Iboga: History and Modern Usage
Iboga: History and Modern Usage
Iboga Ceremony
The use of psychedelic plants for religious purposes is an ancient practice. Their use is ubiquitous among many native cultures and often incorporates healing, magic, and diverse teaching traditions. The profound alterations in consciousness brought about by psychedelics have served as a foundation for countless spiritual and religious systems. Examples of this can be found on every continent (except Antarctica) and in almost every culture.
Out of all the traditional psychedelics, Iboga stands out in two very distinct ways. Firstly, it was the only psychedelic to be prescribed for nonpsychiatric purposes. Secondly, consuming it results in a unique and comprehensive cascade of neurotransmitters.
Between the 1930s and 1960s, ibogaine extract was sold to promote mental and physical stimulation and was quite popular in France as Lambarène. Despite being identified by French explorers in 1889 with its primary active alkaloid, Ibogaine, being isolated in 1901 by Dybowski and Landrin, its activity went largely unknown. Recently, iboga has gained attention from the broader scientific community as a powerful tool in the age of the opioid epidemic.
What is Iboga?
Iboga, scientifically known as Tabernanthe iboga, is a perennial shrub found in the rainforests in Equatorial Africa. It has dark green, narrow leaves on woody stems with clusters of white tubular flowers. These flowers create yellow-orange fruits that look very similar to the average Chili pepper. Like most plants, iboga creates a range of nitrogen-containing chemicals, referred to as
Iboga has gained attention from the broader scientific community as a powerful tool in the age of the opioid epidemic.
alkaloids that are designed to aid the plant’s survival. Plants and animals commonly produce alkaloids that contain antibacterial, antifungal, and toxic compounds that help the organism’s resilience. Take, for example, the poison dart frog. It creates a mixture of highly toxic alkaloids, batrachotoxin, epibatidine, and histrionicotoxin, to name a few, that help keep it from being predated by bigger animals. Sometimes, these toxic alkaloids can have a pretty acute effect on humans.
Iboga is a perfect example of a plant whose alkaloids exert not only a physiological response, such as pain relief or lowering a fever, but instead will create pronounced psychological effects ranging from slight stimulation and mild pain relief with low doses, to visionary experiences with higher doses. These high doses are used in various ceremonies by multiple peoples including those people practicing Bwiti. The main alkaloids, Ibogaine, Noribogaine, Yohimbine, and a few others, comprise about 6% of the total plant material. Although this may seem like a tiny amount, they are responsible for the plant’s powerful visionary effects. Ibogaine, one of the most active alkaloids, is responsible for causing quite strong visionary and introspective effects in people who consume either the whole plant or the extracted alkaloid.
History of Iboga
The use of iboga is one of the oldest systems throughout the African Continent that has evolved into a spiritual discipline. One that is still practiced today. The practice is known as Bwiti. Bwiti is historically common among the Punu and Mitsogo peoples of Gabon and the Fang people of Cameroon. This spiritual practice focuses on the use of the psychedelic effects of the iboga plant, along with other ceremonial rituals, to promote radical spiritual growth, help to stabilize the community and family structure, fulfill religious requirements, and as a way of healing physical ailments. In the words of the chief physician and a professor of Tropical Medicine in France, Bureau said, “Gabon is to Africa what Tibet is to Asia, the spiritual center of religious initiations.” Bwiti was swiftly normalized and popularized in the region. It is said that people who are initiated, “will see the Bwiti only twice. On the day of his initiation and the day of his death.”
The first record of Iboga shows up in Western literature in 1864 when Charles Eugène Aubry-Lecomte described it in his short essay on the plant poisons of West Africa after he returned from exploring the area. In his essay, he remarked that iboga, “is only toxic in high doses and the fresh state. Taken in small quantities, it is an aphrodisiac and stimulant of the nervous system; warriors and hunters use it to stay awake during their night vigils”. Up to this point, all that was truly known about the plant was that it could provide mild stimulation and that at higher doses, it would cause ataxia – a difficulty in coordinating muscle motion that can
All that was truly known about the plant was that it could provide mild stimulation and that at higher doses, it would cause ataxia.
make standing and walking almost impossible. The other thing that was known was that high enough doses could have cardiotoxic effects. Aside from that, Iboga was seen as relatively unremarkable, and no further studies were conducted on it, or Ibogaine.
Even though ibogaine was first isolated and synthesized in 1901, it took until the 1970s for any scientist to seriously investigate its pharmacodynamics. The study of pharmacodynamics looks at a compound’s subjective and physical effects and the mechanism(s) of its action. One feature that is unique to Iboga, and therefore Ibogaine, is that it acts as an agonist on a wide range of neurotransmitters and their systems. This means that it binds to or affects almost every neurotransmitter. While most drugs, such as opioids, only bind to one set of receptors, ibogaine binds to or affects seven different neurotransmitter systems.
None of this was known until fairly recently. It took until the late ‘80s and early ‘90s for the first scientific studies exploring the binding activity of ibogaine to be conducted. As the story goes, Howard Lotsof, an American scientific researcher who would later go on to write the first studies on the anti-addictive properties of Ibogaine, stumbled across the use of ibogaine as a treatment for heroin addiction (his own, and those of his friends). This was the moment the research began in earnest, launching a new era in the study of Ibogaine.
As Lotsof states in a New York Times article from 2010, “While [my] interest in ibogaine may have started with this drug party, the unique effects of ibogaine became immediately evident in that it was not a substance conducive to such parties. There followed a period of six months of lay research, which provided a dose-related response study ranging from 1 mg/kg to 19 mg/kg of ibogaine in both the addict and non-addict human subjects.” These experiences jumpstarted what he would call his “humanitarian mission,” to help treat addicts.
A young Howard Lotsof
By 1985 Howard Lotsof was off to the races. He began writing papers and taking out patents. His first was a U.S. Patent on a Rapid method for interrupting the narcotic addiction syndrome, followed by another just one year later in 1986 on a Rapid method for interrupting the cocaine and amphetamine addiction syndrome. In the coming years, he took out two more patents. One in 1989 for a Rapid method for attenuating the alcohol dependency syndrome and the other in 1991 for a Rapid method for interrupting or attenuating the nicotine/tobacco dependency syndrome.
How does Iboga work?
As mentioned before, unlike most psychoactive compounds that affect one or two neurotransmitters, Ibogaine affects most of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Like all classical psychedelics, such as LSD and psilocybin, ibogaine binds to the 5-HT2a receptor. It is widely accepted in the scientific community that stimulating this subset of the serotonin receptors is responsible for most of
After taking ibogaine, people report a numbing of the skin, often accompanied by an auditory buzzing and an oscillating sound.
the hallucinogenic effects associated with most psychedelics. One thing that makes iboga and ibogaine so unique is that they also bind to several other receptors and activate all three opiate receptors: the NMDA receptor, which affects glutamate, the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, and the serotonin and dopamine transporter systems.
The primary psychedelic effects can be attributed to two receptors. The 5-HT2a serotonin receptor, like most classical psychedelics, and in the case of iboga and a psychedelic plant known as Salvia, the kappa opioid receptor. What is the Iboga (Ibogaine) experience like?
Iboga and its isolate Ibogaine have been reported to be one of the more challenging compounds to work with. Physically, this is primarily due to the purge-inducing effect, and the fact that the peak effects can last between 18 and 30 hours. Aftereffects can linger for 24 to 72 hours.
Within the first hour or two of taking ibogaine, people report a numbing of the skin, often accompanied by an auditory buzzing and an oscillating sound. If the person is addicted to opiates, it is around the one to one and half-hour mark that their withdrawal symptoms will cease. It is also around this time that people report seeing objects appear to vibrate intensely.
By this time, around the two-hour mark, the full effects of the Ibogaine are at work. This includes hallucinations like color and visual acuity enhancement as well as distortions such as melting, breathing, morphing, flowing, and tracers. Specifically, the tracer effect is reported to be more intense and more consistent than with any other commonly used psychedelic. Along with visual hallucinations, people also report auditory hallucinations, but these are not the most impactful effects.
The most impactful effects will happen internally. People report experiencing feelings of catharsis, conceptual or at times delusional thinking, dream potentiation, emotion enhancement, increased libido, increased music appreciation, ego death, mindfulness, novelty enhancement, personal bias suppression, feeling childlike, time distortions, and a feeling of rejuvenation. Rejuvenation may take two or three good nights’ rest before it fully presents itself, as people often report experiencing stimulation for up to 20 hours, making sleep difficult.
Traditional uses of Iboga
Iboga was traditionally prepared by making fine scrapings of the root bark, breaking it down as much as possible, which could be chewed raw, but was often prepared along with cane juice or sugar, palm wine, or milk. Hunters would take this preparation in low doses as it reduces sleep, making it possible to resist hunger and fatigue, activates circulation and respiration, and promotes activity. While this is the most common use of the plant in the area, practitioners of Bwiti also use high doses in their rites and rituals.
In high doses, ibogaine produces hallucinatory inebriation that opens the practitioners up to visions that permit contact with ancestors and gods. Because when someone uses iboga, they experience a lack of motor coordination and sometimes a state of lethargy lasting four to five days, there is no cultural history for the recreational use of this plant.
The Bwiti (religion of Eboga) Ceremony
Location
Traditionally in the Bwiti Religion, there is a temple in each village called a Mbandja. This place serves as the location for celebrations and on occasion, feasts, and initiations. It is where funeral dances are held following the death of a prominent person. The temple may also serve as a meeting room, a courthouse, or a guardhouse if need be.
The Mbandja is a vast rectangular hut, measuring on average 65 feet long and 32 feet wide, that is entirely enclosed in the back. Usually, the sides of the temple are partially closed with a wide opening in the front. The long axis is laid out northeast by southwest, parallel to the route followed by The Fang group during its migration in the last century. (Historians theorize that this move was made to escape slavery and the wars of West Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.) The roof is covered with ordinary matting, or, ideally, with leaves of sclerosperma, a sort of dwarf palm. The curved canopy must always be made of scleroderma leaves. Different columns support the framework of the temple. The great column has a highly sculpted base that houses the remains of ancestors (mostly skulls and tibias) and is situated at the entrance to the temple, thereby holding great significance.
The Ceremony
“The subject under the influence of iboga at its peak feels, “as if transported by the wind” to the beyond before the house of Christ and God. He is guided to that place by the ancestors, to the sound of the harp.”
– Gollnhofer and Sillans 1985
For four days, from Wednesday to Sunday, practitioners will only eat iboga and sip on iboga elixir or water. Wednesday is the first day of the iboga ceremony. The ceremony usually begins with a slow procession single file into the temple, and after a short greeting, everyone sits around the edge of the temple. Those in the group taking iboga usually have their faces stained with white powder. The ceremony begins with ritual music played on drums and string instruments. As the speed and volume of the music reach a crescendo, the first dose of Iboga is dispensed by either the priest or priestess. Surprisingly, even newborn babies and dogs are given tiny amounts.
On the following day, participants prepare for their journey. First, red and white designs are marked on the faces of those leading the ceremony. Next, a small fire is created by the river. This is for each participant to sit over while draped in cloth, building a mini sweat lodge designed to help participants sweat out impurities. They are then cleaned in the river.
Friday is the day of sacrifice. Practitioners are placed in a mock grave just outside the temple. Once settled, a chicken is sacrificed in honor of each person, whose blood is then sprinkled over the participants by the Priest or Priestess. They are then covered in scleroderma leaves. This is done to bury the participant’s problems, issues, and illnesses, helping to cleanse further and purify.
On Saturday, people dress in white, and participants speak their first words since the ceremony began. The priest or priestess goes around to those who are sick and suffering from illness, as they are connected at this time to the ancestors and the gods. It is during this time that priests and priestesses can diagnose and cure people. This is the most individualized part of the ceremony, where certain spells, incantations, or traditional healing methods are applied. The music is then halted, and at the end of the ritual initiation on Sunday morning, you have your first meal and are reborn.
Modern use of iboga and ibogaine
In the West, iboga, and therefore ibogaine, have had little to no cultural history, and both mainly went unknown and unrecognized by science for decades. No one in the West had ever thought of using ibogaine except as an anti-fatigue medication, and its use was almost exclusive to France and French colonies. After all, it was the Frenchmen who wrote the first papers on ibogaine. Although noteworthy, the current interest in ibogaine and its anti-addictive properties far outweigh the societal good and usefulness.
Modern ibogaine ceremonies should be carried out with some level of medical oversight. If not under the direct supervision of a doctor, people wishing to do ibogaine therapy should still have a medical check-up before treatment as some very real cardiological issues can arise. A small percentage of people with a specific heart condition called a prolonged QT rhythm, are at high risk for having a severe negative cardiologic issue that, if not treated immediately, can lead to cardiac arrest, and even death. Other potential complications can arise from the use of SSRI or MAOI medications, having a history of mania (as this sacrament can precipitate manic symptoms), or having active panic attacks.
Once a person is cleared before the ceremony begins, it is recommended that the participant avoid alcohol or any psychoactive substances for at least two to three days before the iboga ceremony. The longer, the better. For those using ibogaine to treat opiate addiction, it is highly recommended to wait until the participant is experiencing full withdrawal. This can range from as few as eight hours for drugs like heroin, and up to three days for methadone. Another recommendation is to set an intention. Meditation and intention are essential components to receiving the most from the experience.
The more traditional style retreats are modeled after the Bwiti ceremonies. According to one retreat facilitator, “Each Iboga ceremony starts around a fire. This is an important part of honoring sacred Bwiti tradition.” This is followed by a fireside talk where they “impart vital wisdom… (with topics including) connecting to our soul, loving ourselves, overriding the ego, empowering ourselves, finding inner peace”. Bwiti music will be an integral part of the ceremony as it is believed to help with connection and can serve to enhance the experience. The retreat goes on to detail the rest of the process, “the journey continues throughout the evening and into the following morning. After dawn breaks, guests are invited to return to their rooms… (beginning) a day of rest and discovery. This entire day is about introspection and typically is spent with no sleep, reviewing the messages and teachings we have received from Iboga.” Often, this integration period is most important to maximize the benefits of the treatment.
According to the Iboga Tree Healing House, a company offering medically supervised ibogaine retreats, their treatments usually adhere to the following rhythm. Patients are evaluated on the first day of arrival to ensure that ibogaine will be safe. The next day, “We usually start your ibogaine treatment in the morning.” They note, “For addicts… between 30 min to two hours after ibogaine administration, you will start to feel a bit different and notice that the usual withdrawal symptoms are gone.” After taking ibogaine, patients will lie down comfortably in a darkened room. Therapists who can help deal with any challenging emotions and reassure the patient if they have an intense experience will be on site. The company goes on to say that at “approx. 3-4 hours… people still
There seems to be one global issue that is getting worse: behavioral and pharmacological addiction.
experience visions, although they are less intense, and you gradually shift towards more meditative, introspective states. There is now time to evaluate the visionary experiences”. During the final stage of the treatment, when the effects begin to wane, they “play softening music which eventually leads you to a well-deserved sleep”. They go on to mention, “You should note that ibogaine prevents you from sleeping, so it may take many hours for you to fall asleep”. Most patients report feeling awake, rested, and hungry after a good sleep. It is highly recommended that all who go to an ibogaine ceremony attend an after-care program for 6-12 months as this will result in the best outcome.
An ancient tool for a modern problem
The modern world has come with many benefits. From better healthcare that has led to an increase in life expectancy to a modern logistics system that has allowed global trade, there are countless examples of how life has improved with time. Despite the constant advances, there seems to be one global issue that is getting worse: behavioral and pharmacological addiction.
From alcoholism to opiates, pornography, and phones, people are addicted. Despite having come this far, the options for treating these behaviors come down to a few strategies: replacement, which includes things like methadone and the nicotine patch, and which substitutes the more harmful behavior with something less destructive; deterrence, such as lengthy prison sentences in the hopes that this will keep people from behaving a certain way; and/or therapy, which seeks to modify behavioral patterns and keep people from acting on addictive impulses. Unfortunately, these strategies have been proven to be less effective in many cases than leaving people to suffer through the pain of their addiction alone.
It is this need for a new solution in the area of addiction treatment that is driving the interest in alternative medications. Particularly with ibogaine and iboga. Looking at the work of Lotsof and the first studies of ibogaine, which demonstrated the efficacy of ibogaine in different groups suffering from addiction, when it comes to psychedelic therapy, ibogaine works). If a person has tried multiple treatment modalities and has not found success, is healthy enough and has access to a safe and controlled environment, ibogaine therapy should be an option, as it may very well save their life.
By the author: Learning Love and Acceptance Through the Spirit Molecule
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