The History of Ibogaine

Ibogaine background

Tabernanthe iboga (iboga) is a perennial rainforest shrub native to West Africa. An evergreen bush indigenous to Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo, it is cultivated across West Africa.

Iboga is native to tropical forests, preferring moist soil in partial shade.[3] It bears dark green, narrow leaves and clusters of white tubular flowers on an erect and branching stem, with yellow-orange fruits resembling an olive.[3]

Normally growing to a height of 2 m, T. iboga may eventually grow into a small tree up to 10 m tall, given the right conditions. The flowers are yellowish-white or pink and followed by a fruit, orange at maturity, that may be either globose or fusiform. Its yellow-fleshed roots contain a number of indole alkaloids, most notably ibogaine, which is found in the highest concentration in the root-bark. The root material, bitter in taste, causes a degree of anaesthesia in the mouth as well as systemic numbness of the skin.[6]

Bwiti & Traditional Culture

Bwiti is a spiritual tradition that was developed by the Bantu population of Gabon, beginning in the early 20th century. At the time French Christian missionaries had a large influence on the countries political environment, and many Bantus who wished to maintain their traditional spiritual practices and lifestyles retreated from their villages further into the jungle. This led to contact with the pygmy tribes, who eventually shared their knowledge about the use of iboga. The word “Bwiti” is roughly translated to mean “dead” or “ancestor,” but its etymology may be based on the term “Mbouiti,” which is the more accurate term for pygmy people located between Gabon and Zaire.1 Today, Bwiti is one of Gabon’s three official religions, and is practiced in both Bantu and pygmy communities.

Bwiti is a distinct spiritual tradition with many sects. Some of these have syncretized various elements of the Christian tradition and other belief systems. It is hard to generalize such a diverse tribal practice, but many Bwitists commonly believe that Gabon has a connection with the biblical Garden of Eden, and iboga with the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.2 This is perhaps supported by the modern scientific narrative, which identifies the source-point of human genetics in the region between Kenya and Gabon. Also, according to geographical estimations, Gabon is estimated to have been located near the center of the Pangea super-continent.

Bwiti incorporates elements of ancestor worship as well as animism, which holds that all things hold within them the energy that was produced during the first moment of creation and that by learning the language of the spirit of things it is possible to communicate with God. Much of traditional Bwiti ritual is highly symbolic and representative of various aspects of creation, especially the pure expressions of masculine and feminine energies.

The practice of Bwiti is central to Gabonese culture, and has slowly started to spread to other parts of the surrounding region including Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, the Congo, and Zaire. Some believe that Bwiti to be one of the most important religious practices of Equatorial Africa.3

Bwiti has been slow to effectively spread outside of this region. In 2013, the Universalist Bwiti Society (UBS) was founded in the United States following a positive legal decision that had attempted to convict Dimitri “Mobengo” Mugianis, Robert “Bovenga” Payne, and Michael “Kombi” McKenna, three ibogaine therapy providers and Bwiti practitioners who were arrested in Seattle in the spring of 2011.4

pring of 2011.4

• Initiation

• Traditional Music

  
  

Bwiti is an initiatory rite that involve the consumption of large amounts of iboga root bark, as well as other intricate ritual elements such as ritual baths, prayer, traditional music and energetic dancing. There is much variety from sect to sect, but for the most part, these initiations require at least several days of preparatory ritual, take place at night, and continue throughout the following days until the initiate (or banzi) has returned safety.

Initiation is approached for any number of reasons. While not a mandatory part of village life, many Bwitists chose to become initiated for personal reasons, which range from coming of age, to personal health issues, or other support with traumatic events.

Many Westerners have and continue to seek out traditional Bwiti initiation in Gabon. For various reasons, GITA highly recommends that a good starting to place to learn about Bwiti, as well as various aspects of Gabonese culture and art is Ebando, a not for profit located in Libreville, Gabon.

ibogaine — you know exactly what you’re getting. Our bodies also metabolize ibogaine into noribogaine, a metabolite produced in the liver, which may be responsible for some therapeutic effects. On the other hand, the true therapeutic value of iboga could come from another chemical, or even interactions between multiple chemicals, which is the case for ayahuasca. The traditional benefits of iboga may be lost along with the hundreds or thousands of additional compounds you may be missing out on.

Why we use Ibogaine Total Alkaloid :

Total Alkaloid Extract (TA)

Total Alkaloid extract (TA), is a reconciliation of the pros and cons of iboga and ibogaine. All of the active chemicals (or alkaloids) are extracted from iboga root bark and concentrated, appearing as brown, clumped crystals which are often dissolved in a dark solution. Therapeutic doses range from 2-5 grams. About half of this is ibogaine, but many others are psychoactive too, some have very little research, and there are likely others that are totally unknown. This means that you get all of these chemicals that may supplement ibogaine, but less of the nausea, physical discomfort, or ambiguity of how much of a dose you’re getting with iboga root.

Many TA users say that it is a significant improvement to the comfort and clarity of their experience. Many treatment providers, We prefer it due to both its ease of use and deeper psycho-spiritual experience. It generally lasts longer than pure ibogaine at 24-36 hours, and it has a slower onset.

More research is still needed into the many other active ingredients, but anyone who is seeking the full experience of an iboga journey with less of the physical difficulty may benefit from TA.