How We Screen Participants
Our ministerial screening process is designed to protect everyone — by ensuring that each participant is spiritually aligned, physically prepared, and sincerely committed to the sacred work
Why Ministerial Screening Is Essential
Sacred ceremony with the holy sacrament is not appropriate for everyone, and it is not open to everyone. As a religious community committed to sincere spiritual practice and the wellbeing of all who join us, we have a responsibility to ensure that each participant is genuinely prepared — spiritually, physically, and emotionally — before they enter the ceremonial container.
This is a ministerial function, not a medical one. Our screening process is carried out by trained members of our spiritual community whose role is to assess alignment with the community's values and purposes, identify potential safety concerns related to the sacrament, and ensure that each participant is present for sincere spiritual reasons. The decision to approve or decline a participant is ultimately a discernment of spiritual readiness and safety — made by the community, for the protection of all.
Thorough screening benefits everyone in the ceremony. It protects individual participants from entering into a process they are not ready for. It protects the integrity of the ceremonial container itself. And it protects the community's ability to continue serving sincere seekers over time. Screening is not a barrier to entry — it is an act of care.
The Spiritual Purpose Requirement
Participation in ECC ceremonies requires a sincere affirmation of spiritual purpose. This is not a formality. It is a fundamental condition of membership in our spiritual community and of participation in our sacred practice.
We ask all applicants to reflect on and articulate their reasons for seeking ceremony. We ask about their spiritual background and their understanding of what it means to participate in a religious ceremony with a powerful sacred medicine. We ask what they are hoping to connect with — not in terms of outcomes or results, but in terms of spiritual orientation and sincere seeking.
Participants who are primarily motivated by curiosity, recreational interest, or the pursuit of secular therapeutic benefits — rather than sincere spiritual growth — are respectfully declined. This is not a judgment of the value of those motivations. It is simply an acknowledgment that ECC's ceremonies are expressions of religious worship, and they are intended for those who genuinely share that orientation.
What we look for in a sincere applicant:
- → A genuine desire for spiritual growth, renewal, or deepening of connection with the sacred
- → An openness to engaging with a sacred medicine as a holy sacrament within a religious tradition
- → A willingness to follow the preparation guidelines and protocols that the tradition requires
- → Respect for the ceremonial container, the facilitators, and the other participants
Contraindication Assessment
The sacred medicine has known physical contraindications — particularly with certain classes of medications that interact with its active compounds. It is a known fact that certain medications, including SSRIs, MAOIs, lithium, and some antipsychotic medications, can present serious safety risks when combined with the sacrament. We take these contraindications seriously as part of our commitment to participant safety.
Our intake form includes questions about current medications, relevant health history, and any conditions that our screening coordinator needs to be aware of. This information is reviewed confidentially by a trained member of our team. If a contraindication is identified, the participant is informed and encouraged to consult with their own healthcare provider before proceeding.
Important:
Earth Connection Community does not provide medical advice, medical review, or medical clearance of any kind. Any decisions about medications — including whether to continue, reduce, or stop taking a prescribed medication — must be made in consultation with the participant's own healthcare provider. ECC does not instruct or advise participants to alter their medications under any circumstances.
Our contraindication review is a ministerial function: its purpose is to assess whether participation is safe enough to proceed, and to redirect those for whom it is not. We do not practice medicine, and we do not provide diagnoses or treatment recommendations. When in doubt, we err on the side of caution — because protecting participants is more important than filling ceremony spots.
If a participant is redirected due to a contraindication, we offer to hold their place for a future retreat once they have addressed the concern with their own healthcare provider and are cleared to participate. Redirection is not rejection — it is an act of care.
The Screening Process: What to Expect
Our screening process is designed to be thorough, respectful, and relatively straightforward for sincere applicants. Here is what you can expect:
Registration and Intake Form
After expressing interest in a retreat, you will be invited to complete our intake form. This form covers your spiritual background, your reasons for seeking ceremony, your current medications and relevant health history, and other information our screening coordinator needs to review. The form is confidential and reviewed with care.
Screening Review
Our screening coordinator reviews your intake form. If there are questions about your spiritual alignment or any contraindication concerns, they may reach out for a brief conversation or to ask follow-up questions. Most straightforward applications are reviewed within a few business days.
Decision and Response
Once the review is complete, you will receive one of the following outcomes: approved to participate, asked to follow up (with specific guidance about what additional steps to take), or respectfully redirected if participation is not appropriate at this time. Every decision is made with care and communicated with honesty and compassion.
Preparation Guidance
Approved participants receive detailed preparation guidelines, including dietary recommendations, spiritual practices to support readiness, and practical logistics for the retreat. Preparation is an important part of the ceremony itself — showing up physically and spiritually prepared is something your facilitators take seriously and ask that you do too.
Screening is a mutual process. We are not simply evaluating you — we are discerning together whether this is the right time, the right community, and the right sacred path for you. If it is not right now, that is not a closed door. It is an invitation to continue preparing.
Ready to Begin the Process?
If you feel called to ceremony and believe you are sincerely seeking spiritual growth, we invite you to explore our retreats and begin the registration process. Our screening coordinator will guide you through each step.