World’s first and only medically licensed plant based medicine center, Rythmia Life Advancement Center is located in stunning Guanacaste, Costa Rica and is designed for for individuals committed to personal growth goals and seeking profound results.

Rythmia’s all-inclusive experience includes premium accommodations, beautiful grounds, farm-to-table organic meals, spa services, and extensive amenities, but what truly distinguishes Rythmia is its meticulously designed Rythmia Way program. An intensive, week-long immersive experience, the Rythmia Way Program fuses the ancient teachings of plant medicine from the Columbian lineage with multiple harmoniously supporting modalities, to creates an optimal immersive environment for healing.

A team of highly skilled shamans with training in the Columbian lineage leads each of the four Ayahuasca ceremonies. Rev. Michael Beckwith’s “The Answer is You” classes, expertly crafted integration and intention-setting workshops, yoga, meditation, dance, and rhythmic breathwork all support your transformational journey to higher consciousness.

Since 2016, over 15,000 guests have completed the Rythmia Way program, a proprietary system anchored in three core intentions, with 97% reporting healing and profound and lasting shifts in their understanding, perspectives, relationships, and overall well-being. At Rythmia, these events are called miracles, which are the main measure for tracking program effectiveness.

Reviews (12)

3.7 out of 5
Overall 3.7
  • Krizzy
    Krizzy
    December 12, 2023 at 9:21 pm

    There were deaths here!

    My trip to Rythmia was during the first week of July. I met some lovely guests upon my arrival. The guests are the only positive thing about this place. One of these lovely guests was a man I instantly became fond of. We clicked.

    During a ceremony, this guest, who I was fond of, was being tied up by the shamans, bound by rope. I could see my friend trying to resist what the shamans were doing to him, but they forced the rope around his arms and tied him up. It was quite possibly the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen. My friend needed help, someone to reassure him everything would be okay, maybe even a hug. These shamans assaulted him. Before I left the ceremony, I went to send him some support, but he looked totally dejected and despondent from what he had just ensured during the ceremony. I could see bruises and cuts on his body from where the shamans hurt him.

    The next day, I wanted to check in with my friend. I didn’t see him at breakfast, he wasn’t at lunch, and then at dinner, I also didn’t see him. Concerned, I asked the staff members where he was and whether everything was okay. Initially, they just told me they didn’t know, but I kept asking different staff members whenever I got the opportunity. Finally, a staff member told me what happened to him, and I almost threw up. Writing this now, I’m shaking as I can’t believe what happened. The staff member told me they entered his room in the morning to find him deceased. He took his life the night of that ceremony where the shamans assaulted him. Within a handful of hours of leaving that ceremony, he took his own life. I honestly feel sick and lost for words.

    This event occurred during the first week of July, and Rythmia hasn’t made a single post or acknowledged the event, which I find beyond distasteful. The staff member who told me about my friend ending his life said, “Unfortunately, suicides are common here. There was another one just two months earlier on-site within the rythmia premises.”

    It is beyond unethical for Rythmia to keep the fact many die during their “program” secret. In the States, if we were advertised or informed of surgery such as brain surgery, we would be told what % die during the operation alongside other potential negative side effects. It’s just standard practice and a moral necessity to inform people of the risks of what they are about to get involved in.

    If Rythmia responds to this review, I want the following questions answered. How many guests have committed suicide on-site at Rythmia? How many guests have committed suicide after leaving rythmia? What other negative side effects does Rythmia’s program have, and what is the prevalence, such as how many guests leave Rythmia in a state of Psychosis? I would also demand that every single guest who signs up for Rythmia’s program is informed of the risks. There is no excuse for Rythmia failing to comply with standard medical practice in America. It’s beyond unethical. Rythmia is happy to provide a bogus miracle percentage to the 100th percentile, so as data is supposedly an important part of the organization, share the data with us.

    I’ve been to many Ayahausca centers. Other Ayahausca centers in Costa Rica have served thousands of guests without a single suicide associated with them. Suicides are not normal within Ayahuasca centers. It is a Rythmia thing.

    During my stay, we were repeatedly told how safe rythmia is by the staff on-site, and looking at the positive reviews on this site, the guests are just parroting back what they are repeatedly told by rythmia. We were high on Ayahuasca, so whatever information we are programmed to think sinks into us.

    Something I’ve just remembered. In preparation for my trip, I followed Gerry’s weekly videos on Rythmia’s Facebook page. In one of the videos, Gerry, who is the owner, mentioned he is saving up for a private plane. If you are wondering why Rythmia is more expensive than other Ayahuasca centers, Gerry needs extra money for a private plane. Normally, owners of Ayahausca centers don’t want private planes, so the guests don’t have to subsidize it through inflated prices.

    It’s said that being able to ask simple questions and receive simple answers is important when choosing a retreat. It’ll be very telling if Rythmia avoids answering the questions regarding adverse effects on guests I’ve asked in this review. It’ll show they have no interest in being honest and transparent as they will obfuscate the truth by dodging questions that reveal how dangerous Rythmia is. It’s lying via omission. If my questions aren’t answered, the reason is obvious. It’s because Rythmia has something to hide. Rythmia knows if they were honest about the damage done they’ve done to guests at Rythmia, no one would attend.

  • chriscali
    chriscali
    November 14, 2023 at 5:41 am

    Absolute Nightmare Experience – Please Research this place

    I’ve gone backwards and forwards on whether I should write a review of my experience. Part of me would like to forget about my experience at Rythmia and move on. Still, I feel morally obligated to warn others about how unethical and dangerous this place is.

    I left Rythmia very confused. I ticked their box about getting a life-changing miracle at the resort and in their six month follow-up email. I ticked the box to say I got my miracle because I wanted to believe it would be true. I’m part of Rythmia’s 97% success rate. My data is being used to lure in naive guests who seek healing, who will inevitably get abused and traumatized at Rythmia. This is causing me great uneasiness and is why I’m writing this review.

    Gerry told us if we tick the box to say we got our miracle (soul merger), which is what is used for the “97% success rate”, we will get the following. All our addictions, diseases, and disorders will go away, among other benefits we’ll receive.

    Seven months after leaving Rythmia, I reached out to an Ayahausca integration specialist to try to make sense of my experience, as I still hadn’t found closure from my experience. In my opening conversation, I told my integration specialist I was having a hard time integrating an Ayahuasca experience I had seven months earlier in Costa Rica. She immediately said to me, “Was it at Rythmia?” Shocked, she guessed where I went. I asked how did you know? She told me she’s been inundated with Rythmia guests who have needed help after the experience. And within the Ayahuasca community, Rythmia is infamous for abusing, exploiting, and traumatizing guests. She also informed me among those with experience and training in the Ayahuasca field, the consensus is unanimous: Rythmia is a no-go.

    I then contacted an Ayahuasca integration specialist, spent two intense months with her, and I’ve finally made sense of my experience. I would like to share what helped me as I believe it will be beneficial for anyone reading this.

    Gerry has marketed himself on the internet as a reformed individual who used to beat women and abuse drugs and alcohol. After one night on iboga, he found the shortcut to happiness, and all his issues went away. He then created a program to replicate the experience that happened to him to happen to others, which is Rythmia’s program. The problem with this is Gerry is a fraud. Gerry has not resolved his issues. Gerry has faked his healing. To quote part of an article Vice did that shed light on the true nature of Rythmia, Vice spoke to individuals who worked at Rythmia, one of whom was Gerry’s ex-girlfriend Zinlynn, who was Gerry’s girlfriend at Rythmia. This instance below took place almost a decade after Gerry claims to have been cured of everything and found happiness, which shows Gerry’s claims of reformation and healing lie.

    “He’d be speaking in his class how he used to be a wife beater, sex addict, a bunch of things. And he claims he’s no longer that person,” said Somerville of Powell. “But to me, he’s still that same person.” She said

    When Gerry told us he used to beat women, my heart sank, but I didn’t hold it against him as I believe everyone deserves a second chance. To find out Gerry still beats women many years after founding rythmia feels like a betrayal. I took him at his word. He was healed.

    What’s mentioned above is the heart of what provided me with closure. I bought into Rythmia’s teachings as it sounded wonderful: you go there for a week, get a soul merger, and then all your issues are resolved. This is idyllic and something everyone wants to believe is true. Sadly, Rythmia, though, is a piece of fiction. The teachings at Rythmia are based on a lie. Rythmia boasts that 97% of guests report a life-changing miracle. The sad reality, though is that 97% of guests are tricked into believing something (a soul merger) has occurred in their lives when it hasn’t. If the program hasn’t worked for the one who created it, Gerry, it won’t work for those who it’s taught to. More damning, Gerry has followed his program for almost a decade without being able to reform and find healing, so the idea this program will heal you in a week is ridiculous. Rythmia and the data they have collected are evidence of one thing. How easy it is to manipulate and deceive vulnerable guests into believing something that’s not true through the unethical use of Ayahuasca.

    I would like to index a few other resources that I highly recommend are frequented. I became aware of the following through my Ayahuasca integration coach: she helped put the pieces together, and she was a lifesaver.

    – Ross and Carrie are two podcasters who shed light on charlatans in spiritual businesses. They did an investigation into Rythmia, which revealed the sinister nature of Gerry and Jeff. I highly recommend you listen to their podcast series on Rythmia. Search any podcast platform for “Ross and Carrie Rrythmia.” It’s a 13-part edition, and a must listen to.

    -The Vice article referenced earlier in this review is a must-read. There was also a class action lawsuit by past guests initiated against Rythmia. Search Google for “Vice Rythmia”

    – A class action lawsuit against Rythmia in which dozens of guests participated. This just highlights the extent of the victimization that’s occurred at Rythmia. The class action lawsuit was filed in California and was dismissed as it needed to be filed in Costa Rica. This just shows the difficulty in holding Rythmia accountable. They’ll use legal loopholes such as geographic technicalities to evade justice and accountability. To find more details on this class action lawsuit, search Google for “Abu Baker et al. vs. Rythmia.”. Rythmia is the first Ayahuasca center to have a class action lawsuit filed against them by guests. In the field of abusing and victimizing others, Rythmia has set a precedent.

    – Gerry and Jeff sued multiple guests who shared their experiences. If a guest suffered from Rythmia, they were sued if they ever spoke of their experience. For one example of this, please Google “Rythmia Group Incorporated vs. Jessica Leffler” for a link to the lawsuit Rythmia filed. Jessica wrote about her experience at Rythmia in her blog. Suing guests who want to share their experience at Rythmia creates a climate of fear and self-censorship, even if the guests’ opinion is valid and important due to fear of retaliation from Rythmia. Rythmia has tried to maintain its reputation through aggression and hostility towards anyone they have hurt. Their true colors and sinister intentions have leaked out.

    – I would also encourage you to search Facebook and Reddit for posts made by former guests of Rythmia, as there are countless, absolutely horrifying stories. In recent years, these sad stories appear to have become much more common.

    Most concerning of all will be the above points are just what I’m aware of. It’ll be the tip of the iceberg. Although there have been attempts to shed light on the abominations that go on at Rythmia, there really needs to be further action taken against Rythmia to bring their darkness and duplicity fully into the light.

    Because Rythmia will lie and attempt to gaslight you into doubting what’s in my review in their response, I’ve provided a link to check out everything I’ve mentioned for yourself.

    One last thing! If Rythmia responds, they’ll say something like, “How wonderful it is to be critizised. We are rejoicing in the offices as it is through criticism we learn to grow”. This is complete nonsense. Rythmia has gone far out of its way to remove all criticism from the internet by suing individuals. It’s a PR stunt. They think it looks good to look like a company that takes on board feedback when they couldn’t care less. “Customer safety is our priority” is also a lie. Increasing and protecting Rythmia’s fraudulent reputation comes before the well-being of anyone who’s ever been to Rythmia.

    Please be careful. You have been warned!

    • rythmia
      rythmia
      December 10, 2023 at 7:20 pm

      Thank you for your feedback. We are sorry to hear that you have had challenges integrating your experience. That complaint is often shared across all psychedelic experiences, and we are currently working on a program that will ensure strong support and success during the integration period. At Rythmia, we take all comments seriously as they aid our growth and improvement. However, it’s necessary to correct some inaccuracies in your review. Rythmia, established in 2016, is the only facility globally with a medical license for our plant medicine program. Our safety protocols and regular audits demonstrate our unmatched commitment to legal compliance. We’re proud that over 97% of our 15,000+ guests report a life-changing experience post-program. Guest safety is our foremost priority. Our team of over 200, including medical professionals, ensures round-the-clock care, distinguishing Rythmia as a preferred choice. Our Staff and Guest Codes of Conduct detail program participation expectations and risks. Guest consent to these terms reinforces our mutual commitment to a safe and respectful environment. While rare, adverse reactions to plant medicines are taken seriously, with qualified staff available to ensure guest safety. Regarding claims about our founder, Gerry, we emphasize Rythmia’s culture of continuous growth and accountability. Our legal stance aims to protect our reputation from unfounded claims and personal vendettas, not to silence anyone. We remain dedicated to offering transformative experiences in a nurturing environment. Your input is valuable as we strive to enhance our program. We’re proud of our safety record, and thank you for your feedback.

  • paintdoodle
    paintdoodle
    August 21, 2023 at 5:28 pm

    I had an unforgettable, life-changing experience at Rythmia earlier in August 2023.

    The first thing to call out is the shamans and the larger healing, care team – they’re nothing short of incredible. It’s like a big, happy family made up of the awesome staff, the fellow guests, and the mystical shamans. They welcomed me with open arms, and that’s when I knew I was in for something special.

    The main event – the ayahuasca ceremonies. Life-changing doesn’t even begin to cover it. Every ceremony felt like a unique miracle, and the guidance from Taita Juanito and the shamanic crew was out of this world. Taita Juanito and the whole divine feminine energy thing add a layer of spirituality that’s hard to describe. It’s like a magical touch that makes the whole experience even more mystical.

    The staff are like family. They’re patient and kind. They were there for me in my darkest moments and in times of vulnerability. Love and compassion oozed from every corner of the resort. I’ve never felt so at home away from home.

    You’re not just thrown into ceremonies. The program is a holistic program with yoga classes and workshops that help you level up in every way.

    The setting of the program enables you to connect at a very deep level with other program participants, and I’m eager to cultivate these new friendships and relationships for a lifetime.

    In a nutshell, Rythmia isn’t just a resort; it’s a place where miracles happen. If you’re itching for a life-altering adventure filled with love, support, and transformation, Rythmia is at the top of the list.

  • dagg23
    dagg23
    August 11, 2023 at 5:09 pm

    I was at this place in January after a couple of buddies went and come back new people. I did not want to go to a smaller resort and wanted to be as safe as possible. I felt really welcomed and quickly connected with many other guests, by the end of the week, so many new friendships were born. Food was outstanding, staff was the kindest and went over and above. Beautiful grounds with two parrots i think part of the conservation project. But the actual ceremonies were unforgettable and I can truly say that I couldn’t have given a better gift to myself. I noticed so many people in my group were there for the second even third time. I will go back for sure.

  • cinders_
    cinders_
    August 2, 2023 at 3:08 pm

    Originally, I chose Rythmia because they have a medical doctor on site, they have thorough safety protocols in place, and their shamans are highly respected with a long lineage in plant medicine, so they know what they’re doing. This allowed me to put my nerves aside and go on an incredible, life-changing journey to try ayahuasca.

    Months after my ceremony, here are additional reasons why I highly recommend Rythmia: It’s much more than just a place to try ayahuasca. The week-long program is built to help you work with the medicine as effectively as possible, and set your intentions for 4 ceremonies. The classes and group-share help you integrate everything you’re downloading from ayahuasca. They have served approximately 14k guests and 57k ceremonies according to their website, and they have taken learnings from all of these guests to continuously optimize the program to help you benefit as much as possible when working with the medicine.

    For me, working with ayahuasca was very powerful and also very hard work. They say that one ayahuasca session is equivalent to 1,000 therapy sessions, and I can see why. In hindsight, I’m so relieved I chose a retreat that provides the daily comforts I’m used to and here’s why: like I said, it can be HARD work emotionally and physically. As I worked through deep emotional baggage, I was often an emotional wreck. It was such a relief to curl up in a comfortable bed with A/C after the ceremony, hit up the steam room or cold plunge, get a massage (one is included in your package), go to a yoga or breathwork class, chat with some of the very friendly and caring people who work there, and share a delicious meal with the other guests and exchange stories.

    I will forever be so deeply grateful to the shamans and healers, and countless facilitators who guided me through some very dark stuff. I also experienced moments of pure love, pure joy and connectedness to the universe. That coupled with the live music from musicians who played until sunrise was unforgettable and I hope to experience it again one day.

    It’s impossible to explain all of the things I learned from ayahuasca but here are a few points: I suddenly truly experienced and understood the enormous sacrifice my mother made for me all my life, I understood my daughter’s purpose in life which was so, so beautiful. I have new realizations about who am I every day, and how to align with my own purpose. It’s now been more than two months and I have completely cut out coffee (after drinking it 1-2 times daily for 15 years), I take care of myself, and this one brings me joy…I have finally started painting and expressing my creativity again after being emotionally blocked and overwhelmed for five years. And more insights come to me every day. Thank you Rythmia from the bottom of my heart!

  • theshanster
    theshanster
    July 31, 2023 at 5:51 pm

    From the moment I booked my discovery call with Rythmia, my life started changing — for the better.

    The team was so patient and knowledgeable as I asked all my questions. And the preparation materials and in particular, a video where the founder shares how to create room for intentions and be open to the gifts of the medicine was something I reflected on extensively in the weeks leading up to my visit. It was easy, he’s so engaging and his message just spoke to me. So simple yet effective I arrived as prepared as one can be for a first intense psychedelic experience.

    Every interaction that followed lived up to this first encounter. The Rythmia team all took care to learn my name and understand me. The teachers were true experts in their fields and while I’d been reluctant about class time on my time off from work — my time was so well spent. One night, the ceremonies was hard. It was scary but the staff came to support me. They intuitively knew I needed support and they got me threw it and what emerged was an understanding that will free me for all my years to come on heavy, heavy, baggage.

    Doing this with medical care and professionals, and with the amenities to help relax and really process the experience, was the right decision.

    I would recommend Rythmia without hesitation. I will also return again. It was life-changing and words cannot express the depth of my gratitude.

  • Thaag
    Thaag
    March 29, 2023 at 6:16 pm

    I am going to be vulnerable honest here in hopes that this review will resonate with someone/anyone and you can get the help I did.
    Why I went- Mid Life crisis, depression, I was lost in life, no more joy, gratitude, I did not really know who I was anymore or where I was going. I was in a fog all day, horrible self talk about myself. My mom has passed away, my son was now an adult and doing his own thing. I did not have passion, was searching for a path a purpose in this new phase of my life. I am 47. I started drinking probably a bit to much, I gained 50 lbs. in 2 years. My husband was almost begging me to get help, any help.
    My sister in law suggest I go to a retreat. I did not need massages or facials or hiking. I needed mind, body, soul work.
    I saw this Rythmia website and opened it up. Something in my 66heart just pulled me towards it. 3 weeks later I am on a plane crying headed towards Costa R56ica.

    I wont really share my journey while I was there because that is very personal and is personal to each who go. Although while your there you share everything with the others your sharing this expierence with.

    While there, I was never alone and I felt safe and loved and in a space that if I wanted to share I could. Everyone who goes was dealing with there own demons what ever that was for them.
    We had 4 nights of ceremonies and lots of classes during the day to, Head to toe I was taken care of. The staff automatically knew my name after a day. They meet every need may have. No one there just works there. It is a passion for them. It is a well designed program intended to give you everything you need when you need it.
    I left with my soul saved, my heart healed, I know who I am and what my path and purpose is in life. I saw how to let go and keep the past in the past forever. I healed my childhood trauma. I found joy, gratitude, peace in my soul, I found the love for myself that had been missing for so long. I left knowing how worthy I am. I could go on and on. I let go of my therapist the moment I got cell coverage back in the US. If I had been on any anti depressants ( which I probably should have been) I would never take them again.

  • UtahMountainMan
    UtahMountainMan
    March 13, 2023 at 10:09 pm

    Can’t say enough good things about this place! I did my research before signing up to go to Rythmia as I had never journeyed with ayahuasca before and wanted to make sure I chose the best retreat for my first time.

    The classes they offer throughout the day are amazing and really help you to prepare for ceremony and to understand the medicine and how to journey with intention. The food and staff were both definitely 5-star, everyone there is so committed to the healing path of their guests.

    As far as I’ve seen Rythmia is the only ayahuasca retreat center anywhere that tracks all the data and experiences of guests and have a 96%+ miracle rate. I was extremely skeptical of how that could be possible but when I went in Nov 2022 I tried to keep an open heart and mind because I needed a change in my life.

    Happy to say that my week was truly miraculous and I couldn’t recommend Rythmia enough!

  • Deie
    Deie
    June 15, 2022 at 2:20 am

    Why I don’t recommend Rythmia Life Advancement Center

    What I am about to share is my personal perception, encounters, intuition, and (personal) truths about the Ayahuasca retreat; Rythmia Life Advancement Center and how it contributed to my disillusionment of how people are showing up as “spiritual”.

    I guess I am naive. I think everything and everyone is good, until proven otherwise. I truly believed that if someone claimed to be healed, and spiritual, that they were.

    It often takes time to realize the truths about a thing or a person. Especially if you have paid thousands of dollars to go somewhere (you want to believe it was a good place). Not to mention the potential hypnosis being used and black magic. It took me a year of an odd feeling of being obsessed with wanting to go back, obsessed with telling everyone about the resort, and odd sexual feelings towards people that work there that my mind and heart was saying wasn’t in alignment with my truths. These were such overwhelming feelings that I thought something was off, and a friend/seer/psychic confirmed that something was wrong…she said the resort is not working with the Divine and there was a massive mis-use of the “medicine”.

    Trip #1

    If you look up Rythmia you almost only see 5 star reviews. You can find multiple documentaries with celebrities talking about Rythmia. They are the only medically licensed ayahuasca retreat center. All those things sounded safe to me. The in-house medical staff was the top reason I chose this center to be my first Ayahuasca experience. When you get there they track you. They take your photo to memorize who you are for the week. There are cameras everywhere and you go straight in for a medical evaluation upon arrival.

    They make you stay for a full week so you are integrated. Their program seemed top-notch with educational programs daily to prep you for the medicine. One of the first meetings there, the owner himself tells you his story. How he was an addict, an adulterer, ego-driven, money hungry sociopath (reference page 17 Shit the Moon Said, by Gerard Armond Powell). He found the medicine though, and he met the Moon. Literally he spoke to the moon, who told him he must go help others, he must open this retreat. He was also healed. He had journeys meeting his abusers as a child, and saw how he was a horrible person to his own family. For a minute he reminded me of one of my crazy ex-boyfriends who was a drunk and just awful. Something about how he moved, talked, his essence. They kinda all have “a way” about them that doesn’t seem like a bad thing at first, but ends in trickery. I shrugged it off. The owner was healed. He also mentions that he was actually healed by another “medicine”, Iboga (not Ayahuasca).

    “Wait a minute, I want to meet the moon, you met the moon from Iboga? Why am I sitting here about to take Ayahuasca?” It was kind of odd, others thought so too, but he said the Iboga told him to offer Ayahuasca (he had answers all set to those questionable items). I just paid almost $4k to be here, so sure, I will believe you (owner). Plus he really seemed like a good guy now, charismatic, talks to all the guests, has a big heart and says how he wants to heal everyone with this center.

    Awakening note:

    What you might not know is that Rythmia started off as an Iboga center with Moughenda (Patrick Nzamba Mickala, one of his many names?), the “shaman” the owner first did medicine with.

    And people died. Rythmia was first called Iboga House, and after the death(s?) they rebranded themselves and decided to carry a “safer” medicine, Ayahuasca. So here we have a rich businessman with an investment that is about to sink due to that death. It begs the question, does the owner really have a passion for healing and Ayahuasca, or did he just need to save his investment? Did the moon really tell him to use Ayahuasca? The quotes below show that the center was initially a rehab center, but in Gerry’s book Shit the Moon Said, page 92 states that the moon told him to make the resort for Lightworkers and Light Warriors. His book says Rythmia was to be a spiritual resort, not a rehab center. I am bringing this up now, because when I called to inquire about Rythmia before going I specifically asked if it was a rehab center ( I was not looking to be around junkies and addicts) and I was told it was NOT a rehab center. And maybe it wasn’t anymore, because before rebranding again, they also tried to cure the Kardashian baby daddy, Scott Disick, and it didn’t pan out.

    I also dug into this Moughenda character that the owner describes as a pretty disgusting guy with awful facilities, that he false advertised as being a resort. (reference book “Shit the Moon Said” by Gerard Armond Powell) From what I can tell, he is just another fake shaman. Born in Detroit with a load of excess child support due in the states. Are we Americans fooled so easily by dark skin, face paint and “traditional shaman apparel” to give our power to just anyone?

    Anyhow it seemed like the owner of Rythmia needed to ditch Moughenda fast so that his money didn’t waste away.

    Back to the experience..

    You arrive at the center Sunday at 8pm and by Monday at 8pm you are at your first ceremony. You can read about my first experience here. It was a nightmare. Although my intuition and mind told me that something evil had visited me that Monday night, the owner and the staff were overjoyed.

    “Oh Honey… that was a clearing, your negative ego dying, that is amazing”. I sat at the end of the breakfast table with the owner reassuring me, Chris (the main breathwork facilitator) holding my hands and looking me deeply in the eyes and Dr. Jeff listening in. Well…I guess it was a good thing then, even though I felt so awful. And with their reassurance, I went onto take Ayahuasca on Tuesday, and Yage on Weds-Thurs.

    I just trusted these men against my intuition. After speaking with them I then believed that Monday night was actually the best experience on Aya and that the shamans, Brad and Scott’s, medicine was the best. I gave them my power since I thought they knew better. ( I also want to note that at that point I had paid $300 cash to do the medicine for 4 nights (on top of all other fees) and I wouldn’t get my money back if I decided not to do the rest of the ceremonies)

    I took it easy on Tuesday and didn’t take too much of the medicine. Then Wednesday was the first night of Yage (YAA-HEY). We each met with the main Shaman, Taita Juanito, and his crew before the ceremony. Something didn’t feel right about his “right hand man”/translator. I didn’t like his energy, but I shrugged that off too and told them about my scary Monday night. They told me not to take too much Yage and assured me they would look out for me. I thought it was wonderful that everyone had a personal consultation, and a woman from his group made sure to comfort me later that afternoon as well.

    The Yage was awful.
    It tasted like chunky throw up.

    While the man next to me was yelling with joy as he met aliens in some heaven like place, I was curled in a ball with what felt like food poisoning. BOTH NIGHTS. They said every experience is different, each time you take it, it won’t be the same. But both nights were exactly the same. The feeling of food poisoning is your body literally rejecting poison. Why did this have no psychedelic affects on me? I just felt like shit. I even asked the Shaman why I had the same experience both nights, but he basically said that wasn’t possible and was almost offended.

    You Want to be in the YES Group

    Each day you hang out with the most awesome people from all over the world who are going through this with you, who love you, who comfort you. You eat the most amazing nourishing food. You sit in meetings and hear everyones stories, people got their miracle ( a huge focus at the resort is making sure everyone got their miracle). You have a feeling of almost being pushed to say YES I got a miracle too! The feeling of wanting to be a part of a group… She got her miracle, he got his.. did I get mine? Maybe, I guess my Monday night was a miracle, right?

    A quote from a former employee states:

    “Each guest is sold the promise of ‘getting their “Miracle” by following three simple procedures: Show me who I have become, Merge me back with my Soul and Heal my heart.’ I feel the expectations of these intentions are pushed so much that people feel almost forced to have their miracle. It also felt like the notion of playing GOD. One thing I know to be true about the teaching from the forest is it’s all about surrender and dropping expectations. It’s about creating your own intentions and working in small groups.”

    Back to my “miracle”…There was clearly some demonic negative ego I owned that came to the surface on Monday night, so says the staff.. that it was a good thing.. but at the end of my stay I realized that I didn’t get my miracle. I blamed the Yage, I hated that medicine, and on normal weeks there are 3 days Aya and 1 night Yage, but when Taita Juanito is at the resort, there are 2 nights with Yage. So by the end of the week I was so pumped up with marketing, the owner telling everyone he wanted to heal the world, people around me getting miracles, and just the love of the Costa Rican sun, that I knew I had to come back on a week when Taita was not there. I needed more experience on the Aya.

    Trip #2

    I arrived back the first week of August 2018 and that week I had an uneventful Monday and Tuesday ceremony. On Wednesday interestingly enough I sat in the same spot that I had my first nightmarish experience 6 months prior. The nightmare was almost coming back again, the night was seeming pretty rough, until I told the medicine, screamed to it (in my head) that the nightmare was unacceptable. I pushed it out, and threw up a lot. A healer, Mary, came over and blew cigar medicine in my face, and that transformed the experience. I finally melted into a beautiful space and got “my miracle”. Read about it in detail here.

    Weird Vibe

    If you search hard enough you might find the video with myself and the owner – the “I got my miracle video”. I was the chosen one for the week. I was beckoned to the owner’s room and although we had spoken many times before and he specifically called for me, upon my arrival he had forgotten my name and asked it again. He seemed nice and calls everyone Honey. I usually hate pet names, I always thought asshole men who looked down on women called women pet names, especially if those women aren’t their significant other. But whatever, he seemed nice enough. When I entered his room, he said “don’t worry I won’t touch you” (oooookay.. I wasn’t thinking he was going to.. not so sure why he felt the need to say that). He then went on to tell me that he needed to sit very close to me to both be on camera ( I also never noticed others sitting that close in Miracle videos.. but hey.. that’s fine I guess..) Other than those 2 weird red flags, the video stream went okay. I am a little awkward, and although he said to be completely honest, I of course tried to seem extra happy and in love with Rythmia. Overall I liked the owner, I thought he was this amazing healed man and he really cared. He told me his concerns about the guy I came to Rythmia with, basically saying I needed to get away from him. He took my number down and said “ I could see you working here”. I was hooked.

    The Narcissist Mirror

    This brings me to the other element on my second stay… this time a guy I was dating had come with me (kinda of). We actually met because I was explaining Rythmia to a group of people that he was in, and he booked a trip immediately, he booked MY trip, then he wriggled and charmed his way into my life. I was really just finding out who he was 3 months later when the trip arrived and I realized he was a narcissistic, negging, sociopath. Good thing we were in separate rooms for our stay. He in fact had a background like the owner. Former (and current) drug abuse, psychotic brain, power hungry, ego driven, but now he was “cured” he was a Reiki Master and opening a spiritual rehab center of his own. He was also practicing Magick. (Gosh I am naive).

    He is important to this story- although I hate to think of him, he brought in an interesting element. He knows darkness. When you partake in excessive drinking and drug abuse, you attract negative and dark entities. He often told me about the voices he heard in his head, the shadows he saw that would tell him to do things, the “people” that were after him and spying on him. Unfortunately, he tormented me all week. I ran the other way when I saw him, I couldn’t bare his presence. He was convinced that the shaman Scott wanted me, and I wanted him. The first night I had gotten a healing from Scott, and my “friend” didn’t like that so much. He went crazy and verbally attacked me and Rythmia all week.

    I was in constant contact with the staff, asking for help, and apologizing for his behavior. He also made sure he went up to Scott and tried to apologize, but couldn’t. He was convinced Scott was evil and wanted me, but I didn’t see it. Because of his demeanor towards me, I didn’t listen to him when he told me:

    “I see demons coming out of some of the guests, talking to me. The space isn’t cleansed properly. Scott wants you”

    He went on to rant to guests all week how Rythmia is bullshit. How the medicine isn’t good, how I am naive and how this is all scam. I was so embarrassed at the time, and didn’t realize until recently how right he was. He was able to see the truth and demons that hide there because he is so familiar with the darkness.

    On a side note, my good friend that I met there mentioned that she too saw demons around people during ceremony, and the staff making out at the end of her bed, which she was uncomfortable with.

    Don’t Quit your day job

    I, like many others, leave Rythmia feeling like you want to quit your day job and work in healing, or with the medicine. Everyone left feeling like it was their calling, and that they HAD to go back. After each visit I excessively told everyone I came in contact with about my amazing (yet at times challenging) stay at Rythmia. I honestly couldn’t stop thinking about Rythmia. It was obsessive. I wasn’t the only one. I contacted many friends I had made, and they all felt the same, especially over time, it started to weird us out. Why can’t we stop this urge to want to go back? Was black magic being used to tether us?

    Come-Hither..

    The owner and I spoke on Facebook messenger after my 2nd trip. He complimented my hair and my looks at times. I asked him what he meant when he said he could see me working there. I was still on a high and under hypnosis from my trips and was ready to give up my life to work there. He continued to tell me that there was job, but it didn’t pay much, and he refused to tell me anything about it through email or phone. He messaged me that I needed to fly down right away, otherwise the job would be taken by someone else. I had to say no to all that since it didn’t make any sense. It was almost like a cult vibe. You want me to give up everything and make a life changing decision for what? You aren’t even giving me details. He had little to no regard or thoughts about my life, people leaving and uprooting themselves to work for him. After that I felt it was best not to speak to him any longer.

    Psychotic Breaks and Physical Harm

    What I didn’t mention about my 2 stays above was that people got hurt. People had psychotic breaks. People went nutty, especially on the Yage. A woman I met, Breena (name changed), had some loving experiences, then on Yage, cut open her brow by the fire pit. She was later so entranced by the medicine, that she stayed a 2nd week in a row. She then went home for a month, quit her job, gave away her dog and went into the jungle of Columbia with Taita Juanito and his crew, weeks later she went back to Rythmia where they put her on real psych meds and had her stay there until she was well enough to leave.

    I don’t know what happened next to Breena because I couldn’t watch it unfold anymore. She no longer responds to my text messages and her Facebook has since been deleted.

    Another woman “escaped” from the grounds while on Yage, jumping the wired fence and multiple trees until the staff caught her and tied her down. The next day she said she was running from herself.

    One morning while we were nearing the end of our Yage ceremony, a woman, Marya, started screaming. The shaman crew went to her and performed what looked like an exorcism.

    I didn’t know any better. I wasn’t sure if these things were supposed to happen or not. My intuition often pinged in, that if we are working with some loving Motherly energy within Ayahuasca, why would these things happen? But again I trusted the retreat and staff, I had to. I was in Costa Rica alone, and put my faith in these people.

    Manipulation

    As I mentioned earlier, when you pay a lot of money and trust that people are telling the truth, and you’re alone in a foreign country, its easy to give your power away, and they know it. It’s odd to me how my own and other’s intuition have told us one thing, yet by the end of the week we walk out like a zombie with a smile on our face spewing our love for Rythmia. After my bad experience on that first Monday, I was easily convinced it was quite possibly the best experience one could have on Ayahuasca. It reminds me of gaslighting. What I truly thought (that it was a demon) was flicked aside, and the people I put on a pedestal brushed it off and told me what my truth was.

    A man that was there, Jonah, (name changed), tried to also escape multiple times during ceremony, in his Aya experiences he was being told that Rythmia was a cult. He even stole a bike and called his mom in the middle of a ceremony to get him away from there. Somehow by the end of the week though, Jonah was saying how his initial thoughts about those experiences were all wrong, and his Rythmia stay was one of the most important times in his life. Jonah had a really rough week. Was the Ayahuasca telling him the truth? After he divulged this information do you think Rythmia would want him thinking that? Of course not. They steered him in a new direction and changed his truths.

    Marketing & Influencers

    Something I noticed about Rythmia, was that there were “normal people” there. Upon searching on instagram and google before arriving in Feb. 2018 I could barely find anyone but 1-2 employees tagging and posting pictures of Rythmia. It wasn’t flooded with influencers & people taking selfies. There were a lot of people there over the age of 60 taking Aya for the 2nd or 10th time. There were smart, well to do people, there were also people who spent their life savings to get there. They warned us though, in the later meetings in the week that “we are going to be increasing our marketing strategy, you better book again now if you want a spot”. They weren’t lying.

    Their marketing strategy almost seems unethical, there has to be a legal loophole that they are jumping through because in 2019 to the present all you see there are spiritual influencers (and they all “won” a free trip, like instagram influencer @themexicanwitch told me). Or they were invited to come as a guest speaker and in my opinion (and proven in the notes below on the ‘Oh no, Ross and Carrie! Podcast’), in exchange for winning a free trip, these top name spiritual guides/influencers/podcasters talk about Rythmia on their social accounts before and after the trip, and make videos about the resort. This is also unethical on their part, they are engaging in Quid pro Quo. They are accepting a free trip, and in return do you think they are going to give an honest review of Rythmia? Of course not, why would they say anything other than positive after receiving a gift (and if you say anything less than positive you get sued, see notes below). I no longer trust any spiritual teacher that has visited the resort. In particular I saw this unfold on Shaman Durek’s Instagram. He speaks so much about what a true Shaman is, and then he starts promoting Rythmia before even going there, trying to get people to sign up to meet him there.

    *update* to prove this point, please listen to the ‘Oh no, Ross and Carrie!’ podcast 145 where they read emails from the owner after they were given a free trip and were expected to say only good things about the resort

    Rythmia tried to sue the podcast show after gifting them a trip and then getting upset that they didn’t want to lie about their experience to their listeners. Rythmia lost the lawsuit.

    You also barely see any “bad reviews” on Trip advisor, and this is because if you do post one, the owner will write you back a lengthy note and maybe offer you a free stay (see the comments on this blog). If you take this free stay, do you think you would leave up the poor review? Probably not. They are basically buying their great reviews. How do I know this? Someone I met on my second trip was there on a free stay due to not being satisfied on his 1st trip.

    The reviews are also so good because they remind you to post a review while you’re still on your “high” from the resort. The owner claims to want to heal the world, and so you need to do your part to help attract people to this healing. You want to help heal the world, don’t you?

    Scared to Speak up

    Between the owners aggressive responses to poor reviews, literally suing podcasters for giving honest opinions, influencers taking free $$ (trips), and staff not being able to properly put into words “something ain’t right”….no one is saying anything bad about Rythmia. And guests leave on such a (in my opinion) manipulated high, and then are confused months later when depression sets in and they don’t say word. But there are those of us trading personal messages.

    I once commented on Shaman Durek’s post something that was more on the side of negative about Rythmia and quickly got a DM from a stranger.

    “My ..sister and friend went there over a year ago and had just an OK experience, like you they recommended it to others…my sister came home and quit her job and started question her life purpose, she now just feels lost”

    Which can lead me to another point that I see many former guests complain about there being no after-care. There is no therapy offered when you leave/ arrive home. The medicine supposedly opens you up, makes you this new person with this possibly traumatic experience, then you just go home. I have lost a few friends since we came back. Literally they are lost, MIA. They have shut off contact with friends, even Rythmia buddies who support and love them. Their phones have been turned off, their Facebook goes blank. I worry that some of these people are no longer alive.

    A friend had these sentiments:

    “My husband got extremely depressed after his visit and had to go through several doctors before he was able to get on the right medication to make him better…I knew that was wrong when I left and never heard from them again. Integration therapy is extremely important when dealing with medicine like this”

    Crowded Ceremonies

    I have only experienced Ayahuasca ceremonies at Rythmia, however many people I have spoken to, both employees and guests, have said that the ceremonies at Rythmia are too large, and the ratio of helpers to guests is dangerously low. When I had a tough experience my first night there, my mattress neighbor told me the next day that she was worried about me all night, and moreso because no one was helping me. She said she kept calling people over on my behalf to check on me.

    Although you do go through questioning before being allowed to sign up for Rythmia, some of the guests seemed to be very troubled and were extremely disturbing during ceremonies. Many people I met there had nights that they were just tormented by other guests. Some guests seemed to be too mentally unstable to handle the medicine.

    All the women are leaving

    As a woman, when you witness amazing women working somewhere, and then see them almost all quit in droves, something is wrong. Could there be sexual abuse? Why else would so many women leave? I am worried.

    In addition, I became close to a woman working there on my 2nd trip, and she was actually dating a man who was working there as well. A man whom she described as being overly jealous and controlling. A man she described as having similar characteristics as my narcissistic ex-boyfriend that had gone with me to the center. I was horrified that a man like him works there.

    Shamans and energetic clearings
    What I didn’t do before going to Rythmia was investigate their “shamans” or Medicine facilitators. What were their backgrounds? Where was the medicine from? Even if I was told the answers to these questions what would I do with them? How did they clear the space energetically? Everyone seemed to be from the states (except Taita Juanito, but his right hand man was). I cannot find information on the staff there, and I don’t trust what is on the website.

    In addition my red flag also started waiving once I saw Taita Jaunito at movie premieres in LA. There just seems to be a lot of ego.

    Another thing that has been brought to my attention was that I cannot recall the owner or the staff saying the word “Ayahuasca” in reference to what we were ingesting. It was always “the medicine”, the “house brew”. Were we really ingesting the purest Ayahuasca if they weren’t using that term? I now question this.

    Finally when my friend basically snapped me out of the Rythmia Hypnosis, I tuned in. Something wasn’t right. I had to do some extensive clearing work to the cut cords and the snakes I felt were attached to me. I realized I gave away my power.

    I have heard stories and rumors of the medicine being manipulated and sexual predators working there. Stories and rumors of porn addicts, stories of the medicine not being properly stored. Are the people that work there and own the place really healed? The intense energy that I had to clear and cut I felt from there makes me feel otherwise, along with a myriad of other “rumors” I have heard.

    Seeing what my ex-boyfriend was like, it was very obvious that a drug and sex addict could claim to be healed and in their narcissistic grandiose way almost believe it themselves. Like him, they could do all the things; take Aya, go to rehab, attend shaman training, become a reiki master, buy a large plot of land and sell jungle medicine to the world and it could all be a lie.

    In Conclusion

    After over a year of reflection, intuition, observation and speaking to former guests and staff. I can no longer recommend Rythmia Life Advancement Center. We are being deceived. The owner seems excellent at finding celebrities and influencers and bribing them with free trips. Most of them don’t know any better, and their influence is used to deceive us to go there. To be honest, I don’t recommend using plant medicine at all unless you know the facilitator, and I mean know them, for years.

    I had to experience this all.. I never knew that black magic and dark entities were really a thing. I have learned so much over the past years about how to listen to my own intuition and protect myself.

    I am sad though. I am so sad to see people claiming to want to heal/help others, but may not be telling the truth, or are not yet healed themself. Maybe they are still lying to themselves, or maybe they know exactly what dangerous practices they are performing. Maybe it’s all about the money.

    I am fully disillusioned with most spiritual practices now. I don’t trust any thought leader that has gone to and then later promoted Rythmia, and especially the ones who promoted it before even going. And if you look, everyone has gone. All the top names in the spiritual community. They are all frauds, if they were real seers, they would have felt the poor energy and practices and left. I actually have heard of 2 thought leaders that went and promptly left. They saw/felt that something was not right, but I am also disappointed that they are saying nothing.

    I hope that people who have more evidence, and facts of dark practices start coming out and talking about it. I am sad that this is still the world we live in, where power and fear suppress us. 100 people are visiting the resort every week and are potentially leaving with dark attachments that will lead them into depression (and make them want to go back to the healing “medicine” at Rythmia).

    If you’re wondering what I am speaking about, about how dark magic can be used with Ayahuasca, check out this great book on the topic: The Devil’s Yoga, by Kerry Jehanne.

    I again need to state that this is all my intuition and thoughts and personal beliefs on this place. A lot of people have great and beautiful experiences there, a lot of what I said can be taken as an opinion and “rumors”. I ask you to use your own intuition when choosing to engage in things that involve your soul and mental health. For now I am just sad, disappointed, and disenchanted.

    I have received many private messages telling me their stories. Stories of severe depression, suicidal thoughts, and even schizophrenia after returning from rythmia. People telling me they felt lost, or just not right. I am so sorry to you all, and I am here for you. Please also share your stories in the comments to help others if you feel you can.

    Admin’s Note:This review has been edited to remove over-captilization as well as outside links and content pasted from other websites, but aside from that, has been left in its original form.

  • Jen96311
    Jen96311
    April 23, 2021 at 10:39 am

    If you’re going there for Amazonian medicine be prepared to possibly have western medicine shoved down your throat….literally. If something goes wrong they don’t know how to handle it. I experienced what Dr. Jeff called psychosis the day I was supposed to leave in August 2018. They locked me up in the medical room for a week and wouldn’t let me leave. My emergency contact was not called. She reached out to Rythmia when I never made it home a few days later. They tried to force resperidone pills on me and when I would not take them Dr. Archuro and Gustavo held my shoulders down and a syringe of medicine was attempted to be forced in my mouth! I’ve never taken pills or needed them in my life. I was only allowed to shower once the week I was held in the medical room. No one talked to me or explained what was happening or why they were trying to give me medicine (resperidone). In the middle of the night Gustavo was in my (medical) room and told me to “shut the fuck up or I’ll put a needle in your arm.” It was a nightmare. Rythmia cannot hold the container. There are many other retreats with experienced shamans who have been pouring medicine for over 20 years and don’t have a western psychologist that doesn’t know what he’s doing or how to handle massive healings. I was intimidated and afraid to speak out about this but I will not hide the truth anymore. Make your own decision just be aware.

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