A young Polish woman tragically died the day after an Iboga ceremony at a retreat run by Awaken Your Soul, led by Anthony Esposito and Amber Antonelli. She wandered alone into the Costa Rican jungle and was later found in a nearby river. The retreat was held in a remote area tied to Holos Global, overseen by Ian Michael Hebert, surrounded by dense forests, rivers, and steep banks — an environment beautiful yet extremely hazardous without constant supervision.
Iboga’s effects can last for many hours after a ceremony, leaving participants disoriented, unsteady, and vulnerable. In this case, strict monitoring was absent. The woman had been warned repeatedly not to leave the group, yet no staff were actively supervising her recovery period. Another participant experienced a severe medical crisis, with blood pressure reaching 210/110 after receiving an unmeasured dose of four spoons of Iboga — significantly higher than the standard single-spoon dose. The person administering the medicine was reportedly under Iboga’s influence as well, further reducing oversight and increasing risk.
When the woman went missing, staff did not alert anyone for hours. She was eventually found around 9–10 p.m., likely having slipped and fallen into the river in the darkness. Following her death, attention turned to logistics. Reports indicate Anthony Esposito requested payment for unrelated services, such as massages and Reiki, while staff encouraged participants to downplay the use of Iboga when speaking to authorities, calling it a yoga retreat or describing it as involving only minor psilocybin.
Holos Global and Ian Michael Hebert were reportedly involved in assisting to locate the body, but coordination was slow due to the remote location and limited staff resources. Stephen Ronald Bell stepped in to manage critical aspects of the aftermath. He personally covered repatriation costs to Poland, hired a local lawyer, and informed the mother, all while still experiencing residual effects of Iboga. The autopsy reportedly did not test for Iboga or other psychoactive substances and concluded no substances were present, leaving lingering questions about cause and accountability.
This incident highlights major lapses in safety: no continuous post-ceremony monitoring, unmeasured dosing, insufficient medical oversight, and lack of emergency protocols in a high-risk environment. Tragically, six months later, another participant from the same group died by suicide, emphasizing the ongoing psychological and safety concerns associated with unregulated plant medicine retreats.
Plant medicine experiences such as Iboga require strict safety standards: 24/7 supervision during recovery, precise dosing, immediate medical intervention, emergency plans, and full transparency with families and authorities. Without these safeguards, participants face serious, sometimes fatal risks. Anyone considering such retreats must evaluate the experience, ask hard questions about medical oversight, emergency readiness, and staffing levels, and ensure organizers are fully accountable. Healing in nature can be profound, but without proper protection, the consequences can be devastating. The responsibility for safety is not optional — it is essential, and it directly impacts the well-being and lives of participants.
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No criminal charges have been publicly reported. If considering plant medicine retreats, ensure organizers maintain rigorous safety protocols. Healing requires responsibility, preparation, and vigilance — lives depend on it.
This article was published on Inspiredn