Questions & Answers
Common questions about the Church of Ambrosia, membership, visiting Zide Door, the sacraments, and the law.
About the Church
What is the Church of Ambrosia?
The Church of Ambrosia is a nondenominational, interfaith religious organization founded in January 2019 in Oakland, California. We hold that psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis are sacred entheogenic sacraments that connect human beings to the divine. With more than 137,000 members, we are the world’s largest psychedelic church. Our home is Zide Door at 1216 10th Ave, Oakland.
What does “entheogenic” mean?
Entheogen comes from the Greek roots meaning “generating the divine within.” Entheogenic plants are those that, when used with spiritual intention, facilitate direct experience of the sacred. The Church of Ambrosia holds psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis as the primary entheogenic sacraments of our faith.
What does the Church of Ambrosia believe?
Our theology is grounded in the Doctrine of Religious Evolution: that psilocybin mushrooms catalyzed the evolution of human language, consciousness, and religion itself approximately 2.5 million years ago. We believe that every human being has the right to seek direct experience of the divine, and that entheogenic sacraments are a legitimate and ancient path to that experience. Read the full doctrine.
Is this a real religion?
Yes. The Church of Ambrosia is a sincerely held religious organization operating under the protections of the First Amendment, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). We have been in continuous operation since 2019, have 137,000+ members, conduct regular religious services and ceremonies, have a formal theological doctrine, and have been covered by Forbes, NPR, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many other outlets. A church is not defined by its sacraments. It is defined by the sincerity of its practice and community.
Do I have to believe in God to join?
You do not have to believe in any single god, name a specific deity, or follow a particular tradition. The Church of Ambrosia holds that the divine takes many forms and that the gods of many traditions may all be real. What membership does require is a genuine spiritual belief: that there is more to this existence than the material world, that you have a soul, and that the sacraments are a sincere path to encountering it. Our members come from every tradition: Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, Muslim, pagan, indigenous, and more. What unites them is sincere spiritual intent, not a specific god.
What is the difference between a sacrament and other uses?
A sacrament is taken in a religious context, with intention, for the purpose of spiritual experience or connection with the divine. What separates sacramental use from any other use is intention and context. The Church of Ambrosia provides psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis exclusively as sacraments, in a religious context, to members who approach them with sincere spiritual intent.
Membership
How do I join the Church of Ambrosia?
Start by completing the free online application at zidedoor.com/apply-to-join. Once your application is processed, visit Zide Door in person at 1216 10th Ave, Oakland, CA 94606 to complete your membership. New members must arrive before 9:30pm.
Does membership cost anything?
The online application is free. Membership is $5 a month, paid in person at Zide Door in cash. If your membership has lapsed for six months or more, renewal is still $5. We waive the fee for anyone who cannot afford it. No one is turned away for inability to pay.
Do I have to live in California?
No. The Church has members from all over the world. You do not need to be a California resident to apply. However, physical access to sacraments requires an in-person visit to Zide Door in Oakland.
Can anyone join?
Membership is open to all adults who sincerely align with our values. You must be 18 or older. We welcome people of every background, belief system, and walk of life.
What does membership mean spiritually?
Membership connects you to what the Church understands as humanity’s oldest spiritual tradition. Most religious traditions once had entheogenic practice at their core: a direct, embodied encounter with the sacred. Over centuries, those practices were severed by law, by empire, by the domestication of religion into doctrine and ritual alone. The Church of Ambrosia’s mission is restoration, not invention. When you join, you are not starting something new. You are reconnecting to something ancient.
What ID do I need to join?
Any government-issued photo ID is accepted.
Visiting Zide Door
Where is Zide Door?
1216 10th Ave, Oakland, CA 94606. Note: 10th Ave, not 10th Street. Get directions.
What are the hours?
Open every day, 9am to 10pm. New members must arrive before 9:30pm.
What should I expect on my first visit?
When you arrive, you will check in at the door. First-time members complete their in-person joining process. Once you are a member, you will be able to access the sacrament and connect with the community. Come with intention. Come sober. Come ready to be present.
Is Zide Door safe?
Yes. Zide Door has operated continuously since 2019 and takes the safety of its members seriously. Security is present. The environment is designed to support positive, intentional sacramental experiences.
Do you have to participate in a ceremony to visit?
No. Sacrament access at Zide Door is drop-in. If you are interested in a guided ceremonial experience with a trained guide, that is available through God’s Sitters at godssitters.com.
Is the San Francisco location still open?
No. The San Francisco location (Ambrosia’s Door) is closed. Oakland remains our only active location.
The Sacraments
What sacraments does the Church of Ambrosia offer?
The Church of Ambrosia offers three sacraments: psilocybin mushrooms, cannabis, and DMT (available in crystal and vape form). Psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis are the primary sacraments of our theology.
DMT opens the same spiritual space as a high-dose psilocybin experience, but the journey lasts approximately 15 minutes rather than four hours. We use DMT in combination with psilocybin as a tool for carefully reaching breakthrough states: when working with God’s Sitters in ceremony, we begin with a conservative mushroom dose based on the dosage calculator. If someone is not reaching the experience they are seeking, a hit from a DMT vape pen can carry them the rest of the way, and the breakthrough will last as long as the mushrooms are active. Combining psilocybin and DMT is powerful. Approach it with intention, preparation, and a trusted guide. This combination is not for solo use.
Are the sacraments safe?
When approached with intention, preparation, and appropriate dosage, psilocybin mushrooms and cannabis have strong safety profiles. The Church of Ambrosia provides comprehensive education on safe sacramental use, including dosage guides, safety protocols, and a dosage calculator. Explore our safety guides. We also strongly recommend reading our guidance on health conditions and medications before your experience. Health Conditions and Medications.
What is a “breakthrough dose”?
A breakthrough dose, sometimes called a heroic or high dose, is a large amount of psilocybin that can produce a profound spiritual experience including leaving one’s body, interacting with entities, and direct encounter with the divine. It is not appropriate for beginners. Preparation, intention, and a trusted guide (a “god sitter”) are strongly recommended. Read the High Dose Safety Guide.
Do you offer microdosing guidance?
Yes. Microdosing is a sub-perceptual dose that does not produce noticeable physiological or perceptual alterations but can gently enhance mood, creativity, and wellbeing. Read our Microdosing Guide.
What is the role of cannabis in the church?
Cannabis activates what the Church calls the “inner eye”: the capacity to see clearly into one’s own life, relationships, and purpose. Learn more about cannabis as sacrament.
How should I store my sacraments?
Psilocybin degrades from moisture, light, oxygen, and heat. Store dried mushrooms in an airtight container with a desiccant packet in a cool, dark place at room temperature. Do not refrigerate or freeze. For full storage guidance by form: Sacrament Storage Guide.
Do you ship sacraments?
No. The Church of Ambrosia does not ship or mail sacraments. All sacrament access is in person at Zide Door in Oakland only.
Legal Questions
Is this legal?
Yes. The right to practice one’s religion is guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Church of Ambrosia is also protected by two federal statutes: the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA, 1993), which prohibits the government from substantially burdening sincere religious exercise, and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA, 2000), which protects religious organizations from being targeted through zoning or land use law. Our members’ use of entheogenic sacraments is protected religious exercise. We have operated continuously since 2019 and have withstood legal challenges.
Was the church raided?
In 2020, the Oakland Police Department raided Zide Door and seized sacramental materials. No arrests were made. No charges were filed. The church reopened within 24 hours. We are still here.
Is psilocybin legal in Oakland?
Oakland decriminalized entheogenic plants in 2019. The Church of Ambrosia’s provision of psilocybin sacraments operates under both the city’s decriminalization posture and the church’s religious freedom protections under RFRA.
Can I get in trouble for being a member?
The Church of Ambrosia’s sacramental practices are covered under religious freedom law. Membership in a religious organization is constitutionally protected. We have operated for six years without a single member arrest in connection with their church membership or sacrament access.
Other Questions
What is Spirituality & Beyond?
Spirituality & Beyond is the Church of Ambrosia’s annual Easter weekend gathering in Oakland. Each year we bring together speakers, scientists, musicians, artists, and community members for three days of talks, ceremony, music, and conversation. It is in its sixth year. Learn more.
What is the Church of Ambrosia Podcast?
The Church of Ambrosia Podcast is hosted by Pastor Dave Hodges. Guests have included Rick Doblin (founder of MAPS) and Robin Carhart-Harris. Available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Listen here.
How do I contact the church?
Visit us at 1216 10th Ave, Oakland, CA 94606. Phone: (510) 929-1001. Or use the contact form.
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