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Veterans-Focused Overview:
San Pedro for Trauma and Moral Injury

San Pedro (Huachuma) for Veterans: Heart, Meaning, and Connection

For many veterans, trauma is not just about what happened to them, but about what they did, saw, or survived. That can leave scars of guilt, shame, isolation, and moral injury that traditional treatments don’t always reach.

San Pedro, or Huachuma, is a mescaline-containing cactus used for centuries in Andean healing traditions. In a safe, well-guided setting, it often acts as a gentle, heart-centered medicine—not a quick fix, but a space where veterans can:

  • Feel again after years of emotional numbness

  • Connect with buried emotions like grief, tenderness, or love

  • See combat experiences or losses from a wider, more compassionate perspective

  • Experience a sense of connection—to other people, nature, or a higher power

  • Reconnect with purpose and meaning beyond the military

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Veterans who work with San Pedro in ethical, supportive retreats often describe:

  • Reduced emotional reactivity around triggers

  • A greater sense of inner peace and self-forgiveness

  • Improved relationships with family, partners, and community

  • Renewed motivation to care for their body, mind, and spirit

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What Veterans Need to Know

  • The journey is long (8–12 hours) and can be emotionally intense, so it’s important to work with experienced facilitators who understand trauma and veteran culture.

  • Good programs provide:

    • Thorough medical and psychological screening

    • Clear preparation (what to expect, how to work with difficult material)

    • Grounded integration support—help turning insights into daily-life changes

  • San Pedro is not suitable for everyone:

    • Certain heart or blood pressure conditions

    • Some psychiatric diagnoses (e.g., psychosis, unstable bipolar disorder)

    • Certain medications may increase risk

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For veterans, the healing is often less about “tripping” and more about re-opening the heart, facing painful memories with support, and beginning to rewrite the story of who they are now.

4. Safety & Screening Checklist

(for Providers Working with San Pedro)

A. Pre-Screening: Medical

1. Cardiovascular and General Health

  • ☐ Take a basic medical history (or require one from a licensed clinician)

  • ☐ Screen for:

    • Uncontrolled hypertension

    • History of heart disease, arrhythmias, or stroke

    • Serious kidney or liver disease

    • Uncontrolled diabetes or other major systemic illnesses

  • ☐ Ask about current medications and supplements, especially:

    • Antidepressants (SSRIs, SNRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics)

    • Antipsychotics, mood stabilizers, benzodiazepines

    • Stimulants or blood pressure medications

  • ☐ Clearly explain potential cardiovascular effects (elevated heart rate/blood pressure)

2. Substance Use

  • ☐ Assess current alcohol and drug use, including withdrawal risk

  • ☐ Evaluate whether detox or stabilization is needed before any ceremony

  • ☐ Establish abstinence guidelines (e.g., no alcohol or other substances for a set period before and after)

B. Pre-Screening: Mental Health

3. Psychiatric History

  • ☐ Screen for:

    • History of psychosis (schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder)

    • Bipolar I disorder with past manic episodes

    • Recent or severe suicidal ideation or attempts

    • Severe personality disorders where containment is limited

  • ☐ Ask about:

    • PTSD, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, or other diagnoses

    • Past psychiatric hospitalizations

    • Traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially in veterans

4. Current Stability

  • ☐ Assess participant’s current support system (family, friends, therapist, community)

  • ☐ Evaluate ability to tolerate emotional intensity without resorting to self-harm or aggression

  • ☐ Refer to or collaborate with a licensed mental health professional when there is complexity or doubt

 

C. Preparation

5. Informed Consent

  • ☐ Provide clear, written information about:

    • Nature of San Pedro / mescaline

    • Expected duration (8–12+ hours)

    • Possible physical and emotional effects

    • Risks, including rare but serious ones

  • ☐ Review contraindications and when not to participate

  • ☐ Obtain signed informed consent

6. Intentions and Expectations

  • ☐ Help participants clarify intentions (healing, insight, spiritual connection)

  • ☐ Address unrealistic expectations (e.g., “one ceremony will fix everything”)

  • ☐ Explain the importance of set and setting and the role of integration

 

D. Ceremony Safety

7. Physical Environment

  • ☐ Safe, clean, and contained space with access to:

    • Bathrooms

    • Drinking water and light food

  • ☐ Comfortable resting areas (mats, blankets)

  • ☐ Clear boundaries about physical contact, privacy, and conduct

8. Staffing and Supervision

  • ☐ At least one primary facilitator with extensive experience with San Pedro

  • ☐ Adequate assistant-to-participant ratio (e.g., 1:4–1:6 or better)

  • ☐ Someone present with basic medical training (e.g., first aid/CPR; ideally a nurse, paramedic, or physician on-call)

  • ☐ Written emergency protocols (transport to hospital, local emergency numbers, nearest clinic)

9. Dosing and Monitoring

  • ☐ Start with conservative dosing, especially for first-time participants or those with medical complexity

  • ☐ Monitor participants’:

    • Vital signs as appropriate (if medically indicated)

    • Level of distress, confusion, or disorientation

  • ☐ Have a plan for grounding and de-escalation (breath, verbal support, removal from overstimulating area)

 

E. Post-Ceremony & Integration

10. Immediate Aftercare

  • ☐ Keep participants on-site until they are oriented and physically stable

  • ☐ Ensure no one drives or undertakes risky activities afterward

  • ☐ Offer light, grounding food and hydration

11. Integration Support

  • ☐ Provide at least one integration session (group or individual) within a few days

  • ☐ Encourage ongoing support:

    • Therapy or counseling

    • Peer support groups (including veteran-specific groups when relevant)

    • Journaling, meditation, and healthy lifestyle practices

  • ☐ Document any adverse events and refine protocols based on experience

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