What is Psilocybin?
Psilocybin is a naturally occurring compound found in certain species of mushrooms, sometimes known as “magic mushrooms.” For centuries, Indigenous cultures have used these mushrooms as sacred medicine, using them in ceremony and healing practices to deepen connection with the self, community, and the natural world.
In recent years, modern science has begun to confirm what traditional cultures have long understood: psilocybin can open the way to healing, connection, and transformation. Unlike many substances, psilocybin is considered non-addictive and physiologically safe.
How Psilocybin Works
Once ingested psilocybin is naturally converted in the body to psilocin, a compound that interacts with serotonin receptors in the brain. This temporarily relaxes rigid patterns of activity, allowing the mind to enter a more open, connected, and flexible state.
Research shows that psilocybin can:
Support neuroplasticity by helping the brain form new, more adaptive pathways
Increase emotional flexibility by allowing us to move beyond entrenched habits of thought and feeling
Help quiet part of the brain called the default mode network reducing cycles of rumination, worry, and self-criticism
Deepen emotional processing, supporting self-compassion and a greater sense of connection - to ourselves, to others, and to the natural world
Facilitate what researchers describe as a ‘mystical-type experience’ - an experience of deep connection, love, and unity that can feel beyond words. People sometimes describe a dissolving of boundaries, a sense of timelessness, or an awareness of the interconnectedness of all things. Not everyone will have a full mystical experience, yet many people describe a feeling of peace, clarity, or belonging that stays with them long after the experience ends.
“My retreat experience involved significant inner work, deep emotions, and a lot of vulnerability - but I felt entirely supported, protected and held throughout”
Bridging Science & Ceremony
At The Reconnection, we honour both the science and the spirit of healing. Our work draws on the growing field of psychedelic-assisted therapy while honouring the ancient ceremonial traditions that have carried psilocybin as a sacred medicine for millennia. When these two ways of knowing come together, healing becomes more than symptom relief; it becomes a process of remembering our wholeness and our place within the wider web of life.
People are drawn to this work for many reasons: to heal from grief or trauma, to find peace through life’s transitions, to reconnect with love, purpose, or a sense of belonging. Others come seeking to remember who they are beneath the layers of conditioning and expectation.
Each psilocybin journey unfolds in its own way, yet what often emerges is a profound sense of reconnection. Within the sacred container of ceremony, the medicine can open the heart, soften the mind, and invite us to return to the wisdom that lives within.
Safety and Risks
Psilocybin is generally considered very safe when used in a supportive environment with thoughtful attention to mindset and setting. Psychedelic experiences can sometimes be emotionally intense, bringing suppressed feelings or memories to the surface. With skilled facilitation and appropriate preparation, these moments can be safely explored and integrated, often becoming profound opportunities for healing, insight, and growth.
It’s important to understand that psilocybin isn’t suitable for everyone. Some medical or psychiatric conditions may mean that participation isn’t possible. At The Reconnection, each person’s safety and readiness are carefully considered through a thorough process of screening, preparation, and integration, ensuring that the experience is both appropriate and supportive for each participant.
While longer-term difficulties are rare, they can occasionally occur. A psilocybin experience may bring psychological material to the surface that takes time to integrate, and it’s not uncommon to feel slightly tender or emotionally open in the days following a ceremony. With careful preparation, skilled facilitation, and ongoing integration support, the likelihood of a challenging experience is greatly reduced, and the risk of lasting difficulties remains very low.
At The Reconnection we hold deep respect for the transformative potential of this medicine while providing the structure, safety, and support needed to guide you through each stage of the process.
“I felt truly held in this safe and sacred container. The facilitators’ authenticity, experience, and deep compassion made all the difference. I’m leaving this retreat with a profound sense of sisterhood, joy, and healing that will stay with me forever”
Women’s Health & Psilocybin
Emerging research highlights the unique potential of psilocybin in supporting women’s health, particularly during menstruation, perimenopause, and menopause. The organisation Hystelica is currently conducting a study at King’s College London exploring how hormonal fluctuations across the menstrual cycle may influence psilocybin’s effects. Early findings suggest it may enhance mood, body connection, and self-compassion, offering new insight into the intersection between hormones, emotion, and consciousness.
At The Reconnection we’ve witnessed how, when held in a safe and supportive setting, psilocybin can help women rediscover vitality, self-love, and a deeper sense of wholeness. While research in this area continues to grow, both early findings and our lived experience point to psilocybin’s potential to help women reconnect with their innate wisdom and cyclical nature. Many describe feeling more at home in their bodies, a deeper relationship to their sexuality, and an acceptance of the natural transitions of life.