At an Awaken Your Soul retreat in Costa Rica, dangerously high doses of Iboga were handed out without any measurement or safety checks. Anthony Esposito, the lead facilitator, gave Stephen Ronald Bell an excessive amount, triggering a severe physical reaction that left him unable to function. While Stephen was down, a young Polish woman wandered off alone the next day and was later found dead in a nearby river. Amber Antonelli co-ran the event, and the isolated jungle site was linked to Holos Global.
Iboga is unregulated in Costa Rica. No Ministry of Health registration or therapeutic license exists. That leaves dosing, screening, and emergency response entirely up to whoever is running the retreat.
Overdose Left the Group Without Protection
No scale, no records, no safety limits. The person handing out the Iboga was under its influence himself. Stephen suffered a critical reaction that required immediate IV fluids. With him out of action, no one stepped in to watch the participants or keep them together. The young woman slipped away unnoticed during the vulnerable recovery period.
Stephen’s Livestream Exposes the Dosing Breakdown
Stephen Ronald Bell was there with the woman and two others. In his January 2026 livestream he clearly explained how the uncontrolled dosing created chaos. Recorded statements from the time show the physical toll, the delay in discovering she was gone, the search in darkness, and the strain of dealing with the aftermath while still under the medicine’s effects.
Aftermath Turned Into a Struggle
Stephen had to fight to get information about the body’s location. Anthony Esposito reportedly asked for $400 tied to earlier massages and Reiki. Details were slow in coming amid scattered local morgues. Messages from the retreat encouraged people to leave Iboga out of any police conversation and describe it as a yoga event or something involving only light psilocybin.
Stephen paid to move things forward, personally covered repatriation costs to Poland, hired a local lawyer, and broke the news to the mother while still affected by Iboga.
Uncontrolled Doses Were the Root Problem
Excessive, unmeasured amounts. No verification. No backup when the facilitator was impaired. These failures left one person incapacitated and the group without eyes on them, directly leading to a preventable tragedy.
Stephen also mentioned another woman from the same retreat died by suicide six months later, though that stands separately.
Measured Dosing Has to Be Mandatory
Any retreat using strong plant medicines needs scales, written records, pre-dose health checks, and clear overdose plans. Without them, the medicine becomes a hazard instead of a tool.
