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As these medicines have become more popular, there is an excitement about these ceremonies and the hopes of healing. It is absolutely crucial that if you are sitting in ceremony you have done your due diligence and researched the individual who will be serving you medicine. There are many facilitators in this space who have no business serving medicine which is resulting in people having unhealthy, un-supportive experiences. Trust your gut and do your homework.
What True Consent Looks Like in the Plant Medicine/Psychedelic Space
Consent is more than a signature on a waiver—it is a living, ongoing, and informed process that honors each person’s sovereignty before, during, and after any plant medicine experience. In the sacred context of ceremony, where people may be in altered and vulnerable states, true consent must be rooted in clarity, transparency, and respect—not assumption, pressure, or unspoken expectations.
1. Informed Consent Starts Before Ceremony
Participants should be provided with detailed information well in advance, including:
The nature and intensity of the medicine being served
The physical and psychological risks involved
Who will be facilitating (including their background and any history of misconduct if applicable)
Emergency protocols and how safety will be ensured
Expectations around touch, privacy, and support during altered states
This level of transparency empowers participants to make truly informed decisions. Anything less erodes the foundation of trust.
2. Consent Is Not a One-Time Event
True consent must be ongoing and dynamic. Just because someone agrees to a process in a pre-ceremony conversation doesn’t mean that agreement holds once the experience begins. Facilitators must remain attuned to shifts in body language, verbal cues, and energy—especially when participants are non-verbal or deep in a journey.
Even when someone is in an altered state, their "no" or discomfort must be honored immediately, and facilitators should never interpret altered behavior as a license to override boundaries.
3. Power Dynamics Must Be Named and Handled with Care
In the plant medicine space, facilitators, shamans, or space holders often hold significant perceived power. This can create an unconscious pressure to say "yes" or avoid speaking up—even if something feels wrong. True consent can only exist when power imbalances are acknowledged, named, and mitigated.
This includes:
Not initiating romantic or sexual interactions with participants under your care
Avoiding manipulation masked as “spiritual guidance”
Respecting personal space unless explicit consent for touch has been given (and ideally confirmed multiple times)
4. Cultural Consent and Sacred Lineage
Consent also includes respecting the indigenous traditions and cultural lineages from which plant medicines arise. This means:
Asking permission before using sacred names or images
Being honest about your training and connection to these traditions
Not appropriating rituals without proper relationship and consent from the source community
5. Consent in Integration
Post-ceremony integration is also part of the consent journey. Are you asking people if they want to share? Are they given clear options for support without pressure? Are their stories being held in confidentiality and with care?
True consent in the plant medicine space is a continuous, embodied agreement—never coerced, never assumed. It requires self-awareness, trauma-informed practices, and a commitment to protecting the vulnerability of those who entrust you with their healing. Creating environments of consent is a sacred responsibility—and one of the greatest acts of service facilitators can offer.