamics are paramount for a powerful experience – hence, unfortunately, we cannot accept every applicant that passed the medical-psychological screening.
• We aim to assemble a coherent yet diverse group of participants who can support each other during and after the program. We designed the EvoSHIFT program for people who are aware of their potential to influence others / their environment / the state of the world and want to responsibly act upon it.
• While many of our clients have a leading role in their relevant social context / organizations (C-level, directors, founders), we judge the appropriateness of our applicants not by their job title but by their willingness and potential to assume responsibility for themselves and for others. Our participants must be willing to enter into an honest, open and sometimes challenging dialogue with themselves and with others. They need to be curious and willing to engage in self-exploration, reflection and deep inner work.
• This is why, prior to final admission, we have individual video / phone calls with every applicant to ensure participant-program fit.

We would like to highlight that taking psychedelics (psilocybin-containing truffles) is not the primary goal and intention of our retreat programs – it is a professional personal and leadership development program with training and coaching sessions over the course of 3 months – think of it as a professional training program that you might know from other organisational and business contexts. However, we support people who want to experience altered states of consciousness in general (breathwork, meditation) and also if they plan to experience psychedelics in a safe and legal setting. We guide and support people who plan to buy and consume psilocybin-containing truffles in a safe and attuned group setting where this is legal (in The Netherlands) and provide guidance, coaching, harm reduction and integration support. 

The truffles people consume contain the psychedelic molecules psilocin and its phosphorylated counterpart psilocybin. Once ingested, psilocybin is metabolized by the body into psilocin, and then unfolds its serotonergic effect – what people usually refer to as “the trip”. The dose of truffles that people consume is usually different based on each participant’s individual profile and preferences.

In the Netherlands, psychedelic truffles are legal, while psychedelic mushrooms were classified as a scheduled substance in 2007. The truffles are purchased by each participant themselves from licensed shops in the Netherlands where they are sourced from authorized and quality-controlled manufacturers. We don’t sell and can’t provide you with the truffles but simply create a safe space for you where you can have your psychedelic experience and provide coaching and facilitation as part of our retreat programs.   

We maximize your safety by the right screening, preparation, facilitation, and integration.

Screening:
We undertake a physical / mental health screening via an online questionnaire and a phone call to minimize the risk of any potentially adverse health-related outcome. Clinical evidence shows that psilocybin from truffles is a physiologically safe substance with no known addictive effects (e.g. see here).

Preparation:
Participants will learn about a responsable approach to working with psychedelics (risk and harm reduction). Latest scientific evidence will be presented about the potential upsides and downsides of using psychedelics. In addition, they will receive guidance in how to navigate during states of altered consciousness.

Facilitation:
The ceremonies where participants consume their legal psilocybin-containing truffles are guided by experienced facilitators and guides. Our experts give you enough freedom to make your own steps and will be always at your side in case you need their support.

Integration:
Psychedelic experiences with psilocybin-containing truffles can be very profound and transformative. Journeyers can go through intense emotions days and weeks after their ceremony. This is why we crafted an integration program that will help you incorporate your insights into your life in a sustainable manner.

We know very well how important privacy is to most of our clients. We will never share any information about our clients publicly or to any third-party. We will never post photos of participants from our retreats without the prior explicit written approval from the affected participants.

We process personal data (e.g. name, email address) in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (“GDPR”).

The 4-day retreat immersion takes place in the Netherlands.

Our exclusive retreat centers are located in calm and green environments 30-90 car minutes away from Amsterdam.

The facilities offer a relaxing and private atmosphere with ideal conditions for deep work.

All participants will be housed in simple but high-quality private rooms.

We will offer fresh and healthy drinks and vegetarian food. 

We will get in touch with you regarding your logistics as soon as you have been admitted to one of our retreat programs.

The main language for the group sessions (virtual and on-site) and of the learning material is usually English. Some retreat programs might be conducted in other languages (such as German). Please reach out to us if language might be a barrier for your participation and we discuss the options with you individually. 

Our facilitators and guides speak multiple languages and your 1:1 sessions plus individual conversations on-site can be in German, French, Dutch, Italian, Russian or Spanish as well. Let us know during the application phase if you have any questions or concerns regarding languages.