Free live Masterclass
Have a Great Trip
Learn how to prevent a bad trip, and what turns a hard moment into a great one.
With Austin Mao, founder of Ceremonia. 700+ people guided.
Save your free seat
Free. Can’t make it live? Register anyway. Every registrant gets the replay by email.
The live room holds 100 people. Register to hold your place.
- 11:00 AM MT
- 1:00 PM ET
- 10:00 AM PT
Bring a question. Austin takes them live at the end.
As seen on
- TEDx
What you will learn
Prevent a bad trip. Then make it great.
The biggest fear most people bring to a ceremony is a bad trip. In one hour, Austin Mao teaches you how to prevent one: why bad trips happen, and the two kinds of safety that change them. Then he teaches what turns a hard moment into a deep, transformative one: the question he asks, again and again, when someone is struggling.
Bring a question. Austin takes them live at the end.
Stage 1, Not Bad
A bad trip is a capacity problem, not a medicine problem.
A bad trip happens when what comes up is more than you can hold. Capacity is how much you can hold, and you build it before the ceremony, the way you build any skill: practice.
Stage 2, Good
Safety comes in two kinds, and you can build both.
Inner safety says, I’ve got this. Outer safety says, I’m not alone in here. A short Circling practice builds the second kind in minutes, and we do it together live.
Stage 3, Great
One question can turn a hard moment into a great trip.
Three words: What’s that like? Asked with real curiosity, they turn fear into exploration, and that is where a hard moment can become deep and transformative.
Is this for you?
Who this is for, and who it is not.
This Masterclass is for you if:
- You are thinking about a first ceremony and want to walk in prepared.
- You have a retreat on the calendar and want the skills before you go.
- You have had an experience that didn’t land, or didn’t last, and want to know why.
- You care about safety, medications, or doing this with real support.
It is not for:
- Anyone looking for DIY dosing or recreational-use guidance.
- Anyone looking for a thrill or a quick fix.
- Anyone here to learn to guide others rather than do their own work.
From a participant
In his own words, from the retreat.
“we just gradually wove that sense of community and connection with each other, which allowed the space to deepen... feeling just completely safe.”
Participant testimonial
Free when you register
Everything you get, free.
The live Masterclass.
60 minutes on Zoom, Thursday, November 19, 2026, with live Q&A at the end.
The replay, by email.
Every registrant gets the replay, so register even if you can’t attend live.
Free bonus when you register
The Have a Great Trip course.
The Masterclass gives you the ideas. The course gives you a module a week to practice them, so you walk into your trip with capacity you have already built.
A $197 value, free for a limited time. It is part of the preparation coursework we use live in our retreats.
- Six modules, 27 lessons, one module opening each week, so the practice builds a little at a time.
- Module 1, Start here, opens the moment you register. Nothing to wait for.
- Self-paced at learn.ceremoniacircle.org, with a one-time sign-in link and no password to set.
- Yours to keep. The course is a $197 value, free for a limited time.
What is inside
Week one asks for a ten-minute sit and 15 to 17 minutes of reading a day.
Week 1, opens when you enrollStart here
Why preparing matters, a simple reading plan, and how to begin a daily sit.
Week 2Capacity and two kinds of safety
Build your capacity, learn inner and outer safety, and take stock of sleep, screens and food.
Week 3Curiosity and connection
A noticing game for curiosity, and why connection with other people matters.
Week 4Surrender, your body, who to tell
Sensation over story, breath as a safety valve, and who to tell before you go.
Week 5Compassion and your intention
Practice compassion, set an intention, and let go of the outcome.
Week 6Parts, courage, and the final week
Meet the part of you that is nervous, ask for help, and prepare for the final week.
About your host
Austin Mao, founder of Ceremonia.
I went into my first ceremony agnostic, bordering atheist, with a chip on my shoulder.
Since then I have guided 700+ people across about 2,000 sessions. Ceremonia is a nonprofit with 400+ alumni across 60+ retreats. I have spoken at TEDxBoulder, Mindvalley and Necker Island, and I host the Modern Enlightenment podcast.
I also teach on the HeartMind faculty, alongside Roshi Fleet Maull.
- 700+people guided
- 400+alumni
- 60+retreats
Questions
Before you register.
Who teaches this Masterclass?
Austin Mao, founder of Ceremonia, teaches it solo.
What time is it where I am?
Thursday, November 19, 2026, at 11:00 AM MT, 1:00 PM ET, 10:00 AM PT. The time at the top of this page is shown in your own time zone, and your confirmation page has a calendar invite.
What do I get when I register?
The Zoom link, a calendar invite, the replay by email, and the Have a Great Trip course, a $197 value, free for a limited time, with a one-time sign-in link.
Can I watch the replay?
Yes. Every registrant gets the replay by email after the Masterclass, so register even if you can’t attend live. Live is richer, because you can ask your question.
Do I need psychedelic experience?
No. This Masterclass is for people thinking about a first ceremony as much as for people who have sat before.
How is this different from Have a Good Trip?
Have a Good Trip covered how not to have a bad trip: risk, screening, vetting. This one goes further, into the skills that let an experience go deep and stay with you.
Is this teaching DIY dosing or underground use?
No. It is about readiness and structured support.
What about medications?
Medication interactions can be serious. Your prescriber leads any change, and a taper often takes one to two months. Never stop or change a medication on your own.
Is this a sales pitch?
It is an hour of teaching with a clear next step at the end. If a retreat fits, someone on our team will talk it through with you on a free connection call. No pressure.
Who should not attend?
Anyone looking for a thrill, a quick fix, or how to guide others rather than do their own work.
Is it really free?
Yes. No card. The course is a $197 value, free for a limited time, and it is yours to keep.
Thursday, November 19
Bring your questions, and your curiosity.
These are powerful experiences. An hour of preparation is a small, kind thing to do for yourself before one.
- 11:00 AM MT
- 1:00 PM ET
- 10:00 AM PT
The Masterclass starts in
Can’t make it live? Register anyway. Every registrant gets the replay by email.
