S2E41: Ibogaine Inquiries Part III: The Sacred Roots of Iboga

Long before ibogaine entered Western clinics and laboratories, the plant it comes from held a sacred place in Gabonese life. In Part III of Ibogaine Inquiries, we travel to Gabon to explore Bwiti, the spiritual tradition in which iboga is understood as a teacher, guide, and living presence.

Gabonese practitioners and Bwiti initiates describe the preparation, community, music, mentorship, and lifelong practice that surround the medicine. They explain why Iboga cannot be separated from the larger body of knowledge developed around it. As Western interest continues to grow, this episode asks what may be lost when a sacred plant and its active compound are removed from the people, traditions, and relationships that have safeguarded them for generations.

A note to listeners: This series is intended to inform, not encourage the use of ibogaine. Ibogaine is a powerful psychoactive substance with serious medical risks and should never be used without thorough medical evaluation and appropriate supervision. As you'll hear throughout this series, increasing global demand has also had profound consequences for the Indigenous communities in Gabon who have safeguarded Iboga and its traditions for generations. We encourage you to listen to the full series before drawing conclusions or seeking out treatment.

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To support the indigenous peoples of Gabon, Africa and help protect the sacred Iboga plant, please visit https://blessingsoftheforest.org/ where you can learn about those who use this medicine ceremoniously, have for thousands of years, and whose access is in grave danger.

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