The idea that mind-altering medicines can improve business leadership is being supported by a growing house business. A wooden house, a retreat center made of pine and cedar and filled with fruit sculptures, tapestries of violet and blue vintage, books about” The Indoctrinated Brain,” and other paraphernalia nodding to the promised change: enter as a chief professional, emerge as an enlightened one. On a Tuesday night in October, a group of professionals in sweatshirts and pants greeted them with the summer camp drop-off-related anxious energy. They had gathered for a retreat known as” The Psychedelic C. E. O. “, which they had agreed to let me notice. Their manual, Murray Rodgers, used to be a hard-charging oil and gas professional. About a decade ago, he underwent a method of self-discovery. It all started after a terrible combination, including a marriage and a failed initial public offering for the company, which left him only on his 60th birthday, watching Hugh Grant’s romantic funny” The Recreate” and deciding whether or not it was time for a rewrite of his own. He trained as a yoga instructor before traveling to Costa Rica to try the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca. This started a sequence of mushroom trips and psychedelic ceremonies that left Mr. Rodgers, now 69, spiritually, psychologically and professionally transfigured. He appeared to have put his ego in a dryer and watched it shrink before realizing that he was determined to assist others in doing the same kind of cosmic laundering. He wrote a book,” The Psychedelic C. E. O. “, and after hearing from readers, he also began hosting retreats. On that day in October, he welcomed five business leaders — Adam, Adam, Jill, Chris and Ajay — most of whom requested to use only their first names so as not to alarm their investors, employees or children with their unconventional approach to professional development. All of the above have met through an entrepreneurs ‘ network and have established small businesses in the Calgary area. They waited for Mr. Rodgers to introduce the agenda after their arrival by scarfing down bowls of thick lentil soup and then sat down on couches in a downstairs den. The article content is retrievable with difficulty. Please make JavaScript available in your browser’s settings. Thank you for your patience as we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience as we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.