Derek Januszewski, founder and pastor at the new Pachamama Sanctuary in Casco, is eager to get a fresh start in Maine after run-ins with officials in New Hampshire and he wants locals to know they have nothing to fear from his 40-acre retreat center where devotees will imbibe hallucinogenic tea while seeking to heal their spiritual ailments.
“I invite anybody who finds what we’re doing triggering to open their minds and consider that this medicine can help a lot of people and there is no evidence of addiction or negative social consequences,” Januszewski said.
Januszewski closed the church’s Canterbury, New Hampshire, location last year after a protracted run-in with local officials over zoning and building code concerns. Town officials eventually filed an injunction. Januszekski and the town reached a settlement that required him to cease holding events on the property there. Had he not, Januszewski would have had to pay nearly $50,000 in fines and court costs.
He also left town with prepaid deposit money for retreats that were canceled during the church’s move.
“There were 140 people that had paid, and there’s six, literally six, people that have not received their refunds at this point — and they’ll all be refunded as soon as the first retreat happens,” Januszewski said.
Now Pachamama Sanctuary has relocated to Casco and will host the first of its weekend-long spiritual sessions on Aug. 11, with two more to soon follow. The Massachusetts native Januszewski said advanced bookings have been robust.
The cost per session is a suggested $888.
“The number 888 signifies positive changes and abundance in family life, indicating a time of growth and harmonious connections with loved ones,” Januszewski said.
During the spiritual sessions, participants use ayahuasca, a plant-based psychedelic which can temporarily alter a person’s thinking, sense of time and emotions. Ayahuasca can also bring about hallucinations, leading people to see or hear things that are not really present.
Januszewski said his church uses the powerful substance as a healing balm for non-physical ailments. He believes it helped him conquer his own addictions. Januszewski said it can also be useful for those dealing with depression and post traumatic stress by freeing imbibers from their own self-limiting egos and inhibitions.
“It removes our ability to lie to ourselves, and it removes our ability to put shields up,” he said. “We can see things more as they are, not as we see them, through the lenses of our trauma.”
However, the pastor is careful to limit official and specific claims of ayahuasca’s efficacy.
“You heal yourself,” Januszewski said. “What ayahuasca does is it opens up understanding.”
Taken as a tea, or decoction, ayahuasca is usually made by combining South American Banisteriopsis caapi vine with the leaves from the Psychotria viridis shrub. The resulting drink has been used by indigenous peoples from Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador for ritual religious, as well as therapeutic purposes, for centuries.
At Januszewski’s church, the mind-altering tea is administered by a shaman, in a group setting.
“We bring [shamans] in from Colombia, from Peru, from Brazil,” Januszewski said. “That’s their life path. That’s the knowledge and the wisdom passed down from the elders [for them] to be able to do this work. I’m not qualified for that.”
In the United States, ayahuasca is illegal except for religious purposes. Normal, healthy adults may take ayahuasca without fear of long-lasting adverse effects, according to the National Institutes of Health. However, little scientific data exists about its therapeutic properties.
Januszewski said his job, as pastor, is much more administrative in nature, booking shamans and ensuring guests are comfortable and safe.
“We’ve had people come from all over the world,” he said. “Generally, it’s in the Northeast. We do have people flying in from California, kind of often. A lot of people come in from New York.”
The pastor said he’s eager to get a fresh start in Maine and is looking forward to becoming a regular part of the local community.
“I’m really looking forward to learning about the local area and finding out what the needs of the local area are, so that we can help support the things that our neighbors love,” Januszewski said.
