Retreat from Racism: A Psychedelic Group Experience for Racial Stress and Trauma
Psychedelics July 1, 2026 Sergio R Pérez Rosal, Sonya Faber, M. Myriah MacIntyre et al.
This observational study documents a specialized psychedelic retreat in Jamaica for eleven participants with race-based traumatic stress (RBTS). The seven-day program included two psilocybin-assisted ceremonies and community-based integration, guided by the Healing Racial Trauma Protocol (HRTP). The authors argue that the retreat functioned as a 'cultural forge,' where the absence of systemic racial threats and communal witnessing served as active therapeutic agents. They emphasize the need to address internalized racism and colorism and to navigate unexamined privilege in the therapeutic dyad. The study demonstrates feasibility of a culturally responsive container and suggests that molecular plasticity must be paired with cultural safety and community affirmation.