Iboga Insight

Information

Books about Iboga & Ibogaine

"The Ibogaine Story: Report on the Staten Island Project" – Paul DeRienzo, Dana Beal, and Cliff Schaffer
This book provides a historical and scientific overview of Ibogaine, including its role in addiction treatment and its controversial legal status.
"Iboga: The Visionary Root of African Shamanism" – Vincent Ravalec, Mallendi, and Agnès Paicheler
A deep dive into the spiritual and shamanic aspects of Iboga, including firsthand experiences and cultural significance within Bwiti traditions.
"Ibogaine: Rite of Passage" – Daniel Pinchbeck and Alex Grey (Foreword)
This book explores Ibogaine's use in addiction therapy, personal transformation, and its intersection with Western medicine and indigenous practices.
"Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism" – Daniel Pinchbeck
A broader look at psychedelic experiences, including an in-depth personal account of an Iboga initiation.
"Ibogaine Explained" – Peter Frank
A practical guide to Ibogaine treatment, discussing its history, effects, risks, and the neuropharmacology behind its anti-addictive properties.
"Iboga Saves: My First Trip to Gabon" – B. L. Berg
A personal memoir detailing the author’s journey to Gabon to experience Iboga in its traditional ceremonial context.
"Iboga and Ayahuasca: A Journey to Both Worlds" – Claudius Konrad
A comparative exploration of Iboga and Ayahuasca, discussing their unique effects, healing potentials, and spiritual significance.
“Iboga The Root Of All Healing” - Daniel Brett
An exploration of the intersection point where the world of hard drug users meets that of spiritual seekers. It argues that responsible use of iboga could play a key role in assisting our species to navigate the socio-cultural minefield in which we have become trapped.
“The Iboga Experience: Stories, experiences and advice from the sacred & secret plant that saves, heals, and transforms lives” - Leo van Veenendaal
23 Personal Stories: Real-life experiences from individuals who have transformed their lives with Iboga and Ibogaine.
“Iboga: Mystisches Entheogen und traditionelle Pflanzenmedizin aus Afrika“. - Eudaimon
This book provides an overview of the history of Iboga in Africa and the West as well as the current state of pharmacological, botanical and chemical knowledge. It includes extraction guide, information on dosage forms, practical tips, precautions, experience reports and a bibliography with links and addresses.

Bibliography

Berg, B.L., 2018. Iboga Saves: My First Trip to Gabon. Independently Published.
Brett, D, 2021, Iboga The Root Of All Healing. Noble Sapien.
DeRienzo, P., Beal, D. & Schaffer, C., 1997. The Ibogaine Story: Report on the Staten Island Project. Autonomedia.
Eudaimon, 2017. Iboga: Mystisches Entheogen und traditionelle Pflanzenmedizin aus Afrika. German Text. Nachtschatten Verlag Ag.
Frank, P., 2016. Ibogaine Explained. CreateSpace Independent Publishing.
Konrad, C., 2020. Iboga and Ayahuasca: A Journey to Both Worlds. Independently Published.
Pinchbeck, D., 2003. Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism. Broadway Books.
Pinchbeck, D., 2015. Ibogaine: Rite of Passage. Synergetic Press.
Ravalec, V., Mallendi & Paicheler, A., 2003. Iboga: The Visionary Root of African Shamanism. Park Street Press.
Veenendaal, LV., 2023. The Iboga Experience: Stories, experiences and advice from the sacred & secret plant that saves, heals, and transforms lives. Independent Publisher.

Films About Ibogaine Treatment

"Ibogaine: Rite of Passage" (2004)
A documentary that follows the journeys of individuals using Ibogaine to treat addiction. It features interviews with researchers and advocates.
"Dosed" (2019)
This documentary follows a woman struggling with opioid addiction who turns to psychedelic-assisted therapy, including Ibogaine, in a desperate bid to heal.
"Dosed 2: The Trip of a Lifetime" (2022)
A sequel that delves deeper into the world of psychedelic healing, including the use of Ibogaine and other entheogens for addiction treatment and mental health.
"Experience Bwiti: Renegade Healer" (2016)
A look into the traditional Bwiti use of Iboga in Gabon, exploring its spiritual and therapeutic applications.
"Iboga Nights" (2013)
A documentary that follows patients undergoing Ibogaine treatment for addiction recovery, highlighting their struggles and transformations.
"The Psychedelic Frontier" (Upcoming)
An upcoming documentary exploring the resurgence of psychedelic therapy, including Ibogaine’s role in addiction treatment and consciousness exploration.
“ Tribe” Babongo with Bruce Parry, Series 1 episode 4 of 6 (2005)
The Babongo people of Gabon take powerful hallucinogens which send them on a three day trip. Bruce Parry undergoes the initiation and finds it has some terrifying side effects.
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Research on Ibogaine

Ibogaine, a psychoactive compound derived from the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga, has garnered attention for its potential in treating substance use disorders (SUDs) and certain mental health conditions. Research indicates that ibogaine may alleviate withdrawal symptoms, reduce cravings, and promote sustained abstinence in individuals with opioid dependence.
Safety Considerations:
While ibogaine presents potential therapeutic benefits, its use is associated with significant risks. Adverse events, including neurotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, have been documented, with some cases resulting in fatalities. Therefore, it's imperative that ibogaine treatment be conducted under strict medical supervision within controlled settings to mitigate these risks.
Conclusion:
Ibogaine shows promise as a treatment for certain SUDs and may offer benefits for specific mental health conditions. However, due to its potential for severe adverse effects, further research is essential to fully understand its safety profile and therapeutic efficacy. Individuals considering ibogaine treatment should consult healthcare professionals and consider the legal status and regulatory guidelines in their respective regions.
The Studies:
• Subjective effectiveness of ibogaine treatment for problematic opioid consumption: Short- and long-term outcomes
This study suggests that ibogaine is associated with reductions in opioid use, including complete abstinence, and has long-term positive psychological outcomes.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Ibogaine treatment outcomes for opioid dependence from a twelve-month follow-up observational study
Findings indicate that a single ibogaine treatment reduced opioid withdrawal symptoms and achieved opioid cessation or sustained reduced use in dependent individuals over 12 months.
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Ibogaine and Their Analogs as Therapeutics for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders
This article discusses the potential of ibogaine and its analogs in treating various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and depression, via the "psychedelic-assisted therapy" approach.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• Magnesium–ibogaine therapy in veterans with traumatic brain injuries
The study reports that ibogaine–magnesium treatment substantially reduced symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and improved scores on a disability scale.
nature.com
• Open-label study of consecutive ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT assisted detoxification in patients with substance use disorder
Data suggest that combined ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT assisted therapy has the potential to provide rapid and robust changes in mental health functioning.
tandfonline.com
• Evaluating the toxicity and therapeutic potential of ibogaine in the treatment of substance use disorders
This review highlights that ibogaine blocks addiction-like behavior in preclinical models, including opioid withdrawal, and opioid, alcohol, cocaine, and nicotine self-administration.
tandfonline.com
• Underground ibogaine use for the treatment of substance use disorders: A qualitative study
Ibogaine has been used experimentally to treat substance use disorders, especially those involving opioids.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
• The antiaddictive effects of ibogaine: A systematic literature review of human studies
Case series suggest that a single dose or a few treatments with ibogaine may significantly reduce drug withdrawal, craving, and self-administration in dependent individuals, with effects lasting from 24 hours to weeks or months.
akjournals.com
• Psychoactive drug ibogaine effectively treats traumatic brain injury in special ops military vets
Stanford Medicine researchers found that ibogaine, a plant-based psychoactive compound, safely led to improvements in depression, anxiety, and functioning among veterans with traumatic brain injuries.
med.stanford.edu
• Ibogaine and addiction in the animal model, a systematic review and meta-analysis
Although human clinical trials on the safety and efficacy of ibogaine are lacking, animal studies support the efficacy of ibogaine.
nature.com

Bibliography
Alper, K.R., Stajic, M. and Gill, J.R., 2012. Fatalities Temporally Associated With the Ingestion of Ibogaine. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 57(2), pp.398-412. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21992130/ [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Brown, T.K., 2013. Ibogaine in the Treatment of Substance Dependence. Current Drug Abuse Reviews, 6(1), pp.3-16. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23861403/ [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Davis, A.K., Barsuglia, J.P., Lancelotta, R., Grant, R.M. and Renn, E., 2018. Subjective effectiveness of ibogaine treatment for problematic opioid consumption: Short- and long-term outcomes. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 50(3), pp.240-248. Available at: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6157925/ [Accessed 5 March 2025].
He, D.Y. and Ron, D., 2006. Autoregulation of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor expression: Implications for the long-lasting actions of the anti-addiction drug, ibogaine. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26(23), pp.6195-6202. Available at: https://www.jneurosci.org/content/26/23/6195 [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Mash, D.C., Kovera, C.A., Buck, B.E., Norenberg, M.D., Shapshak, P., Hearn, W.L. and Sanchez-Ramos, J., 1998. Medication Development of Ibogaine as a Pharmacotherapy for Drug Dependence. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 844, pp.274-292. Available at: https://nyaspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1998.tb08241.x [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Noller, G.E., Frampton, C.M. and Yazar-Klosinski, B., 2018. Ibogaine treatment outcomes for opioid dependence from a twelve-month follow-up observational study. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(1), pp.37-46. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28402682/ [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Schenberg, E.E., de Castro Comis, M.A., Chaves, B.R. and da Silveira, D.X., 2014. Treating drug dependence with the aid of ibogaine: A retrospective study. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 28(11), pp.993-1000. Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0269881114552713 [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Stanford Medicine, 2024. Psychoactive drug ibogaine effectively treats traumatic brain injury in special ops military vets. Stanford Medicine News. Available at: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2024/01/ibogaine-ptsd.html [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Tupper, K.W. and Labate, B.C., 2014. Psychedelic medicine: A re-emerging therapeutic paradigm. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 186(11), pp.895-896. Available at: https://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/11/895 [Accessed 5 March 2025].
Wilkins, C., 2023. Underground ibogaine use for the treatment of substance use disorders: A qualitative study. Drug and Alcohol Review, 42(3), pp.425-432. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.13587 [Accessed 5 March 2025].