Participant Journey

Minimum Safety Standards for Transformational and Therapeutic Work with Entheogens

(ICEERS-Inspired Framework Adapted for Transcendent Psychology)

Overview

The Participant Journey Protocol defines a structured and ethical process for everyone involved in transformational plant-based or entheogenic work — participants, facilitators, and students.

It is adapted from the ICEERS Dandelion Model of Minimum Safety Standards, aligning with the mission of Transcendent Psychology: integrating modern psychotherapy, neuroscience, and ancestral wisdom.

The journey unfolds in three essential phases — Before, During, and After the Session — supported by validated forms, conversations, and ethical commitments.

Use the navigation menu below to explore each stage.

1. Before the Session — Preparation & Screening

Guides and Forms

This first stage ensures that participants arrive informed, prepared, and safe to engage in deep work.

It establishes the trust, consent, and medical evaluation that form the ethical foundation of any therapeutic or ceremonial process.

Introduces participants to what to expect, the preparatory dieta, and the principles of self-care and respect.

Collects relevant medical and psychological information. This form is confidential and essential for assessing potential contraindications.

A structured interview to evaluate motivation, readiness, and psychological stability.

It provides the facilitator with a holistic view of each participant’s background, expectations, and support systems.

An ethical and legal agreement defining rights and responsibilities between facilitator and participant — establishing informed consent, confidentiality, and mutual respect.

Key Outcomes

  • Participant is informed and voluntarily committed.
  • Facilitator confirms health and psychological suitability.
  • Emergency contact and data confidentiality are established.

📘 Continue to → During the Session — Facilitation & Safety

2. During the Session — Facilitation & Safety

During the ceremony or therapeutic session, the focus is on maintaining physical safetypsychological stability, and ethical boundaries.

Core Practices

Safe Environment & Ethical Presence

Facilitators and assistants ensure a space that is safe, inclusive, and free from interference.

Every participant receives continuous care and supervision throughout the experience.

A practical manual adapted from the AyaSafe5 document, detailing how to manage physical and psychological emergencies (fainting, convulsions, anxiety crises, aggression, dissociative states).

Each team must include a first-aid–trained member and maintain contact with local emergency services.

Key Outcomes

  • Continuous safety monitoring and non-interference.
  • Ethical presence maintained throughout the process.
  • Clear documentation of any incidents or interventions.

📗 Continue to → After the Session — Integration & Follow-Up

3. After the Session — Integration & Follow-Up

Integration transforms insight into sustainable growth.

It is the phase where meaning is constructed, emotions are digested, and the experience is anchored into everyday life.

Integration Pathways

Held the day after the session to process experiences collectively.

Facilitators guide the group using principles of confidentiality, empathy, and non-judgment.

Integration Guidelines & Pitfalls

This resource identifies common misinterpretations — such as believing “the plant gave me an order” — and offers safe ways to interpret symbolic material.

Integration Pitfalls

Feedback & Continuous Improvement

  • A digital or paper form that allows participants to provide reflections anonymously, helping facilitators refine their practice and reduce isolation.

    Future link: /participant-journey-protocol/feedback/

Key Outcomes

  • Participants complete at least one sharing or integration session.
  • Feedback collected for facilitator supervision and learning.
  • Personal insights translated into daily life actions.

📙 Explore Related Resource: Core Influences in the Development of Transcendent Psychology

Ethical Foundations

  • Every stage of this process is guided by three fundamental principles:

    1. Informed Consent — Participation is a conscious and voluntary act.
    2. Non-Interference — Facilitators support, never impose interpretation.
    3. Integration as Continuation — Healing deepens through reflection and daily embodiment.

    These principles align Transcendent Psychology with global ethical frameworks in psychotherapy, somatic work, and harm-reduction practices.

Facilitator Training and Supervision

  • The Participant Journey Protocol forms the backbone of our Facilitator Training Program, which develops competencies in:

    • Screening and contraindication assessment
    • Crisis management and ethical facilitation
    • Integration and group process guidance

    Students learn how to apply each phase of the protocol in real retreat and therapeutic settings, following ICEERS safety standards and Transcendent Psychology’s integrative model.

    📚 Learn more about Facilitator Training →

Resources & Licensing

  • All reference documents are adaptations of the ICEERS AyaSafe (Dandelion Model), shared under the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 International License, allowing free educational use with proper attribution.

    Downloadable Resources (coming soon):

    • Participant Guide
    • Health Questionnaire
    • Screening Interview
    • Honor Pledge & Consent
    • Emergency Protocols
    • Integration & Feedback Templates

    🔗 Read about the ICEERS Dandelion Model →