Inside Victoria’s booming psychedelics industry and secret underground ‘health retreats’

Ringleaders and shamans are hosting secret underground health retreats in Victoria and knowingly distributing illegal psychedelics while actively dodging police.

Ringleaders of Victoria’s secret underground health retreats are knowingly distributing illegal psychedelics while actively dodging police, insiders have revealed.

A Herald Sun investigation has found the unregulated gatherings centre around the consumption of hallucinogens, including magic mushrooms and ayahuasca.

The retreats, held on private properties in regional Victoria, are marketed as “spiritual ceremonies” and cost participants hundreds of dollars to attend.

The industry has been booming since the Covid pandemic ended but has recently been thrust into the spotlight following the death of Ringwood North mum Rachael Dixon.

It’s understood the 53-year-old was at a retreat in Clunes when she died after consuming a drink suspected to have contained magic mushrooms.

Deanne Mathews pictured with Ringwood mother Rachael Dixon in November 2018. Picture: Supplied

The private event was hosted by Port Melbourne business owner and self-proclaimed “healer and mentor” Deanne Mathews.

It’s believed participants at the retreat in April consumed the hypnotic drink to “go back in time” and deal with past traumas.

A woman, who asked not to be named, told the Herald Sun she actively facilitated underground retreats at her property in Victoria’s northwest.

She said she hosted a handful of shamans monthly, who used encrypted messaging apps and word of mouth to organise their secret gatherings.

“Nothing is traceable,” she said.

“I have someone who rings me before the retreats and says ‘No one has contacted you about anything have they? Are you sure it’s safe to come?’” she said.

The insider said she was never concerned about being caught by the police.

“So far we’ve been able to dodge them,” she said.

In Australia, only psychiatrists with a special permit can prescribe MDMA and psilocybin.

Just this year, the Health Complaints Commissioner hit “spiritual leader” Soulore Solaris with an interim prohibition order after a man died at his Dreaming Arts gathering in NSW in 2021.

The Commissioner found Mr Solaris also held a retreat in Maldon, about 30 minutes from Bendigo, where he offered participants ayahuasca in 2023.

A man told the Herald Sun he attended one of Mr Solaris’ retreats five years ago.

He said he initially received a “carefully worded” email with a description of what the retreat involved, excluding details about the illicit substances that would be consumed.

“They would word it in a way that it just sounds like you are talking about the drugs and learning about them, not taking them,” he said.

“They have to be really careful because it’s all illegal.”

Soulore Solaris was hit with an interim prohibition order after a man died at his Dreaming Arts gathering in NSW in 2021.

In the email, the host used code words including “medicine ceremonies” and “medicine work” to disguise the retreat.

“The intention to participate in two ceremonies during the weekend is a strong one and will allow participants to go much deeper into the work,” the email read.

“We have many activities and music, it’s a great time to expand, learn and grow while working with the medicine.

“People who are new to the medicine work will be inducted during this time.”

The insider said about 100 people took part in the three night private event and cost him about $480 in total.

He said participants were given ayahuasca in the form of a brown-red drink.

“You start with one small cup,” he said.

“It’s pretty awful because after a while people are throwing up, everybody has a bucket.

“People moan and groan and go through their own emotional turmoil.”

Alongside the “foul” tasting drink, the man said he had powdered tobacco blown up his nose.

“It felt like I was burning up and the sky started to melt,” he said.

“There was nobody there to help me and I panicked because it was lasting a really long time.”

The insider said people flock to the alternative retreats to tackle their past traumas, in the hope the illicit substances would “fix everything”.

Underground health retreat participants are given ayahuasca in the form of a drink.

A Mind Medicine Australia spokesman said the use of the uncontrolled hallucinogenic drug was risky.

“In unregulated settings there is no way for incompetent or unethical practitioners to be formally investigated and suspended or banned from practice,” he said.

“This means that there is substantial risk. While there are competent practitioners out there, there will also be some who are providing unsafe services.

“MMA would caution against using any psychedelic substances in unregulated settings.”

The Health Complaints Commissioner confirmed it had not received any complaints related specifically to the use of psychedelics in medicine ceremonies in Victoria.

An Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency spokesperson said: “Ahpra and the National Boards can receive concerns about registered practitioners, where they are practising or behaving unsafely.”

“Anyone who has concerns about the involvement or practices of a registered practitioner at a health retreat is encouraged to contact Ahpra.”