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Gabon, sometimes called the "Switzerland of West Africa" for its abundance of oil, minerals, and forests, enjoys a strong economy with a modest population of 2 million. This wealth contributes to the country's stability, as reflected by its position on the 2023 Global Peace Index, just behind Thailand and ahead of Georgia.
When you visit Gabon, Moughenda's team, with decades of experience in ensuring visitor safety, will take excellent care of you. Authorities will be notified of your arrival, supporting Gabon's initiative to encourage respectful tourism.
Iboga can be safe when administered by an experienced and traditionally trained Bwiti Missoko healer, provided that thorough health screenings, including an EKG, liver test, and a comprehensive health review, are conducted beforehand.
However, it is essential to be aware of contraindications. Individuals with heart or liver issues, or those taking certain medications or narcotics, may be at higher risk.
The authenticity of Iboga is also crucial: the market is flooded with counterfeit products, including immature or lab-grown Iboga, which can be dangerous. Verifying the source of your Iboga is essential for safety.
For those using Iboga in a detoxification process from substances like alcohol or drugs, it is vital to work with an experienced Bwiti shaman, such as Moughenda. Full transparency about your health and medications is also necessary for safe treatment.
The legal status of Iboga varies significantly from one country to another. In Gabon, it is fully legal and protected as a national treasure, deeply rooted in the cultural heritage and recognized in the Gabonese constitution, emphasizing its importance in traditional rituals.
However, in many other countries, Iboga is illegal, mainly due to concerns about its use outside of traditional settings. Purchasing Iboga online for personal use is not recommended, as it carries significant risks when not used within its intended ceremonial context and when its source is unverified.
The separation from traditional practices, such as those of the Bwiti Missoko, has contributed to its restricted status in many regions. If you are considering using Iboga for detoxification, particularly for addiction, it is essential to work with an experienced healer or shaman like Moughenda, who can ensure its safe and effective use.
Definitely! After reserving your iboga retreat, you’ll be connected with a personal concierge. They will assist you every step of the way, providing preparation instructions, informative materials, and thorough packing lists to ensure you're ready for the experience.
Iboga, in its raw root bark form, plays a key role in Bwiti Missoko traditions, providing a holistic healing process that touches the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual realms. With Moughenda's expertise, it is also employed in medically supervised detox programs for drug and alcohol addiction, utilizing its full therapeutic benefits while acknowledging potential risks. In contrast, Ibogaine, a compound extracted from Iboga, is often used in detox centers outside Gabon. While Ibogaine can aid in detox by interacting with opiate receptors, it lacks the complete spiritual essence of Iboga, often leading to temporary results that require multiple treatments. Moughenda's 60-day detox program integrates Iboga’s detoxification properties with the deep spiritual healing of Bwiti Missoko ceremonies, offering a full-body and soul recovery that pharmaceutical Ibogaine treatments may miss. For lasting recovery, Moughenda's traditional approach offers a more comprehensive solution. Book a discovery call to learn more about the Detox program.
Comparing Iboga and Ayahuasca is like comparing day and night. Many people seek out Iboga after several Ayahuasca retreats, often feeling that something was missing. Iboga is particularly effective for healing trauma, providing a grounding and conclusive experience. While Ayahuasca may lead to an ongoing spiritual journey, Bwiti’s use of Iboga focuses on bringing clarity and self-awareness, allowing individuals to fully embrace themselves and live life in a clear, sober state, rather than continuously searching.
While it's common to feel some fear before trying Iboga for the first time, this fear usually fades once the ceremony starts, and the experience is generally peaceful and calm. Unfortunately, because Iboga is relatively new to the Western world, accurate information can be hard to find, while fear-based content is more prevalent online.
Most negative stories come from cases where individuals were overdosed or improperly served by untrained people, or when they took Iboga alone. Iboga can be dangerous if not administered by a trained shaman or provider.
Here are some common fears:
1) Fear of losing control: During an Iboga ceremony, you may feel some loss of motor coordination, but you remain aware of yourself and your environment. Iboga does not cause erratic behavior or a loss of character.
2) Fear of facing difficult truths: For some, it’s not the physical loss of control but confronting personal truths that can be daunting. Iboga helps reveal things you may have been avoiding, but it provides a healthy perspective throughout the process. Moughenda and his team are available to offer support and guidance.
3) Fear of a 'bad trip': If you take the medicine under the supervision of a trained shaman or provider, with the proper dosage, there’s no reason to experience a 'bad trip.' Most bad experiences occur when people take Iboga or Ibogaine alone or under improper guidance.
Iboga remains relatively unknown to many. If you’re considering it or feel drawn to it, it’s likely the plant has something meaningful to offer you. However, it's crucial to take full precautions, including a thorough health evaluation, EKG, and medication review, and to work under the guidance of a skilled, traditionally trained provider or shaman in a safe and controlled setting.
Some individuals experience nausea or vomiting during the ceremony, while others do not—it varies from person to person. Around 35% of participants may feel nauseous or vomit. If it happens, there’s no need for concern; vomiting is a natural process that aids in the physical, emotional, and spiritual cleansing and detoxification. Though it's not pleasant, the Bwiti House team is highly experienced in guiding you through this process, ensuring it is as comfortable and effective as possible.
Iboga provides a unique experience that differs for each individual. At Moughenda's village, many describe it as a state of deep meditation, where you remain fully aware and in control. Physically, it can be intense and heighten your senses. Unlike other entheogens, Iboga, as a root, has a grounding effect. It promotes self-awareness and fosters a deep connection to both oneself and the environment. Rather than providing an escape, it invites introspection. Responses vary; some people feel a sense of calm, while others may have an active mind. Its stimulating nature often keeps participants awake for up to 24 hours, allowing for continuous conscious processing. Natural sleep follows afterward.
While there is no rigid diet to follow before taking Iboga, maintaining a clean and healthy diet in the days leading up to your iboga retreat can help minimize purging during the ceremony. A body that is already somewhat detoxed allows the medicine to focus more rapidly on the spiritual, emotional, and mental aspects of the process.
Health screening: Make sure you have reviewed your health history and disclosed all information to the Bwiti House team. If you have certain health conditions, working with Iboga maybe unsafe. Also, if you are taking certain pharmaceuticals or other drugs, you should not take Iboga at the same time period.
We recommend everyone get an EKG to ensure you have a healthy heart prior to working with Iboga.
Diet:There is no strict diet required to prepare for Iboga. However, following a clean and healthy diet as much as possible leading up to your iboga retreat can reduce purging during your ceremony. If your body is mostly clean and detoxed going in to ceremony, the medicine can more quickly get to the spiritual, emotional, and mental work with you.
Prepare to Unplug: You should be unplugged from technology and internet for the majority of your iboga retreat. Organize your affairs in advance so you have nothing to worry about during your time here. Let people know you will be unplugged so that no one is expecting to hear from you. You must make a commitment to yourself and your healing if you expect a good outcome.
Reflect: The main preparation for an iboga ceremony is simply to focus on becoming aware of you and your life. We recommend that you grab a notebook or a blank piece of paper and draw a line down the center of it. On one side of that line write down all the things you don’t want in your life or want less of in your life, (e.g., no anxiety, less stress). Then in the other column write down what you want in your life or what you want more of in your life (e.g., peace of mind, happiness).
Finally, on the back of that paper we will ask you to generate questions around these focal points.
State of Mind: Finally- to prepare- we recommend coming in to the experience with the following:
-An open-mind / few expectations: Iboga works with everyone in a different way, and everyone has a unique experience. Let go of what you believe Iboga will be like and surrender to being in the present moment with the process as it unfolds for you.
-Excitement: Iboga is a great teacher who has helped countless people better their lives. Be excited for this process!
“Why do I have anxiety and how do I get rid of it?”“How do I not get stressed out over stuff? How do I not get stressed out over ______?”“Why do I not have peace of mind? How can I attain peace of mind?”“How can I have more happiness in my life?”
This process will assist you in having clarity and truth about what matters to you in your life. There will be a point in your ceremony that you will have a chance to directly ask your soul and the medicine these questions.
