Our First Journey at Vital Reset – A Milestone in Oregon’s Psilocybin History
At Vital Reset, the journey into non-ordinary reality began with our very first group experience—a powerful moment that brought together facilitators, owners, and staff ready to pioneer legal psilocybin work in Oregon. This wasn’t just a trial run; it was a real journey, the first ever in our new service center.
We had spent months interviewing potential facilitators. There were thousands of people across the state, country, and world eager to try legal psilocybin for the first time—many dealing with depression, anxiety, or PTSD. We had about a dozen facilitators in conversation with us, some of whom felt like a great fit. All of us were trying to figure out one core question: how do you dose legal, lab-tested psilocybin mushrooms for people with real mental health concerns? Research studies almost all used a 25 mg dose of synthetic psilocybin, and that’s what the program rules were based on.
Some of us had received training in licensed programs and were drawing from what we’d learned. But it became clear that some of what we’d been taught wasn’t fully accurate. We needed real experience—safely and legally.
We had already purchased product from a licensed grower we respected deeply. She kindly offered us a discount for our inaugural facilitator group journey. We could comfortably fit five people in our group space. But eight wanted to join—and we had two experienced facilitators ready to lead. So we made it work.
Everyone took the same dose—25 mg. In hindsight, this wasn’t ideal. Some participants needed more, some less. But that’s part of what we learned that day: there is no one-size-fits-all with psilocybin. It was the beginning of a much deeper understanding.
On the morning of the journey, 12 people gathered at Vital Reset. Some had underground facilitation experience. Most had personal experience with mushrooms but had never guided others. The facilitators leading the group had the most experience and offered excellent support during preparation and during the experience.
Preparation itself was a massive learning curve. What forms were required? How would we deliver them? How could we streamline the process so that clients spent less time on paperwork and more time building trust with their facilitator?
We held the final preparation meeting that morning. Everyone brought a nest—a pad, pillow, and blankets (some more successfully than others). Our small space was suddenly full. It was tight, but it was happening.
Just before the dose was served, our lead facilitator Tracey turned to me and said, “I can’t believe this is our job now!”
We prepared the mushrooms carefully, using the methods taught in our training: grind the full dried mushrooms, pour hot water, wait 20 minutes. Everyone drank their tea together. Three licensed facilitators remained sober and attentive. Since then, we’ve learned that the ideal steeping time is 5 minutes, thanks to research done by the only licensed lab in Oregon, Rose City Labs, led by Dan Huson.
As the effects began, the room grew quiet. Most participants settled into their journeys with relative ease. But one journeyer kept glancing at his phone—he didn’t seem like he had gotten “lift off.” I went over to check in, and he said, “Heidi, I need help. I’m really struggling.”
I took him to a private room. He was in the depths of an intense ego dissolution—he later described it as the strongest journey of his life. I held his hand for an hour. I helped him phone his wife. He wasn’t back to baseline until well into the evening. We waited together. His ride came, and I was still a little concerned when he left.
But the next day, he was elated. He proudly claimed he had experienced the first ego death in Oregon’s legal psilocybin system. He adjusted many parts of his life as a result. He said it was the most transformative experience he’d ever had. He told me he was really a lightweight, usually only taking half that dose.
That night, we also learned just how exhausting cleanup is after a big group journey. Everyone was drained but grateful.
Some of the facilitators who came that day are still with us—and we cherish them. Others didn’t return. We had a strong sense of who resonated with our values and who didn’t. Our integration session over Zoom confirmed what we’d sensed during the day.
The next journey at Vital Reset was with our very first client. But that’s another story.
