Soulore ‘Lore’ Solaris: North Coast ‘shaman’ issued with Health Care Complaints Commission order following Maldon retreat, Jarrad Antonovich inquest

A “shaman” is under investigation following an interim prohibition order by the Health Care Complaints Commission ahead of a coronial inquest into the death of a man at one of his ayahuasca “ceremonies”.

Lore Solaris arriving at the Lismore coronial inquest in 2023.

A “shaman” who allegedly strummed a guitar while a man died after tearing a 4cm hole in his throat from “frog face” following a psychedelic drug ritual, has been hit with a fresh prohibition order after he allegedly continued to perform his ayahuasca “ceremonies” in Victoria.

The Health Care Complaints Commission has hit “shaman” Soulore ‘Lore’ Solaris with an interim prohibition order as the State Coroner investigates the death of a man at Mr Solaris’ Dreaming Arts gathering in northern NSW in October, 2021.

The Commission made an interim prohibition order on January 15, 2024 after Mr Solaris performed a “spiritual retreat” in Maldon in Victoria where he offered ayahuasca, a plant-based hallucinogenic, to participants in December, 2023.

Lore Solaris was the organiser of the retreat where Lismore man Jarrad Antonovich died after consuming kambo frog toxin and ayahuasca.

The Maldon-based event included two ceremonies, costing $800, with guests told to camp or sleep in a communal area.

They were treated to complimentary organic food and invited to bring their “favourite musical instruments”.

Solaris advised his followers to “abstain from sex” before the retreat as well as to avoid alcohol, coffee and opiates. They were also told not to wear chemical perfumes or strong deodorant.

This isn’t the first time Mr Solaris has been hit with a prohibition order.

He received a different eight week order after the first part of a coronial inquest into the death of Jarrad Antonovich in 2021 at a DreamingArts festival near Kyogle where kambo frog secretions and the ayahuasca were used.

Jarrad Antonovich.

At the festival two supposed “shamans” – Mr Solaris and Laara Cooper – had an “inner circle” of followers who would make the ayahuasca in “concrete buckets”.

Mr Antonovich deteriorated towards midnight and organisers at Mr Solaris’ retreat allegedly watched him suffer for almost 12 hours before an ambulance was called, the inquest heard.

Witnesses said Mr Antonovich “looked like a frog” and his face and neck were so swollen they thought he was going to “explode”.

As Mr Antonovich laid in the entrance of a ceremonial hall, Mr Solaris allegedly strummed on a guitar as bystanders provided medical aid, a witness told the inquest.

Mr Antonovich’s former lover Patrick Santucci alleged throughout the inquest that Mr Solaris told him the death was a “beautiful passing” and “the koalas were making a special noise to the elders”.

Kambo Amazonian frog poison applied to the body.

Following the first part of the inquest and after he was hit with the first HCCC prohibition order, Mr Solaris also established a GoFundMe seeking $50,000 from “followers” to visit his “spiritual family” in Brazil.

He told his followers: “Our spiritual work is currently under threat by government agencies and individuals who would like to see our spiritual work stop for a range of agendas”.

Lore Solaris is under investigation by the HCCC. Picture: Facebook.

A spokeswoman from the Health Care Complaints Commission confirmed the most recent interim prohibition order against Mr Solaris prohibits him “under any circumstances” from providing “any health services”. It is enforceable in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

“The Commission first made an interim prohibition order against Mr Solaris on 4 August 2023,” she said.

“The investigation in relation to Mr Solaris remains ongoing and as such we are not in a position to comment further at this time.”

The inquest into the death of Mr Antonovich will resume at Byron Bay Coroners Court later in February.