Spirit Vine Retreats & Silvia Polivoy, Ayahuasca for Sale by White Exploiter

[educatedindian]

This one came to our attention because of their incredible cluelessness. This is an actual email from their promoter:

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My name is Tigran, and I represent  spiritvineretreats.com
As someone deeply passionate about wellness and holistic healing I am keen to explore the possibility of contributing to your platform.

Could you please provide information on the following:
* Guest posting guidelines, including preferred topics and word count.
* Specific formatting or style preferences for articles.
* Requirements or opportunities for link exchange, if applicable.
* Any editorial fees or other requirements, if applicable.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to your response.

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They were clueless enough to ask how much they needed to pay us to promote them. I sent back this answer:

You really should do research, or even basic reading, before embarrassing yourself.

We expose spiritual exploiters, imposters, and plastic shamans like your site. We put out warnings to keep the public from harm.

We will write on your pay to pray site run by white exploiters now.

This is their site. https://spiritvineretreats.com/

The exploiters:

One from academia, an Argentinian shrink.
"Silvia Polivoy, Ph.D.
I have been investigating modified states of consciousness for over twenty-five years and carried out field research in the Amazon with Shipibo shamans and Mexico with Mazatec shamans, as well as worked extensively with Ayahuasca, San Pedro, and other sacred plants in their native habitats.
I have a postgraduate degree in clinical psychology. For more than 20 years I had my private practice in Buenos Aires, starting with psychoanalysis and later progressing to transactional analysis and transpersonal psychology, and much later to shamanism and spiritual practices.
Since 1996, I have hosted retreats in the Peruvian and the Brazilian Amazon. At these retreats, participants had the opportunity to “meet” the ancient plant teacher ayahuasca in its natural environment – the jungle. And lectures by renowned specialists in sacred plants, ethnobotany, chemistry, consciousness, visionary art, etc.
In 2004, Zoe Seven (consciousness researcher) and I co-founded Spirit Vine Spiritual Center in the Atlantic forest of Bahia, Brazil, to host retreats...
After the retreats, participants have the option to have online sessions with me to continue working on integration."

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Joseph Marti AKA Marty Joseph AKA Zoe7. He died pretty young, in his mid 50s, still trying to find out why. A Timothy Leary type who wrote about his drug experiences for a living.

"Zoe7 co-founded TheVine Center along with Silvia in 2004. He was an international lecturer, author, and cartographer of altered states of consciousness and also the author of 2 books (Into The Voidand Back From The Void) which depict his experiments fusing psychoactive plants and compounds together with computer-based neuro-technology devices (a.k.a “mind machines”).

He has written for entheogen and neuro-technology related magazines including The AVS Journal, MAPS Bulletin, and the Entheogen Review and has also been interviewed on radio and television programs."

And the various others at times associated with them. Very few of them inspire confidence.

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"Rick Doblin, PhD He is the founder and president of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a non-profit membership-based research and educational organization that sponsors clinical studies designed to obtain FDA approval for the use of MDMA as a prescription medicine. Rick obtained his Ph.D. in Public Policy...."

Really? Someone who writes on govt policy is your "expert?"

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"Alistair Alistair is a TV journalist and presenter in the UK with long experience of Buddhist meditation."

Oh brother...

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"Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953) is an American visionary artist, author, teacher, and Vajrayana practitioner. His body of work spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and painting."

No idea how he's supposedly an expert either.

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"Jon Hanna
He is an event producer, editor, writer, and harm reduction advocate working in the field of psychoactive drugs. He is well-known for his Mind States conferences, which focus on altered states of consciousness. Author of the Psychedelic Resource List, Hanna is a psychedelic consumer advocate who has written for numerous magazines and has spoken internationally on the topic of visionary art and entheogens. He has also volunteered as a sitter at Burning Man and the Boom Festival."

Advocating drugs be legalized doesn't make you an expert. And Burning Man? Seriously?

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"Jonathan Ott Is a prolific and highly regarded writer, translator, publisher, reviewer and pundit on virtually every aspect of entheogen botany, chemistry, pharmacology, bioassay, culture, history, and politics."

He lost me when he claims to have written on EVERY aspect of "culture, history, and politics." A self appointed expert.

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"Martina Hoffmann Her work has been exhibited internationally as well as being published in books, calendars and magazines...."

Are they kidding?

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"Robert Venosa
The Fantastic Realism art of Robert Venosa has been exhibited worldwide and is represented in major collections, including those of noted museums, rock stars and European aristocracy."

Again, are they kidding?
Well, if a rock star and a duke have your paintings, you might be a shame on.

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"Sue Minns Sue has been working in the field of complementary health care for over 20 years. She trained as a past life therapist with Dr Roger Woolger, a pioneer in the field of past life therapy....

She also trained in Shamanic practice with Sandra Ingerman and is well-known at the College of Psychic Studies..."

You worked with one of the worst frauds out there and claim to be a psychic?
Again, are they kidding?

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"Richard Glen Boire is Co-Director and Legal Counsel for the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics. He is a writer, social systems analyst and legal scholar, specializing in cognitive liberty dissident thinking and control theory. Mr. Boire received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from the University of California, Berkeley...."

A Berkeley lawyer is your expert?
Again, are they kidding?

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"Christine Page, M.D. She has almost 30 years of experience in the healing professions as a physician in hospital, in general practice and as a homeopath."

At least they had a doctor on site just in case. Sometimes. In the past. She was there to lecture, not for medicine.

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"Isabela Hartz Isabela was...living for several years in Céu do Mapiá, the spiritual center of the doctrinal line created by Sebastião Mota de Melo, founder of CEFLURIS and Shaman’s Drum.Isabela Hartz has done numerous exhibitions in Brazil and has worked as a fashion designer as well as created the cover art for over one hundred books."

A fashion designer who lived near some people she says were reel spirchul.
How many times can I ask if they're kidding?

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"Frank Echenhofer He received his MA in humanistic psychology from the University of West Georgia, and his Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University. Currently, he is an associate professor of psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)"

Another exploiter from academia. One who seriously brags about being part of this con artist outfit posing as a school.
http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5538.0

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"Andrés Hu... a degree in Contemporary Chinese Language and Literature from the University of Beijing and a Master’s degree from a co-program of the University of Singapore/Harvard University in Public Policy...He has studied different forms of Yoga...."

A lit degree. Another in govt policy. And yoga. None of them make him an expert on this.

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"Simone Ribeiro de Paula graduated from Universidade UNICEUB with a degree in biology and has been working with essential oils since 2003."

White Brazilian who works with essential oils? Well she >must< be an "expert." Pardon my laughter.

At this guy too.

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"Adriano De Carvalho He graduated from the Universidade Católica de Brasília with a degree in chemistry, and has been working with essential oils since 1998."

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"John Qureshi, D.O, is a registered osteopath specialising in cranial osteopathy. He has a practice...London."

A British quack doing altmedicine.
This mestizo below, now passed away, seems to be who they all learned from:

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Pablo Amaringo He is a Peruvian shaman, teacher and artist, and has Lamista, Cocama and Piro Indian ancestors.
Pablo Amaringo is fluent in English, Spanish, and Quechua with knowledge of the Cocama, Amahuaca and Shipibo tribes.

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Who he has descent of and which people he claims to know are different. Seemingly he wasn't part of any of the communities.
His wiki page has more:

"Pablo Cesar Amaringo Shuña (January 21, 1938[2] – November 16, 2009) was a Peruvian artist, renowned for his intricate, colourful depictions of his visions from drinking the entheogenic plant brew ayahuasca.[3] He was first brought to the West's attention by Dennis McKenna and Luis Eduardo Luna, who met Pablo in Pucallpa while traveling during work on an ethnobotanical project. Pablo worked as a vegetalista, a shaman in the mestizo tradition of healing....
When Luna and McKenna met Amaringo in 1985, he was living in poverty, barely surviving by teaching English to young people from his home and selling the odd painting to passing tourists. Luna suggested he paint some of his visions, a project which became the basis of a coauthored book, Ayahuasca Visions: The Religious Iconography of a Peruvian Shaman."

Dennis McKenna was the brother of drug advocate Terence McKenna, the same nut who played a big part on the 2012 Hoax.

Looking at all of this, there was no reason not to immediately put this bunch in Frauds.

[Sandy S]

Corporate name is Thevine Center. In the past they were known as Ayahuasca-Healing. They do business as CENTRO ESPIRITUAL GAIA - CEG.

I try to screen out those individuals who are psychotic of who may be suffering from a
“spiritual emergency”. Since we are doing group sessions, I also want to make sure the
participants are neither psychopaths or sociopaths. Those people who are suffering
from bipolar disorders should not do Ayahuasca.

Silvia Polivoy

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c3a55ac31d4df2f118aa7c6/t/6075f3ea010e0470bb0bbf51/1618342890712/Silvia-Polivoy-What-I-have-learned.pdf

These drug retreats are obviously unsafe.
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Rick Doblin is a well known name in this drug universe. https://maps.org/people/rick-doblin/

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Joseph "Joey" Marti said he was a "multi dimensional synergy personality cluster" Zoe7 including five other personalities "Max McCullan, Ebhrious, Jiebro, Kzark Presudius, and Lee
Steel". He said the reason his math is off is because "In Our case 1 + t + 1 + 1 + 1 + H6] = 7 > or simply, 3 + 3-7".

https://archive.org/stream/into_the_void/itv_djvu.txt

https://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/seven_zoe/seven_zoe.shtml

Here is Erowid entry on his partner Silvia Polivoy, born 1959 https://www.erowid.org/culture/characters/polivoy_silvia/polivoy_silvia.shtml

In 1996, she was introduced to ayahuasca by the shaman Don Guillermo Arévalo.

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Silvia_Polivoy

I assume this is the right person: Guillermo Arévalo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Ar%C3%A9valo

Guillermo has been accused, but never demonstrated or judged, of abusing his power and sexually abusing a female student under the influence of ayahuasca.

'I was sexually abused by a shaman at an ayahuasca retreat'

https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-51053580

[Sandy S]

Relevant thread on Guillermo Arévalo http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5486.0

[Sandy S]

Quite possible that Joseph Marti AKA Marty Joseph AKA Zoe7's death was drug related.

In one of his books https://archive.org/details/into_the_void/page/n277/mode/2up he writes that after three years of intense drug use he was experiencing "rather severe headaches", extreme dizziness and hot flashes, and episodes of missing time.

He details taking a staggering amount and variety of drugs.

[Sandy S]

The circumstances around his death have not yet been disclosed publicly by the family so I will respect that here. I can tell you that it was not overdose of any sort as has been speculated

Regarding Joe Marti's death in 2013 https://anacortez.com/zoe7-final-interview/

[Sandy S]

Marti wrote of using ketamine, LSD (he wrote "I very much enjoy this substance"), psilocybin mushrooms, DMT, MDMA, Salvia dvinorum, DXM from cough syrup, dimenhydrinate, ayahuasca, among other drugs. He wrote of regularly driving himself completely out of his mind.

Marti detailed that he often felt like he was "stepping headfirst into a state of acute psychosis". He wrote that it would take weeks if not months to psychologically recover.

https://archive.org/details/into_the_void

Joseph Marti AKA Marty Joseph AKA Zoe7 is viewed by some as a mysterious, intriguing, "new edge" prophet who was "researching consciousness". But the truth is he was taking a bat shit amount of drugs and apparently was severely mentally ill.

[Sandy S]

He was working at an ayahuasca retreat somewhere in South America and there were some rumors that he was getting into some kind of weird magical rivalry with local shamans. He got really paranoid and believed that people were out to kill him. He eventually had to give up taking ayahuasca because of a heart condition. He reportedly died of a heart attack.

https://tranceam.org/zoe7/

[Sandy S]

Tikun Consulting LLC
Spiritual Unfolding & Integration Work
with Silvia Polivoy, Ph.D.

I don't know if this is an active current business. The copyright listed on site is from 2022. The application place doesn't work but the scheduling seems to.

https://www.tikun.consulting/

[Sandy S]

"Jesus Christ, is this a cult?" - said by Rick Doblin's MAPS employees.

Rick Doblin runs non-profit Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). This is the sponsor organization for Lykos Therapeutics.

Recently Doblin resigned from Lykos board:

I can speak more freely as a public advocate by resigning from the Lykos board,” said Doblin, who will remain involved with Maps, which is Lykos’s biggest shareholder and philanthropically funded its trials.

Psychedelic medicine pioneer exits MDMA biotech after regulatory blow https://www.ft.com/content/fe21d226-6e1d-4d61-89e1-f62837e3d5eb

MAPS/Lykos is considered a MDMA therapy cult.

...some of MAPS’s own employees have publicly expressed concern that MAPS/Lykos is a cult, and this possibility must be investigated in light of its high stakes for vulnerable patient groups: “‘Half the company was like, ‘Oh, this is so inspiring,’ and the other half is like, ‘Jesus Christ, is this a cult?’” one ex-[MAPS] PBC staffer said.”

MAPS developed and deployed strategies to recruit donors who would not otherwise consent to donating their funds

https://chemicalpoetics.substack.com/p/maps-is-an-mdma-therapy-cult

MAPS found partially liable in death of a young festival goer who took LSD

https://mindsitenews.org/newsletter/maps-and-a-wrongful-death-verdict/

Since 2012, MAPS’ Zendo Project has provided safe spaces and specialized care at festivals such as Burning Man and Lightning in a Bottle for individuals having challenging psychedelic or emotional experiences.

https://zendoproject.org/zendo-project-in-the-media/maps-anad-fireside-project-announce-collaboration-to-expand-access-to-psychedelic-peer-support/

[Sandy S]

Veterans who trusted MAPS with their trauma have made allegations of manipulation and deceit.

https://www.truthdig.com/dig-series/the-ecstasy-of-agony/

[Sandy S]

Rick Doblin's MAPS organization is known for exploiting vets.

A Navy veteran named Paul Haro, who collaborated with Sisley and MAPS around this time, expressed similar sentiments. He said veterans’ disabilities were exploited for marketing and they were asked to perform a number of intense, unpaid tasks

.

“I watched as Dr. Sisley and others used veterans up and discarded them as soon as they no longer served a useful purpose, regardless of mental health consequences or social implications for them,” Pereyda said. “She is still doing it, and so is Dr. Rick Doblin and MAPS.”

There is concern from veterans who have spoken with Truthdig that MAPS remains engaged in collaboration with problematic researchers and in the practice of putting veterans on the front lines to make public statements for MAPS’ benefit.

Other reporting has also extensively detailed collaborators and employees of MAPS who committed abuse (sexually and financially) and caused further trauma to vulnerable individuals

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/whos-researching-the-researchers/

[educatedindian]

I left a review on TripAdvisor for Spirit Vine, pointing out its founder's likely cause of death. We'll see if they post it. If so it'd certainly be worth posting warnings on all the fraudulent ayahuasca sellers posing as shamans or healing centers.

Found these warnings among the reviews.

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Cautionary Tale: Misguided Understanding of PTSD at a Plant Medicine Retreat
Review of Spirit Vine Ayahuasca Retreat Center
Reviewed 15 Jan 2024
I recently attended Spiritvine, led by Sylvia, a former psychologist claiming to be an expert in trauma. Having been diagnosed with PTSD due to severe childhood abuse, including the traumatic experience of my father's suicide, I was hopeful that this retreat could offer me some healing.

During our initial meeting, where each attendee shared their reasons for being there, I mentioned my PTSD diagnosis. To my dismay, Sylvia asserted that 'everyone has PTSD,' a statement I found not only offensive but also trivializing of my personal struggles with the disorder. This generalized view contradicts the well-established criteria for PTSD diagnosis as outlined in the DSM-5 and ICD, which include specific symptoms like intrusive thoughts, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions.

Her dismissal of these clinical standards and insistence on her own broad definition of PTSD, equating any trauma with the disorder, raised serious doubts about her understanding of the condition. When I challenged her perspective, she accused me of being closed-minded, ironically disregarding the established clinical definitions herself.

Moreover, it became apparent that I was the only attendee with severe trauma during the initial meeting where we stated why we were here. No one mentioned trauma, but according to Sylvia, they just don't know they have PTSD, but everyone absolutely does. This raised doubts about Sylvia's claims of treating trauma. It seemed she was taking on less severe cases, convincing them they have PTSD regardless of the actual reason they came, and then congratulating herself for fixing their PTSD and calling herself a "trauma expert." What a scammer. This approach is not only misleading but also potentially damaging to those, like myself, who are grappling with serious PTSD.

Furthermore, I was taken aback by her insensitive comments regarding my difficulty with eye contact, a common issue among those with severe PTSD. She was completely insensitive and blithely unaware of this being a common issue among trauma survivors, another reason why I had serious doubts about her claims to be a trauma expert.

After our argument, she stated I am not allowed to participate in the ceremony. Also they don't offer refunds at all. So if you come here and find out this is not the right fit for you, be prepared to lose the entire cost of the trip. I lost $3,150 USD. This is the only place that doesn't offer any sort of refund if you decide this place isn't the right fit for you. Another scam.

In summary, this retreat does not seem equipped to handle severe PTSD cases. Sylvia's approach, which lacks adherence to established psychological standards, could be more harmful than helpful. Those with profound trauma should seek a space where their experiences are understood and addressed with the seriousness, compassion and expertise they deserve.

UPDATE: After I posted this review I was contacted by AyaAdvisors, one of the review sites and offered a Non Disclosure Agreement contract in exchange for compensation. This is the true reason they have an undeserved 5 star rating on that platform. I am willing to lose out on $3,150 USD to WARN and EXPOSE this center and Sylvia. PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF SPIRITINVINE AND SYLVIA especially if you actually have PTSD.

More
Date of stay: January 2024

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Towanna A wrote a review Dec 2023
1 contribution4 helpful votes
Worst experience ever!
This was my first Ayahuasca retreat and the location is beautiful. However, my third ceremony was awful. You are in a dome shaped bungalow with 17 other people on a mattress with someone on either side of you (vomiting violently and uncontrollably) all night long. From 10:30 pm -5:30 am, you are not allowed to leave. While under the influence of Ayahuasca. Which by the way amplifies sound. It felt like every single person being sick was on a speaker right next to my ears. It ruined my trace/ experience. Which lasted for 2 1/2 hours. Then I was up all night long unable to sleep because of the sound of multiple people being sick through no fault of their own. Also, you are not allowed to wear a watch during the ceremony. So as soon as the sun came up I left without permission because I was exhausted and needed a shower and some sleep. The Advisor (Sylvia ) was upset with me for leaving early because others followed me. In my defense, I don't know what time it was. She then tried to shame me for leaving early and accused me of doing what I wanted thereby breaking the rules. So I asked other participants how they felt about the ceremony and a lot of people agreed that it was unpleasant and they did not enjoy the experience because it was intrusive and disruptive and it took away from the experience.

[Sandy S]

rumors that he was getting into some kind of weird magical rivalry with local shamans

This rumor on Joseph Marti AKA Marty Joseph AKA Zoe7 is familiar, claims of "magical rivalry with local shamans" are common, seems to be the hip thing for narcisistic new agers doing ayahuasca to claim. I saw this also in the Trinity de Guzman/Ayahuasca Healings crew writings (http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=4825.0).

This impresses me as racist, paranoid, grandiose, and dangerous. Dangerous not on the "magical rivalry" front but more on incited community chaos and violence.

[Sandy S]

Silvia Polivoy, Rick Doblin, and other fellow travellers lure clients in, abuse and drug them.

Any positive testimony videos seen on their web sites and in reviews are of people still under the cultic/drug influence.

...after an incident that Doblin described in 2016, when Doblin acknowledged that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had canceled a planned collaboration after a VA researcher participated in MAPS training and identified MAPS’s use of touch as “abusive.” As Doblin paraphrased the VA researcher’s perspective, “This [treatment approach] is just so out of the normal bounds of (you know) being able to touch somebody. And then…they [the trial subjects] are under the influence of MDMA and (you know) you’re touching them.

”

Along with "touch" this has been done:

“putting a towel in the client’s mouth for her to bite on” and “lying on her and grappling or wrestling with her.”

https://chemicalpoetics.substack.com/p/maps-is-an-mdma-therapy-cult