Testimonials
Each individual’s experience with Psilocybin mushrooms is unique. These experiences can bring forth healing, joy, new perspectives, revelations, a sense of purpose and the release of what blocked you to step into your authentic power. Here are a number of psilocybin retreat testimonials from individuals we had the honor to guide during their Mushroom Awakening psilocybin retreats.
David – UK
Rachel – USA
Max & Lester – NL
Sarah – Canada
I participated in a three-day retreat with my mother. She had some physical limitations, and Sebastiaan made sure she felt included, supported, and fully cared for throughout the entire experience. Sharing this retreat with her created a deep bonding opportunity for both of us, and I was able to work through and overcome some of the core issues I had been holding onto in our relationship.
I joined the program with the intention of learning more about myself, and the experience exceeded my expectations. From start to finish, the program was thoughtful, intentional, and clearly designed to meet individual needs. It included meditation modalities across the physical, mental, and spiritual, which together created a well-rounded and meaningful inner-work process.
The setting was also a major part of the experience. Located on top of a mountain in Perez Zeledon, it offered peace, quiet, and space to disconnect, through river walks, listening to wildlife, or simply taking in the landscape. With no distractions and constant access to nature, the environment supported the work I came to do.
Sebastiaan was grounded, intelligent, observant, and direct. He asked the questions I had been avoiding and helped me work through them honestly. His dedication to this work was clear. Every part of the program felt intentional, and I felt he was fully invested in making sure I gained what I needed from the experience.
Working with him was not about taking mushrooms. The focus was on understanding my current state and the factors that contributed to it. Whatever I wanted to address or change, he was willing to explore it with me and identify the root causes. The process was not psychological. It was a structured, spiritually oriented exploration supported by logic and clear insight.
His partner Anais was an excellent counterpart. She was warm, supportive, and attentive. Through her cooking, her care for the space, and the way she worked with Sebastiaan, she created an environment where I felt comfortable and able to focus on myself.
Besides the mental and spiritual impact we experienced, my mom had suffered from chronic back pain for years. Following the retreat, she no longer experienced that pain and felt physically recharged. This was a life-changing experience for both of us. I left feeling lighter, clearer, and more aligned with myself than I had ever felt before.
Markus – Germany
From September 13 to September 17, 2025, I had the great honor of spending five days at the Mushroom Awakening Retreat with my facilitator and his wife Anaïs – at one of the most beautiful places one can imagine in this world.
I entered this retreat with a very personal challenge: within my family life it had often been very difficult to deal with me. For this reason, I decided to take this step – to walk a new path. Above all, to prove to myself, and also to my family, that there is always an option for change.
During these days I went through two ceremonies and spent a lot of time in deep conversations in between. Through this, we were able to uncover many of my hidden behavioral patterns and bring to light issues from my childhood that had long remained in the shadows. This combination of professional guidance, honest exchange, and mindful reflection was simply groundbreaking for my personal growth.
A very special element was the incredibly delicious, lovingly prepared food by Anaïs. She brought in the feminine, nurturing energy and completed the retreat experience in a wonderful way. Together with the healing river, the breathtaking nature, and the deep connection I was able to build with these two wonderful people, it created a harmonious and powerful whole.
At the end of the five days I felt as if I was having to leave close friends behind – and that is definitely not something ordinary. We had opened our hearts and therefore only received positivity in return.
I can truly recommend this retreat to anyone – especially to those who still have open questions in their lives or who have unresolved experiences from the past they can no longer access. Here, everything is in alignment: the setting, the landscape, the people.
Conclusion: A unique, transformative experience that has profoundly changed my life – and one I wholeheartedly recommend to everyone.
Love you guys. ❤️
Ernst – The Netherlands
I experienced two mushroom sessions with Sebastiaan, and they were life-changing because I gained insight into a deeply hidden trauma that had occurred when I was a baby. Because I couldn’t possibly have any active memories of this event, my body opened up and gave me the information I needed to heal.
It took a while before I could make sense of all the information and integrate the insights, but these sessions resulted in peace and relaxation because I now understand the impact of the trauma on my life up to that point. Now I can see more clearly how and why I tend towards survival mechanisms, and I can transform these into more effective behavior, taking my wishes, needs, and desires seriously, without becoming selfish. So, for me, it wasn’t an experience full of bliss, enlightenment, divinity, rainbows, or unicorns, but a raw reset that proved to be all-encompassing.
I am grateful for these sessions and the thorough guidance that has brought a fuller, lighter, and above all, more awake life.
Definitely recommended because it has also made me more mature, stable and therefore more responsible for my existence.
Kent – Unites States of America
“Let me start out by saying I am possibly the least likely psychonaut ever. Despite being a conscientious objector to the War on Drugs, I had lived 61 years without using any recreational drug other than alcohol, and had not been intoxicated in about 30 years. I happened upon a YouTube video of controversial University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson talking about the promising research on psilocybin in treating depression. Having a history of melancholia, I read many books on the subject of psychedelics before deciding psilocybin was worth a try. I had managed to get some magic mushrooms in India a few months before, but even the 4 g of dried mushrooms I had was not enough to get a reaction from me. I resolved to find a guide for what was likely to be a life-changing experience and Holland seemed to be the logical place to find that guide.
I found Sebastiaan through the website and made my plans to take two trips on psilocybin mushrooms while there. My hopes were to let go of the sadness and find purpose in life as a result – not much to ask, huh?
The first trip… despite all my research, the prospect of a “bad” trip weighed heavily on my mind. It was good to know that Sebastiaan would be there to assure me that reality was still there in the event of a very dark experience. He even brought lemons to add to the mushrooms to make them more palatable. He was willing to talk as long as I liked before the trip to resolve any issues and set me at ease. He informed me about the effects of the magic mushrooms and warned me that there is a risk that the trip would be unpleasant.
Sure enough, it took a “heroic” dose of mushrooms to get the desired reaction. Sebastiaan was there to make sure I got enough and put on some ethereal music that was perfect for the setting. After maybe an hour, I finally realized something was happening when I was hearing the music in more detail than I had ever heard music before. It was as if I was hearing every note in slow motion. Then I felt the urge to laugh, and that urge lasted for several hours. I mostly kept my eyes closed to focus on the music and just enjoy the euphoria, but it was good to open my eyes every now and then to see that Sebastiaan was sitting beside the bed unfazed by my laughing for hours. I had no concept of time, and asked Sebastiaan what time it was. I realized that the scheduled time was over, and kept urging him to leave because I was coming down and knew I would be ok. Instead, he stuck around to talk to me once I stopped laughing long enough to form a coherent sentence.
While the first trip was certainly enjoyable, and I cannot help but smile when I think about laughing like a fool for hours, I felt that the second trip would be deeper. Sebastiaan assured me there were no guarantees of what the second trip would be like. I made a comment that I would probably be crying for hours instead on the second trip. Thomas Szasz claimed that much of the effect of drugs is self-fulfilling prophecy, and my second trip convinced me he was right. The dose, while still heroic, was a little less than the first. While I did not have the same experience as in the first trip of being so aware of the individual notes of the music, the music Sebastiaan chose set the mood perfectly. I spent much of five hours sobbing just as I had speculated. They say that the “bad” trips usually turn out to be helpful, and that was definitely the case with my second trip. I felt that the tears were a lifetime of sadness leaving my body and I could put all those negative thoughts in the past rather than assuming that they were a permanent part of me. I only wish I had words adequate to describe the experience.
Again, it was comforting to open my eyes and see Sebastiaan calmly sitting beside the bed. The second trip was even longer than the first, but Sebastiaan again stuck around like a trooper. Again, he was willing to take whatever time was necessary for me to talk about the trip and was in no hurry to leave despite my repeatedly telling him I knew he had a life outside of work and should go.
I wish I had tried psilocybin 40 years ago, but Sebastiaan would have only been three years old then. But, seriously, I could not have asked for a better guide than Sebastiaan for my first two psychedelic trips. If you have suffered from melancholia as much as I have, I would urge you to take a chance with psilocybin mushrooms. After my life-changing experiences with it, I now refer to psilocybin as “truth”, and Sebastiaan is a great dispenser of truth. The experience can be scary, so why not bring along an experienced guide to keep you safe and secure? My expectations of the experience were exceptionally high, but Sebastiaan still managed to ensure that the trips exceeded those expectations.
Thanks again, Sebastiaan. This has, indeed, been a life-changing experience for me, and you were a huge factor in that.
Kent”
Marco – Germany
“This was a Very Special night. A night that I never forget. The magic and Mystic from this plant has offers me His wonderful world of clarity which has given me a basis to solve my mental problems. Also the body pain was Very small ever since this wonderful night. Thanks to my Tripsitter Sebastiaan who filled the spiritual atmosphere with his calm energy and his care. Thank you for this gift from mother nature. Thank you for this opportunity Sebastiaan.”
Sajad – Oman
” Hello Light Seekers,
Few months ago I received a calling from Mother Mushrooms. I searched for multiple ways on how to take it. Eventually after researching I contacted Sebastiaan and we agreed on a date and time. Sebastiaan is very kind, centered and helpful. Which made my experience super beneficial and added value to my life.
The Ceremony started with a guided meditation led by Sebastiaan until slowly the magic mushrooms started to kick in. Sebastiaan was there all the time and was available whenever I needed anything and he was always centered.
My experience was profound. I was vibrating at an un-earthly dimension which allowed me to receive the answers I was seeking for quiet simply and in a beautiful manner. I felt that when I received the answer to my question, I was sharing it with Sebastiaan as if it was my soul talking, not me. Even when I wrote it down, it felt like my soul was writing it, not my physical body.
I appreciate the experience and appreciate Sebastiaan’s efforts. I highly recommend you to have a session with Sebastiaan, hopefully I can do it again with him in the future ?
Sajad ”
Olivier – United States of America
“I owe a big thanks for Sebastiaan for the care and healing he provided on a retreat I did.
I had done Ayahuasca in 2014 to help me with childhood trauma and issues with relationships. The journey was easier than I expected and I got a lot out of it, Sebastiaan helped me every step of the way and his body work and mindfulness approach is very helpful.
Sebastiaan really cares about helping people and it shows.
I hope to stay on touch and perhaps do another journey with Sebastiaan down the road.
Pura Vida bro!”