Reality blurred inside a movement calling itself Inner Mastery, a dominant ayahuasca network in the country. Participants reported long hours of labor, days spent cleaning, and modest pay that rarely topped seven hundred euros. One person described living in a damp room with spider webs and no hot water, paying about three hundred euros for lodging. This confession reflects the experience of many who joined seeking awakening and improved well-being. Recent police actions targeted the core of what authorities call percolating centers of internal evolution, with arrests spanning Madrid, Lloret de Mar, Malaga, Granada, and Ibiza, totaling eighteen members of the organization.
Officials allege offenses against public health, criminal organization, trafficking, and workers’ rights violations. Investigators say dangerous substances were supplied, including toad bufo and kambó frogs, peyote, and ayahuasca. The plant-based brew, known for inducing altered states, was reportedly brought from Colombian forests to attendees who joined neo-shamanic rituals promoted online. Participants were charged about two hundred euros for each session.
Most involved were vulnerable individuals who joined promising better physical and emotional health through the group’s medicine. The pattern suggested a structure built around personal claims of healing, with participants urged to commit fully to the group’s routines.
“Disguised as a shaman”
A joint investigation by the General Information Commissioner and the Excise Department traced the group to a leader who kept others accountable for the movement. The central figure, Alberto, had faced months of scrutiny over alleged sexual freedom abuses and support for clandestine immigration, though he died in October, a few months before the police dismantled the operation.
Some victims had warned authorities about over a decade of activity inside the network. Redune, an association focused on preventing sectarian abuse, shared memories of meeting Alberto and witnessing what they described as theatrical, burlesque staging. He presented himself as modest or ordinary while claiming a therapeutic use for the plants. A Madrid-based psychologist, who had overcome a challenging upbringing and personal struggles, recalled seeking help in the community and stepping into a web of manipulation that stretched over years.
Images from the investigation show rooms used for rituals and the participation of many in a tightly run program, often described as a path to personal reintegration and sense of belonging. A witness noted that initial curiosity gave way to questions about what happened during ceremonies, including intense routines that began late and stretched into early morning hours, followed by lengthy group integrations.
Those who spoke to investigators described a dynamic where apprentices performed duties during ceremonies, cleaned spaces, and followed the master’s orders while facing little rest. The group allegedly sought to expand its reach by generating attention on social media and through word-of-mouth, with promises of life-changing experiences as a selling point. A former participant noted that the leader sought to attract more followers and to monetize the experiences in multiple ways.
The police captions accompanying the case outline the gear and substances used, including ayahuasca, and the distribution across several retreats. In some accounts, participants faced emotional and physical strain during rites, with reports of extreme fatigue, sleep deprivation, and calls for early morning meals. The rituals, conducted without medical oversight, were described as intense emotional journeys that aimed to unlock deep traumas and wounds labeled as needing healing.
In one testimony, a participant described a hectic sequence of events in which the group celebrated the experiences and presented them as signs of personal transformation, even as others questioned the ethical boundaries involved. The narrative portrays a leader and aides who directed followers to work, contribute to ceremonies, and contribute funds, all while controlling the social dynamics of the group.
According to the investigation, the leaders allegedly sourced ayahuasca from Colombian forests and described the venture as beneficial for the participants. Accounts from the Redune page and others relayed warnings about the dangers of following a charismatic guide who blurred the line between mentorship and exploitation. The group was accused of treating certain members as dependent, sometimes labeling others as addicts while pressuring them to stay within the network.
One story from the network described a participant who traveled from abroad and struggled with heavy drug use. The narrative framed the change as a fall into the group and a replacement of one substance with another, which some believed led to deeper dependence and a debt-like dynamic within the community.
“Epileptic crisis”
A veteran recounts a case where an elderly man, already dealing with alcoholism, entered the shelter while experiencing withdrawal. He ingested the substances offered and, during an Ayahuasca journey, suffered a severe episode with seizures, gasping breaths, and disoriented eyes. The incident allegedly occurred without medical personnel present, and the leader exited the room, reappearing only later in the retreat. The event prompted the group to arrange emergency assistance.
The leader defended the idea of free love and introduced new group dynamics, separating some men from their partners and moving them to another commune to foster what was described as stronger male bonding. Critics say this approach manipulated emotions, gradually reducing individuals to a state where their autonomy seemed dissolved. A particular account highlighted a young woman who felt pressured about her body and sexuality, with the leader encouraging a controversial display designed to test boundaries and social acceptance.
Across testimonies, the security services documented the购买 of the substances in question and the absence of medical supervision during many ceremonies. The broader pattern pointed to a network that merged healing rhetoric with control over participants, raising concerns about safety, consent, and exploitation amid the rush of online promotion and personal testimonies.
The case underscores the risks when wellness movements intertwine with substances that alter perception, especially in environments lacking professional oversight. It also highlights the need for potential participants to scrutinize groups offering intense rituals, as isolation, sleep deprivation, and psychological pressure can mask coercive dynamics behind a veneer of healing and community.