Take a Six-Star Journey and a Quantum Leap
By: Amy Diana Ramirez
Vancouver, BC, Canada & Boulder County, Colorado (The Hollywood Times) 7/14/23 – Magic. We can all use more of it, especially if we find ourselves suffering from depression, anxiety, PTSD, or even a simple lack of thrill in this thing called life.
Perhaps there is a deep spiritual yearning, even among those who may be considered, by most standards, to be highly successful. Unfortunately, certain psychoactive substances that have been empirically proven to facilitate improvement to the point of enchantment in these regards are still illegal in almost every city in the United States of America. I am specifically referring to “magic mushrooms” – mushrooms that contain psychoactive compounds such as psilocybin, derived from certain strains of edible mushrooms. Even though the US Food and Drug Administration has affirmed the potential benefit of psilocybin in alleviating depression, these naturally occurring mushrooms are unnervingly outlawed. There seems to be no executive-level, bespoke psilocybin journey to be had in the US… but wait… there IS one in neighborly Canada.
Such an establishment exists in North Vancouver, British Columbia: The Journeymen Collective. Lately, it has been in the news for its transformative impact on guests from a variety of professional backgrounds – actors, business executives, entrepreneurs, and other high achievers have taken journeys there. I had the opportunity to interview the Journeymen gentlemen themselves: Gary Logan and Rob Grover via Zoom yesterday, Thursday the 13th of July 2023. These men are the company’s founders and master spiritual advisors. These partners are contemporary shamans if you will. Since opening in 2018, Rob and Gary’s luxury mushroom journey accommodations have been available, facilitating breakthroughs, heightened spiritual attunement, and a great deal more.
The curated Journeymen experience is not a quickie one-nighter. It involves four weeks of preparation, four nights’ time on site, and three months of guided post hoc integration once one is back at home. The preliminary work involves meditation plus other preparatory measures meant to enhance the experience itself. What I gathered from Rob is that the “energetics” required for a successful stay include respect, integrity, intent, trust, safety, preparation, and integration. He spoke of an ability for the guest to “distill” what data is most significant, moment-to-moment from the onslaught of sensory information that we are constantly presented with. This is just one of the skills and gifts that may remain after the journey is complete. Rob remarked that more loving relationships tend to develop for the participating guest. Through such intentional psychedelic use, conscious living may become more of a lifestyle for the participant. Peak experiences may present themselves or become more frequent. Even the release of addictions and ill behavioral patterns are reported with such psychedelic use. Indeed, radical healing can take place. Another beautiful outcome is when the participant comes to believe that they are on a more serendipitous trajectory through life. I could go on, but I believe that you get that the potential benefits of undertaking a journey of this nature are exponential.
The six-star lodging includes a food plan prepared primarily by the gorgeous “culinary alchemist” Wysteria Berkow. Her creations tend to be plant-forward and provide the ideal nourishment for the spiritual unfolding process. Interestingly enough, she does not camouflage the flavor of the medicinal mushrooms; those fresh mushrooms are actually held in hand by the participant before consciously chewing and swallowing them. Gary mentioned that he and Wysteria frequently synergize on recipe creation, making exquisite meals and snacks of six different flavor profiles with deep consideration given to the needs and the goals of the psychedelic participant.
Although a variety of mushroom strains are utilized at the Journeymen Collective, the strains used most often are the Golden Teacher and the Golden Emperor. Rob informed me that these two tend to provide the sought-after transcendental experience. Not only do these experiences result in “magic” after the fact, but they can feel triumphantly magical during the journey itself. Radical healing can take place. Addictions and ill patterns can be released. Rob explains that through such processes, the “trauma of yesteryear” can be cleared, and then fresh insight can be gained. Great new heights may be reached.
Regarding the concept of INTENT – with psychedelic journeys SET and SETTING refer to one’s mindset (“set”) and physical and environmental (“setting”) factors being strong influences on a psychedelic experience. The term was noted in 1958 by the Austrian biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, but later popularized by the renowned psychedelic researcher Timothy Leary. Chosen (or neglected “set and setting” choice can determine the extent and outcome of one’s psychedelic journey. An example of INTENT would be “Show me how to love and connect more with the people in my life”.
Now not everyone is well-suited to a Journeymen Collective experience, nor is everyone suited for psychedelic use, in general. There is an application process that involves an initial Zoom interview to determine the suitability of the individual. The two are confident in their ability to determine whether or not a particular applicant would benefit from their offerings.
It seems to me that this undertaking would be the ULTIMATE gift to oneself and one’s higher self’s purpose. Even I have become intrigued enough to apply. From the Hollywood Times interview alone, I believe that with these “Journeymen”, I would be in very capable, trustworthy hands – hands of “six stars”, no less.
Perhaps you are now feeling like me ~ ready for a quantum leap.