.svg){kind=icon}
Yes. The Illuminating Co. holds MDMA ceremonies at our sanctuary in Lakeway, Texas. We are a veteran-founded entheogenic church, and in our practice MDMA is shared together with psilocybin in the Unity Ceremony, the heart of our Rite of Remembrance.
Why we pair MDMA with psilocybin
Each sacrament brings something different. Together, they're meant to help you go deep while still feeling safe enough to stay open.
MDMA: warmth and openness
MDMA is often described as an entactogen: a substance associated with emotional openness, warmth and connection. Many people say it helps them meet difficult memories and feelings with less fear and more compassion.
Psilocybin: depth and perspective
Psilocybin can shift how you see yourself, your relationships and your life. It often brings up imagery, memories and insight that are hard to reach any other way.
Together
When psilocybin brings something difficult to the surface, MDMA can help you meet it with tenderness instead of fear. And psilocybin can give MDMA's openness more depth and new perspective. Our intention is a ceremony where you can look honestly at what you carry, with compassion for yourself and others.
Each sacrament contributes distinct effects, and research on combining them is still developing. The combination does not guarantee a gentler journey or a particular outcome.
Inside the Unity Ceremony
The Unity Ceremony creates space for emotional openness, compassionate self-inquiry and exploring your relationship with yourself and the people in your life. Many people reflect on grief, shame, relationships, or experiences that have been hard to put into words.
Forgiveness, disclosure and reconciliation are never requirements. Your boundaries, and your own understanding of the experience, always come first.
How it fits the Rite of Remembrance
The Unity Ceremony is one part of a longer path. The retreat closes with the Light Ceremony (5-MeO-DMT): the Unity Ceremony brings things to the surface, and the Light Ceremony follows as a brief experience many people describe as a reset.
Daily breathwork, bodywork, immersive sound journeys and chef-prepared whole food meals are part of every Rite of Remembrance. Read more in Where Can You Do Psilocybin in the United States?
What the experience may involve
The Unity Ceremony unfolds over several hours. People often describe warmth and openness from MDMA, alongside changes in perception, imagery and sense of self from psilocybin. Moments of beauty and connection can sit right next to difficult feelings, and every experience is different.
The days afterward deserve care too. Fatigue, changes in sleep or a temporary dip in mood are common. That's one reason integration is built into the path: so you have support while you rest, reflect and turn what you learned into real change.
If you don't build new beliefs, new patterns, and new habits, your old programming will eventually take over again.
Justin LaPree, founder
What to look for anywhere you go
A checklist
- Screening for heart health, blood pressure and every medication you take, especially antidepressants
- Careful review of your mental health history, including any personal or family history of psychosis or bipolar disorder
- Experienced guides, and clear agreements about consent and boundaries
- Preparation that starts weeks before
- Integration support for the days and weeks after
- Small groups, and a calm, private setting
- Honesty about what to expect, and no promises about outcomes
Common questions
Can you do MDMA in the United States?
Yes. We hold MDMA ceremonies at our sanctuary in Lakeway, Texas, as part of our practice as an entheogenic church.
Why combine MDMA and psilocybin?
MDMA brings warmth and openness, and psilocybin brings depth and perspective. Together, they're meant to help you face difficult material with compassion instead of fear.
Do you offer MDMA on its own?
No. In our practice, MDMA is always shared alongside psilocybin in the Unity Ceremony, as part of the Rite of Remembrance.
When is the next Rite of Remembrance?
January 18 to 22, 2027, at our sanctuary in Lakeway, Texas.
Who can attend?
Everyone goes through screening first. Veterans and first responders can join through Illuminating Heroes, and civilians through Illuminating Souls.
Curious about the Unity Ceremony? Talk to us.
A no-pressure call to answer your questions and see whether our practice is right for you.
