About this Retreat
With more than 30 years of experience with psychedelics, Sanson's journey began in the vibrant land of India at the age of 18. It was there, amidst the cultural tapestry of Goa, in 1995, that he had a transformative encounter with both spirituality and psychedelics. Sanson, who was a psychology student at Merton College, London, during that time, embarked on a life-changing trip.
Since that profound moment, Sanson's life has been intertwined with the exploration of altered states of consciousness and the world of psychedelics. His extensive travels have allowed him to sit with wise elders, holy men, curanderos, yogis, psychonauts, and fellow enthusiasts across the globe.
In 2013, an epiphanic encounter with the San Pedro cactus became a turning point in Sanson's life. Fueled by this experience, he committed himself to becoming a full-time psychedelic activist. Along this remarkable journey, Sanson has achieved numerous milestones, including:
- Establishing the Spanish Psychedelic Society in 2016 and serving as its president.
- Founding La Mezquita renowned psychedelic retreat center in 2019.
- Active participation in the Cosmic Care Boom Festival from 2022 to 2023.
- Organizing free landmark conferences for Spanish speakers in February 2019 (Madrid) and in Valencia (2021), and Barcelona (2021).
- Collaborating with several psychedelic conferences, including Insight Berlin 2021 and the What's the Convention in 2019.
- Sharing his insights and experiences through interviews, documentaries, podcasts, and YouTube videos, making a significant impact in the field of psychedelics.
Sanson's dedication and passion for psychedelics, combined with his background as a psychology student, have made him a prominent figure in the community, contributing to its growth and understanding.
Jake Knights is a South African-born musician based in Alicante, Spain, known for his work in house, deep house, acid jazz, ambient, and chill-out genres. He is a keyboardist and drummer, contributing to various musical projects.
Jake is also a co-founder of La Mezquita, a psychedelic retreat center in Alicante. There, he offers live piano performances during plant medicine ceremonies, blending his musical expertise with therapeutic practices. His improvisational style and deep understanding of music's emotional impact create immersive soundscapes that support participants' journeys.
With a background in both music and holistic practices, Jake Knights continues to explore the intersection of sound and healing, providing transformative experiences through his art.
Liz is a deeply experienced craniosacral therapist and yoga teacher with over 20 years of dedication to healing and bodywork. At 60, she brings a calm, grounded presence and a heart full of compassion to every session. Her gentle hands and intuitive touch have supported countless individuals in releasing tension, trauma, and emotional blockages, allowing for deep inner stillness and integration.
In the context of psychedelic therapy, Liz brings a warm, nurturing energy that helps participants feel safe, seen, and held. Her sessions provide a soft landing space during or after deep journeys, inviting the body and nervous system to restore and rebalance. Whether through subtle cranial work or breath-centered yoga, Liz’s presence offers a glowing reminder of the body’s innate wisdom and capacity for healing.
Her approach is rooted in listening—both to the body and to the individual—and her gift lies in holding space with unconditional love and grace.
Clinical Psychologist & Psychedelic Facilitator
Michelle is a 28-year-old clinical psychologist from Bogotá, Colombia, with a strong foundation in psychedelic-assisted therapy. She brings both clinical expertise and a deep personal commitment to the healing potential of altered states of consciousness.
Michelle has been involved in pioneering psychedelic research, participating in clinical trials in Bogotá that explored the therapeutic use of psilocybin and other entheogens. She has also facilitated numerous one-on-one psychedelic sessions, always with a focus on safety, integration, and emotional depth.
As a dedicated activist for the responsible and conscious use of psychedelics, Michelle has contributed to public discourse around mental health and plant medicine in Colombia. Recently relocated to Spain, she has joined the La Mezquita team to continue her work, combining clinical knowledge with heart-led presence.
Her grounded, empathetic approach helps participants feel deeply supported on their healing journey, bridging science, spirit, and soul.
Details of this retreat
Psilocybin Psychotherapy is the breakthrough therapy taking the world of mental health by storm. This retreat is designed for people who don't have a lot of time and want to get started in psychedelic therapy straight away, those wanting to have their first psychedelic experience, or people looking to have a deep and mystical experience.
Do you want to increase your creative energy to materialise your dreams and projects?
Do you want to improve your relationship with yourself?
Do you want to heal lifelong trauma?
Overcome addiction?
Have you been suffering from life-long depression?
This is a group session max 6 participants, private sessions are available upon request. We find that small groups are more powerful than individual sessions.
The session takes place at la Mezquita in el Campello, close to Alicante.
There will be live music to enhance your experience from our team of musicians, including professional pianist Jake, specialist in medicinal piano music, and Sanson with smoothing mantras. Empowering your experience with live music adapted to the moment.
During the ceremony you will have a team of trained therapists specialising in psychedelic therapy with you at all times.
What type of psychedelic therapy do we use? We use a combination of John Hopkins/Imperial College methodology where the participants wear an eye mask and lay down and listen to music. We have further developed our own personalized methodology, adding a ceremonial element.
We use specialized intention setting and there is a session of immediate integration when we finish.
What dosage do we serve? Regarding dosage we don't have a set rule, the dosage will be based on body weight, previous experience, intention and health. For a therapeutic experience it doesn't have to be super strong. For a more mystical experience higher dosage are on offer. Not everyone needs, or is looking for very high doses. Understanding where everybody is right now is our skill at La Mezquita. We do not have an upwards limit for dosage, as long as our participants and therapists are safe. Starting dose can be around 4 grams which we find can be enough for the majority of beginners. Additional top up is possible after that, and is offered at 2 hours into the experience. We have administered 9-10 grams before to experienced psychedelic explorers and people who needed a dose of such magnitude. Most of our patients have a dosage between 3-5 grams.
We use Psilocybin cubensis mushrooms, not truffles. These magic mushrooms are more powerful than truffles , they contain a much higher concentration of psilocybin.
The session starts at 17:00 in the afternoon and finishes around 24:00.
For security reasons, we are unable to welcome you to this retreat if you have a personal or family history of psychosis (drug-induced psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolarity), or if you have been hospitalized in a mental health facility - either voluntarily or involuntarily.
For this reason we have a screening questionnaire and interview to get to know your motives, experience and most importantly your current state of mental and physical health.
Please fill in this screening questionnaire so we can get to know a little about your needs and history: https://forms.gle/GPyCFxFDAA1xYwr8A
For the safety of the participants themselves, we reserve the right of not giving psychedelic substances to people who are showing signs of mental disorders related to bipolarity or psychosis, as well as people who are under the effects of other substances (such as alcohol or other illicit drugs).
Recommendations for antidepressant medication:
Any type of antidepressant or pharmaceutical medicine for pain, anxiety, or any other mental health problem are best to be avoided.
If you are taking SSRI (except fluoxetine), SPARI, SNRI, TCA or MAOI medication for depression this can considerably lessen the effects of the psychedelic experience. Depending on how long you have been taking these types of medicines you may need at least 21 days to detox from them for long term use, and a very minimum of 15 days for shorter term use. If you are taking fluoxetine (Prozac) you may need to taper and discontinue the consumption at least 6 weeks prior to the psychedelic experience.
In our experience attendees that have not rested from this medication can have less noticeable effects of psychedelics. Please consult with your doctor if you need to stop taking prescribed medication. We always encourage you to listen to your doctor or your mental health advisor, and ask for their best advice on how to taper down antidepressant medication. If you are taking any other kind of psychiatric medication, please consult your doctor beforehand.
Please, keep in mind that unfortunately, for safety reasons we cannot welcome you to the retreat if:
1) You have been diagnosed with an emotionally unstable (borderline) personality disorder.
2) You have an immediate personal or family history of psychosis (drug-induced psychosis, schizophrenia, bipolarity), and/or are taking antipsychotic medication.
For this reason we have a screening questionnaire and interview to get to know your motives, experience and most importantly your current state of mental and physical health.
Intoxicants and stimulants should be avoided, or at least significantly reduced. This includes: alcohol, drugs, stimulants...
Other recommendations
Take some time before and after the experience to get ready and reflect
Give yourself some time before and after the retreat, before flying home.