Mushroom Awakening
Perez Zeledon area, San Jose Province
Psilocybin is illegal in Costa Rica but tolerated in practice. Psilocybin retreat in Perez Zeledon area, Costa Rica. Published prices from $2,500. Offers private programmes.
At a glance
- Legal route
- Illegal but tolerated in practice
- Lowest published price
- $2,500 (3-day private psilocybin retreat (one session), read 4 October 2026)
- Length
- Not stated
- Format
- Private or one-to-one
- Approach the centre describes
- Not stated
- Medical screening
- Described on the centre's site (not verified)
- Asks about antidepressants
- Yes, per the centre
- Integration support
- Included in at least one programme
Programmes and prices
| Programme | Length | Price | Per night or session | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day private psilocybin retreat (one session)1 psilocybin sessionThe centre: “Individual; USD 2,000 per person for partners or friends” | Not stated | $2,500 | - | Centre pageread 4 October 2026 |
| 5-day private psilocybin retreat (two sessions)2 psilocybin sessionsThe centre: “Individual; USD 3,300 per person for partners or friends” | Not stated | $4,100 | $2,050 a session | Centre pageread 4 October 2026 |
Prices are what the centre published on the date shown, in its own currency. Per night and per session figures are our division of the published price.
What the centre says it offers
In the centre's own terms, from its website and the sources listed below. We have not checked these claims on site.
Included
- Online introduction, intake and a 60-minute preparation session
- One or two guided psilocybin sessions
- Guided self-inquiry, somatic practices and a Rebalancing bodywork session
- Coaching and creative integration sessions
- Accommodation and meals
- A written progress and integration report and an online integration session afterwards
Where you stay
- A villa with mountain views or a cabin in the jungle with river access, as the operator describes them
Team
Sebastiaan Ruigrok, founder and lead facilitator (Rebalancing bodywork practitioner since 2013; guiding psilocybin sessions since 2018, per the site). He stated in writing on 8 October 2026 that he has about 15 years of experience in therapeutic bodywork and about 8 years facilitating psilocybin journeys and integration, with training in Self-Inquiry guidance and Voice Dialogue, work as a body-oriented practitioner under Dutch professional standards, and volunteer experience with the 113 suicide crisis line in the Netherlands, and that he is not a medical doctor or licensed psychologist. Anaïs, co-founder and retreat host, prepares meals, looks after the retreat and leads creative integration.
Screening
Begins with an online introduction and intake call. The FAQ lists contraindications including epilepsy, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, heart problems, pregnancy and MAO inhibitor or serotonin-based medication, and says: "Our medical screening process helps determine whether participation is appropriate in your specific case." On SSRIs and SNRIs it recommends consulting the prescribing doctor about tapering, with a washout "often between 1 and 3 months". The centre stated in writing on 8 October 2026 that screening is a video consultation plus a detailed questionnaire covering physical health, psychiatric history, current medications, past psychedelic experience, current mental and emotional state and intentions; that a participant whose medication cannot be safely paused must provide confirmation from a qualified medical specialist that combining it with psilocybin does not present an unacceptable risk; and that participation may be declined or postponed.
The centre also answered questions in writing on 8 October 2026; those answers are attributed to it and not verified.
The law where it operates
Illegal but tolerated in practice: psilocybin is on Costa Rica's national control list and unauthorised supply carries 8 to 15 years in prison, yet retreats operate openly and we found no reported prosecution of one.
Prohibited under national law. Retreats operate openly and we found no reported prosecution of a retreat. That can change without notice, and participants and operators carry real legal risk.
Notes
- The centre stated in writing on 8 October 2026 that retreats normally have one or two participants; that a facilitator stays present and sober throughout every psilocybin session; that before a session it reviews medical information and emergency contacts and agrees a plan for distress or unexpected physical symptoms; and that in a medical emergency it contacts Costa Rican emergency services and takes the participant to hospital, going with them. It says the venue is about an hour from Hospital Dr. Fernando Escalante Pradilla in San Isidro de El General, the main full-service hospital for the Pérez Zeledón area, and that its retreats are not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment. We have not verified these statements.
Public record
No entries under our public record policy, as of 4 October 2026.
What we list and what we do not: public record policy. Paying for Featured placement or Verified checks never changes a record.
Sources
- Mushroom Awakening home, read 4 October 2026. Supports: Private psilocybin retreats in Costa Rica; Anais and Sebastiaan
- Mushroom Awakening retreat programmes, read 4 October 2026. Supports: 3-day and 5-day programmes, sessions, inclusions, venue, prices for individuals and duos
- Meet Anais & Sebastiaan, read 4 October 2026. Supports: Named team, roles and training
- Mushroom Awakening FAQ, read 4 October 2026. Supports: Contraindications, medical screening, SSRI and SNRI guidance
- Mushroom Awakening testimonials, read 4 October 2026. Supports: Location in Perez Zeledon
- The healing power of silence (author: Sebastiaan Ruigrok), read 4 October 2026. Supports: Founder's full name
We have not inspected this centre. A listing is information from public sources, not an endorsement or a safety rating. How we list
Is something here wrong or out of date? Send a correction.