Tabernanthe iboga

About Tabernanthe iboga

Tabernanthe iboga sprouts green leaves bear small fruits and carry within its roots the core of Gabon's Bwiti culture: one of the strongest psychedelic compounds in the world.

In its powdered form, the dried husks of iboga root resemble instant coffee. A small dose also works like coffee. Bwiti hunters occasionally use it as a stimulant. Healers also use moderate doses to treat a number of physical ailments. But a larger dose serves the ritual purpose of initiating newcomers to the Bwiti religion.

The person undergoing initiation enters a Bwiti temple, where they are covered in powdered clay. Consume iboga, either as dried chips, spoonfuls of powder, or less frequently mixed with tea. Daniel Pinchbeck, whose book Breaking the Head takes its title from the way the Bwiti describe the ceremony, consumed iboga through a banana that had been sliced ​​and filled with powder, as well as spoonfuls of the powder mixed with honey. he describes the taste as "like sawdust mixed with battery acid".

For the rest of the night, and sometimes for several days, those taking part in the ceremony remain in the care of other Bwiti. Why the need for company? Because the active alkaloid in the plant, ibogaine, causes hallucinatory out-of-body experiences. The Bwiti use these visions to connect with their ancestors.

Unfortunately, some turn to the powerful psychedelic plant for a wild drug trip rather than a spiritual journey. As is the case with the South American psychedelic plant ayahuasca, foreigners travel from all over the world to experience the effects of iboga, just because they can. Traditional Bwiti practitioners are concerned about the decline and commodification of their sacred rituals.

However, one Westerner found a useful new use for the plant: In 1962, an addict in New York City tried ibogaine, found he no longer wanted heroin and dedicated his life to advocating ibogaine as a cure for depression. addiction. more research is needed, but many addicts swear by iboga's ability to prevent opiate withdrawal. Ibogaine is available in rehab clinics wherever it is legal, including Canada, Mexico, and Europe.

Despite its disparate uses in religious, recreational, and medicinal settings, one thing remains constant: the power of iboga is undeniable.

I need to know

Iboga is not for the faint of heart. In fact, there have been a few deaths among those who used it. Physically and spiritually, iboga is a force to be reckoned with and should be considered as such. Note: The FDA classifies ibogaine as a Schedule I controlled substance, making it illegal to use, medically or otherwise, in the United States. It is available in rehab centers in Europe, Canada, and Mexico for opiate addicts.

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