This programme is not suitable if you:

• have a brain tumour, or cancer that has spread to the brain
• have heart disease, have had a stroke, or have high blood pressure that isn’t well controlled
• have epilepsy
• use insulin
• have serious liver or kidney problems
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• have ever had a psychosis, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
• have a blood relative with one of these conditions (parent, brother or sister, child, grandparent, aunt or uncle)
• use lithium, an MAO inhibitor, a tricyclic antidepressant, epilepsy medication or antipsychotic medication (antipsychotics are sometimes prescribed for nausea, for example olanzapine or haloperidol)
• have been dependent on alcohol or drugs in the past two years
• currently have an eating disorder
• are so depressed or anxious right now that you need help straight away, for example because of thoughts of ending your life.
• are in the last phase of your illness. A full group day would ask too much then.

We’re glad to think along about what might suit you.

We’ll look at this together during intake:

• ongoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy
• antidepressants such as SSRIs or duloxetine, and tramadol
  anti-nausea medication such as ondansetron, dexamethasone, sleeping pills or tranquillisers
  a fentanyl patch (most other painkillers, including morphine-type medication, are fine with agreed timing around the session day)
• diabetes tablets
• severe migraine
• other mental health conditions, or psychedelic use in the past year
  
  Please don’t stop or change any medication yourself. Always discuss this with the doctor who prescribed it.

This programme is not a treatment and not therapy. It doesn’t treat cancer, depression or anxiety, and it doesn’t replace your medical or psychological care. Psilocybin is not a registered medicine. Truffles are legal in the Netherlands, but they are not medication.

What we offer is a carefully prepared group program. It gives you time and space to look at what living with cancer does to you, with others who know what that’s like, before, during and after a session day with psilocybin truffles.

The psilocybin session is held at a Zensaties, at Eerste Laurierdwarsstraat 2, 1016 PX Amsterdam, a beautiful and comfortable location in Amsterdam. 

Working with psilocybin has shown promising results for conditions such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, but it can also have some effects. 

Common short-term side effects may include:

• Temporary increases in heart rate and blood pressure

• Nausea or dizziness

• Changes in sensory perception (visual or auditory distortions)

• Emotional intensity, including periods of anxiety or fear

• Confusion or difficulty focusing during the session

• Fatigue or mild headache after the experience

Less common but possible reactions include:

• Brief feelings of paranoia or panic

• Disorientation or distressing thoughts during the session (“challenging experiences”)

• Emotional vulnerability in the days following therapy

Long-term side effects are rare. Integration is a key part of minimizing psychological discomfort after the experience, which is why we will have 2 integration sessions after the journey.

Working with psilocybin has been shown to be physically safe and psychologically beneficial for many people. Clinical research has found that psilocybin is non-addictive and has a low risk of physiological toxicity.

We offer a controlled, therapeutic setting with trained professionals. Psilocybin can bring up intense emotions or challenging psychological material, which is why professional guidance and proper integration are essential.

Yes, psilocybin-containing truffles are legal in the Netherlands.