Iboga is a psychedelic plant that has been used for centuries in Central Africa. It has seen resurgence in the Western world, with many people seeking out the drug to treat addiction and PTSD. A new study reveals how iboga can be used to treat depression and anxiety.
Note: Veriheal does not condone the unlawful use of therapeutic drugs like Iboga, but recognizes that it occurs as a result of the present illegal status, which we want to alter by pushing for research, legal access, and responsible usage. Always seek medical advice before trying alternative treatments.
Iboga is a plant drug utilized in some African civilizations for religious and ceremonial reasons. Iboga is often linked with addiction relief, in addition to its cultural uses. Mother Nature’s gift, on the other hand, is much more amazing. The chemical is believed to have the ability to help you recover on a deeper level than you may have imagined. Iboga may even be described as a holistic healer. Fortunately, one of these guys, Levi Barker, supplied us with some much-needed information on the drug, including what it is and how it is used in therapy.
Levi Barker, Iboga Expert
Levi is an iboga specialist and provider who is enthusiastic about spreading healing via this botanical medicine as well as increasing awareness of the gift that is iboga. Levi is really special, though, since he is a Bwiti iboga supplier. This implies he is not just an iboga supplier, but he was also well-trained under the guidance of Moughenda Mikala, a 10th-generation Bwiti shaman from Gabon, Africa. He has subsequently been accepted into the Bwiti tradition and currently spends his days at the Iboga Wellness Center in Costa Rica. Levi is a Bwiti shaman, although he goes by the moniker iboga “provider” since the title “shaman” is only given to people who were born into the tribe.
Levi was kind enough to sit down with us for an interview, and after speaking with him and learning about iboga, it’s obvious that his knowledge is exceptional. Let’s take a look at what he had to say.
Veriheal: How did you get interested in plant medicine and come to the Iboga Wellness Center to heal?
Levi Barker: I’m Levi Barker. Many individuals resort to iboga and other natural medications out of desperation, typically as a result of serious difficulties. During the 1980s, information began to flow via news channels, as I recall. According to the facts, addiction is a hereditary issue. I recall thinking to myself, “If addiction is hereditary, I suppose I don’t have much of a choice; that’s a shame,” as some of my own family members struggled with addiction. I now see the news was incorrect (addiction is not hereditary), but it had an impact on me, and I formed a belief system that I already had a problem.
This led to a lot of experimenting with different drugs throughout the course of my life, but it all started when I was 12 years old. My experiments eventually led to opiates. Opiates are wonderful for a brief period of time, but once you get addicted, things never return to normal. Thankfully, a close friend was attempting to assist me and introduced me to iboga. I was able to utilize iboga as a tool to help me go off the opiates, but iboga is capable of much more. Many people have heard of iboga or ibogaine as a treatment for opiate addiction, which it is, but it can be used for so much more. This covers issues such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD, as well as pointing us in the right direction when we’re stuck and know there’s more for us out there. My issue wasn’t simply with addiction; it was with life. I had no idea how to think, make good choices, or have a healthy connection with myself.
Veriheal: How would you describe iboga to someone who has never heard of it? What is the difference between ibogaine and iboga?
Levi: I’d describe iboga as an instrument for human survival. It is, at its heart, a human tool, as anybody who has experienced iboga will attest. This instrument may be found in the rainforests of Gabon, Cameroon, DRC Congo, and the Congo in West equatorial Africa. Iboga is a shrub that may reach a height of 2-3 meters. The medicine that helps individuals learn about themselves and their position in the world is found in the bark on the tree’s roots.
Veriheal: What distinguishes iboga from other plants? How may it be utilized to improve one’s life? What are the likely consequences, and are any of them negative?
Levi: Iboga is unique in that it works so effectively. People come from all over the globe with a variety of life experiences and issues, and iboga can assist with the majority of them. Only benzodiazepine withdrawal will not be helped by iboga. Drug and non-drug addictions, trauma, sadness, anxiety, poor behaviors, belief systems, and negative ways of thinking all benefit from it.
During an iboga encounter, a person learns more about themselves and how they function on this planet than they ever had before. Knowing who we are and what we desire are the two most essential elements in our culture. Our path may open out in front of us if we understand those two facts. We work hard to get what we want in life because we know who we are and where we’re headed.
Veriheal: What are some of the most frequent ailments that iboga is used to treat? What, in your view, is the most successful use of iboga?
Levi: The most frequent problems we treat include depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), childhood trauma, and individuals seeking a life reset. A opportunity to start again, see the way ahead, and break out from a rut.
Physical, mental, and spiritual healing are essential for all human situations. Physically, iboga cleanses thoroughly, and this is the first order of business. People will be cleaned not just physically but also psychologically. The iboga will free mental space, which individuals will notice immediately thereafter. Many of us have more thoughts in our heads than we need…
Veriheal: Could you give us an example of a typical iboga treatment? What should someone anticipate from an iboga-based treatment session, in your opinion? Is one therapy session sufficient?
Levi: People come to Iboga Wellness for eight days and seven nights, and they take iboga twice. Before we arrive, we get to know the customer and figure out why they’ve come. We next speak about their expectations for the event [in private]. We urge individuals to consider what they want their lives to be like after the experience rather than what the event itself will be like.
We next teach individuals about the medicine’s [effects] and how to deal with the many scenarios that may arise while using iboga. We really urge folks to just lie down and listen to the music. Their job is basically done after they’ve incorporated their desires and requirements into the medication. Then it’s time to let the medication do its thing and go to work.
The ritual goes on all night. We wake them up at dawn the following day and take them back to their rooms for some peaceful introspection. Things will begin to clear up and make sense when the medication slows down. The whole experience may last up to 24 hours, although the most intense portion lasts around 6 to 12 hours. The medication then progressively slows down, allowing all of the items that have been brought to the surface to begin the release process. Many individuals should plan on being up for a minimum of 24 hours.
The visitors will wake up the following day with a sense of lightness, clarity, and concentration that they haven’t had in a long time after they have fallen asleep. They will discover that things that used to annoy them or make them feel a particular way no longer do so. They are now in a reset condition, and they must choose what they will bring into themselves in the future.
Iboga is unusual in that it teaches long after the experience has ended. Iboga remains in the body for a long time and guides the user long after the first experience.
Veriheal: As someone who has firsthand knowledge of the Bwiti culture, could you throw any light on it? What attracted you to become a Bwiti shaman in the first place? How did you find up among the Bwiti in Gabon?
Levi: Iboga was the one who took me to Bwiti. I started with Iboga and worked with it for a long period before getting inducted into the Bwiti. I’m not recognized as a shaman in our Bwiti; instead, I’m known as an iboga supplier. We perform shamanic things during the ceremony and retreat, but we only call someone a shaman if they were born into Bwiti and iboga.
Veriheal: Are there any frequent misunderstandings about iboga that you’ve come across? If that’s the case, how would you approach them?
Levi: The most common misunderstanding I come across is that iboga is very harmful and poisonous. Iboga for psycho-spiritual purposes is not the same as using it to detox from narcotics. Detoxing from narcotics may be hazardous in general. If one is not detoxing, the participation requirements are acceptable.
Iboga has been shown to be harmful in certain investigations. They, like many other things, may be hazardous if eaten in large quantities. To reach any level of toxicity, one would have to consume half a kilogram of iboga. Those who have tried iboga will understand how difficult that is.
Before taking iboga, it’s important to look at a person’s heart. This is mostly to ensure that they do not have any severe cardiac issues. In the past six years, there have been a few of individuals we couldn’t accept because they had undiagnosed cardiac problems. For the other 99 percent, it’s acceptable to take iboga and rest certain that it’s safe.
Iboga is often misunderstood as being exclusively for addicts. Iboga is waiting for those who have been summoned. Iboga wishes to share its knowledge and talents with the rest of the world. Iboga is equally as effective for depression as it is for addiction, trauma, and providing one with the direction they need in life.
Veriheal: What would be the slogan for iboga, in your opinion?
Levi: Be grateful for the gift of life that has been given to you.
Dosage and Consumption
The shrub’s root bark is used for medicine, and it includes a substance called ibogaine, which is taken orally. However, doses are determined by a variety of variables, including one’s age, cardiovascular health, and so on. The fact that the Bwiti and Pygmy tribes have been utilizing iboga in their rites and ceremonies for many, many decades is an indication of its safety. The tribes used it to connect with their ancestors as well as to treat bodily illnesses such as impotency, mental sickness, addiction, stomachaches, liver disorders, and fever.
What Are the Dangers of Iboga?
There are worries about the cardiovascular dangers and toxicity linked with iboga, as Levi stated. Adverse side effects may include irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, seizures, paralysis, trouble breathing, anxiety, hallucinations, heart attack, and even death when used unattended and in high dosages. When asked how he would reassure potential patients about their legitimate concerns, Levi said that acknowledging the concern is important, but getting them to understand that this is rarely the case when iboga is consumed in a controlled and iboga-experienced environment like the Iboga Wellness Center is even more important. While all of those negative symptoms have been reported in individuals who have taken iboga, he noted that they are mostly related to inexperience, self-medicating, taking greater amounts than one can manage, and the fact that they are physically detoxing from narcotics. He also pointed out that there are many more individuals whose lives have been transformed for the better than those who have had bad experiences, but those whose lives have been altered were given iboga in a controlled setting.
Is Iboga and Its Medicinal Properties the Subject of Research?
Unfortunately, there isn’t much study on the advantages of iboga, thus anecdotal accounts are a big part of determining the substance’s effectiveness. There have been 33 fatalities as a consequence of iboga use, according to a chapter published in Progress in Brain Research, although the drug has the potential to reduce appetites for psychoactive compounds. They urge customers to be extra cautious, particularly because determining the proper dose for oneself is difficult.
However, a study on the “legacy of an African plant (iboga)” seems to be getting the greatest interest in terms of research. says that there is a new iboga alkaloid congener known as 18-methoxycoronaridine (18-MC), a “more effective and safer structural derivative,” that “appears to have significant promise for widespread usage as an anti-addictive treatment.” Ibogaine “produces whole-body tremors and, at large dosages (at least 100 mg/kg), cerebellar impairment; 18-MC does not produce these effects,” according to the research. Both Ibogaine and 18-MC seem to have promise as anti-addictive drugs, however the student believes that 18-MC is the safest choice based on their research.
While we wait for further study on iboga, its advantages, and affects, the Iboga Tree Healing House says that there are certain iboga benefits that many people are unaware of, such as letting go and autoimmune healing. They say that there are many anecdotal accounts demonstrating the effectiveness of iboga for fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s illness. They further say that iboga enables users to remember “previous memories in great detail,” which they characterize as “like being transported into the past.” While this may be unpleasant, you will have recovered from the anguish of your past during the reflective phase of the therapy, which is why it is so helpful for those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
More information about the Iboga Wellness Center
Iboga Wellness Center is a safe haven for anybody seeking help, healing, or a new beginning. The group provides “complete support and care.” To help with trauma, addiction, and revealing your own inherent truth, you may anticipate a mix of “Iboga’s natural source intelligence with old Bwiti wisdom instruction.” “The personal revelation of this truth inside ourselves is deep, empowering, and lasting,” according to the health facility. In addition, the facility is legal, secure, and compassionate, and it is located in Costa Rica’s tropics. Iboga Wellness Center takes pleasure in providing customized and successful holistic treatment experiences, according to Levi. The team also follows up with former patients many times a year to see how they are doing.
The main thing to remember
Iboga is a botanical chemical derived from the root of a plant that can only be found in certain parts of Africa. While there are dangers associated with self-medicating, particularly if you have a history of cardiovascular disease, these may be readily avoided with the proper advice. We know that additional natural alternatives to pharmaceutical medicines, such as iboga, cannabis, and psilocybin, are needed. Unfortunately, iboga, like the other natural therapies, has an issue. Despite many anecdotal claims of its effectiveness, there is insufficient study to remove it from its illicit drug classification.
WARNING! Please don’t use iboga for self-medicating. To avoid any negative consequences, your health should be evaluated by a medical expert, and the iboga should be given by someone who understands what they’re doing.
