What is the Journeymen Collective magic mushroom retreat? Contemporary shamans Gary Logan and Rob Grover sat down with CLN the other day to discuss what really happens in a psychedelic treat.

Is it a type of psychedelic therapy? Not really, says Rob. 

It’s more along the lines of personal development. We recognize that there are clinical uses, there are recreational uses, and we’re in somewhat of the middle. What we’ve done is we’ve combined about sixty years of experience in personal metaphysical, spiritual teachings, and professional development as well. And we bridged all of those realms together to create what we know as the Journeymen Collective.

This B.C.-based collective uses psilocybin mushrooms to help guide executives, entrepreneurs, and other professionals. The goal? “We want to help people move from business to conscious business,” says Rob. 

But what does that mean?

Journeymen Collective: Magic Mushroom Retreat

Magic mushroom wellness retreats are becoming more mainstream. But there’s still a lot of stigma to plant-based medicines like psilocybin. As well, not every psilocybin retreat is created equal.

Rob and Gary use their decades of experience to ensure a safe and secure environment. Since 2018, when they founded the collective, the results have proven it.

The success stories from the Journeymen Collective range from business executives who were unhappy with their careers to artists and performers who felt lost and anxious.

“A lot of the time it’s people are looking for a deeper level of connection,” says Gary. “And they don’t know how to access it because the cultural paradigm that we live in hasn’t granted them the opportunity to go into that aspect of self.”

Rob agrees. The people who’ve come through their retreat always leave “more consciously aware of who they are.”

They’re more deeply connected to who they are. They’re more passionate and purposeful with the work that they’re providing the world. And as a result, they’re actually making a greater contribution to the people that they work with… Basically, they’re more aware of how they can actually make a greater impact in another person’s life, whether that be in their company, and their relationships. We see it, taking place whereby people come and work with us and they’re not quite sure how it fits into the business. But then once they come through an actual Journey with us … one of the things that happens is they start to see opportunities to help their people at work.

Fostering a deeper connection with the people you work with can only have positive benefits. Indeed, the success stories Rob and Gary recount lend credence to the benefits of magic mushroom retreats.

What’s the Purpose of a Retreat?

What’s the point of a luxury magic mushroom retreat? If one is feeling down and wants to try psychedelic plant-based medicine, why not visit one of the many illegal psilocybin dispensaries popping up all over Canada?

The answer, of course, is that you need a guide. If you’re feeling depressed and take mushrooms to alleviate the depression, without proper set and setting, you could make your depression even worse.

However, some critics contend that psychedelic retreats like the Journeymen Collective aren’t the proper set or setting. Only white coats with PhDs in sterile medical clinics should provide psychedelic plant-based medicines – if they do so at all.

One argument against psychedelic retreats is that the experience may intensify your feelings of depression or anxiety. But Rob says that’s kind of the point.

“Maybe you actually do have to feel the depth that intensely and that’s what’s actually going to help you.” Adding that he and Gary have nothing but “respect and professionalism for the people that we work with.”

“If someone’s skeptical,” Rob says, “Chances are, they won’t be our client.” Both men emphasize that interested parties should do their due diligence.

“I think the biggest thing is that people aren’t skeptical,” says Gary, “They’re scared.”

Another common misconception is that psilocybin retreats don’t require any work on the client’s part. Sometimes, you get a sudden shift in thinking or concepts that benefit you. But other times, the conscious change is subtle. It requires you to be an active participant, not merely a passive observer.

But even without a big psychedelic-induced breakthrough, Gary says, “you’ll have the tools moving forward to deal with whatever comes up in your life because the old habits of thinking and doing and being are being addressed.”

What the Journeymen Collective is All About

The Journeymen Collective luxury magic mushroom retreat is about addressing your fear head-on and watching it run the other way. And even though Rob and Gary provide a safe location with proper set and setting, the power remains in your hands at the end of the day.

“You can create greater anxiety or depression or you can create greater well-being from that fear,” says Rob.

The problem, says Rob and Gary, is that culturally, we “haven’t been given the permission slip to step into the unknown and create something from the unknown.”

Rob adds, “The only permission you need is the permission from yourself and the permission to create.”

The fear people have – whether going to a retreat or clutching their pearls at the thought of a psychedelic retreat even existing – is tied back to how we structure our society.

Rob rattles off how fear and control begin right from our childhood. “Raise your hands to go to the bathroom; stand in line. You’re only allowed to colour inside the lines.”

Education will change public perception, which is why Rob and Gary emphasize education more than any other aspect of the retreat.

“That’s one of the reasons why we do interviews like this,” says Rob. “So that we can educate people that you are not going to lose your mind. You’re going to find your mind.”

But it also means education on what to expect from a retreat. Rob and Gary recount horror stories of other less-reputable retreats where multiple people are in a single room, and you must share your guide with others.

“And as a result,” says Rob, “They’re leaving more traumatized than they were when they walked in.”

Education is Important

This is not the case at Journeymen Collective, where Rob and Gary prepare you for a personalized journey and stay with you for the entirety of the experience.

“Education is a massive, massive thing that we are committed to,” says Rob.

I never thought that that would be something that we’d be stepping into when we started the Journeymen Collective. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that we have to step into that and educate people. This is what an actual psychedelic Journey needs to include. It needs to include the personalized aspect. If there are 20, 30, 40, or 200 people in an actual ceremony, I would step away and find another way.

Gary echoes this sentiment. He lambasts the 60s and 70s narrative that magic mushrooms could cause you to lose your mind. “We have to change that narrative. That’s what needs to be done because it is a paradigm people get stuck in, and that’s all they know about.”

Rob and Gary agree that many old stories stem from inexperienced people tripping in their backyard with friends. This differs entirely from a guided journey, where Rob and Gary recall some people sitting and meditating for hours.

Rob says, “Sure you can do it on your own, but what is the set and setting and are you able to work through the stuff that’s coming up for you?” He warns of negative thinking loops that may make your problems worse.

Hence, Rob and Gary suggest a guided journey. “It’s not about looking at trippy pictures,” says Rob. It’s about an experience where “you can actually trust the person that you’re with and allow yourself to go deeply within and unearth some of the uncomfortable places within the self.”

Journeymen Collective: Magic Mushroom Retreat

Of course, some people want proof beyond testimonials. They want studies and papers and peer-reviewed research. As mentioned, if you’re genuinely skeptical of plant-based psychedelic medicine, odds are, you won’t be a client of the Journeymen Collective.

But if you’re on the fence, the story of one client and his Apple watch may persuade you to check it out further.

“He got a notification on his Apple watch to say that your heartbeat has dropped eight beats per minute,” says Rob. “What’s going on? It was after his journey. Well, his resting heart rate decreased eight beats per minute.”

Likewise, another client had a benign brain tumour that prevented her from being able to smell or taste. But one morning after her journey, “she was sitting having breakfast with us and basically was like naming every single ingredient in the omelette,” says Rob.

Evidence-Based Plant Medicine

This may not be scientific proof everyone accepts, but it’s clear something beyond the placebo effect is happening. But greater scientific and clinical acceptance is a double-edged sword.

Rob and Gary are concerned that clinical regulation could downplay the spiritual connection that makes psychedelic plant medicines successful. But they remain hopeful.

Says Rob, “My hope is that people who are guiding have the depth of knowledge and understand the science and the mind. And the mystical side, the spiritual side of what’s actually taking place here.”

You can learn more about the Journeymen Collective here and how to connect with Rob and Gary.