Planning an Ayahuasca Retreat. Need some advice.

[legendary]

I'm planning to go to an Ayahuasca retreat (somewhere in Europe) towards the end of this year.

A few of my friends have already worked with the medicine, and after learning about the positive changes they've been able to bring in themselves, I'm now quite keen on exploring it myself.

There are some questions I have, and I'd be grateful for some input:

• I have tried other natural and synthetic psychedelics (incl. 5-MeO). Still, I've been told that Ayahuasca has an unparalleled ability to work through past traumas and bring about radical changes in ones being. For those who have had Ayahuasca before, how did it compare with other entheogens?
• On the flip side, people like Martin Ball criticise this approach, calling the experiences of the plant spirits mere stories and more ego-games.
• Is it better to do a longer retreat or a shorter retreat as a first-timer?
• How many ceremonies would you recommend? I'm thinking of around 4.  
• Has anyone tried Ayahuasca after 5-MeO-DMT? Did it bring any changes in the experience? I read some people saying on this forum that now their DMT experience is more or less a 5-MeO-like experience. I have also experienced a reduction in visuals on LSD and 2C-B. I'm wondering whether Ayahuasca trips will turn into whiteouts.
• Lately, a big theme with my trips is bilateral symmetry yoga (Martin Ball talks about this), and it is pretty much involuntary. This may likely happen on Ayahuasca as well. There is substantial movement, so I'm wondering whether this will make it a nuisance for other participants. As for myself, the last thing I would want is for the shaman to try and pin me down.
• I have never tripped simultaneously with other people. I wonder if people affect each other's flow and experience (with things like shouting, crying) or have collective hallucinations, etc.

  Cheers!