Iboga and Addiction Resolution

Iboga and Addiction Resolution

Steven Caylor

Ivy Tech Community College

Abstract

            This report describes a novel method for addiction resolution using the plant T. iboga. I will briefly address the motivating factors of drug use/abuse and will discuss T. iboga’s uses, both ethnobotanical and psychological/sociological. Also, the pharmacology and potential hazards of this method will be looked at.
 

Iboga and Addiction Resolution

            Chemical dependency is a debilitating condition that affects millions world-wide. For those relying on various psychoactive substances for the illusion of emotional stability the prospect of physical and mental agony during detoxification may be motivation enough to continue repetitive, destructive behaviors. Often underling psychological struggles are the primary cause of substance abuse disorders, and until these distresses are resolved emotional dependence will remain, even if physical detoxification is obtained. Ingestion of the plant T. iboga, or its active constituent ibogaine, is a gateway for those trapped in abusive cycles; offering freedom through symptom free emotional integration.

            In Moksha: Writings on psychedelics and the visionary experience (1977), Aldous Huxley proposed that it is human nature to seek states that transcend our humanity; that we hold ourselves up as idols while simultaneously deploring what we do, think, and feel. It was Huxley’s stance that the consumption of mind altering plants and chemicals is inevitable and cannot be done away with. What is needed is comprehensive, objective education about the plethora of options available to alter consciences. This would enable people to make intelligent, informed decisions concerning their drug use.  All psychoactive drugs permit a temporary release from our normal operating schemas, but some do so in a way that promotes growth or “upward transcendence” while doing little, if any, damage to the human organism. Still others promote “downward transcendence” and cause damage not only to the consuming organism but to the society that the organism is associated with.           

Through ignorance, on the personal and social level, some get caught in cycles of drug use that only seems to entrap them more and more as time progresses. Luckily, there exist substances that satisfy our desire for transcendence that can help break those cycles. Tabernathe iboga  is one such substance.

            Tabernathe iboga is a ground shrub indigenous to tropical regions of Africa including Gabon and modern day Congo (Lovett, 2006, p. 2). It has been used ethnobotanically for millennia; with employment believed to originate with the Pygmy Tribe of western Congo who anthropologists consider to be the oldest members of the human race. Some believe T. iboga to be the Biblical ‘Tree of Knowledge’ (Wikipedia).  In the late thirties an extract of Tabernathe manii was marketed for its stimulant and euphoric effects, and the early sixties saw the introduction of anti-addiction research with ibogaine.

            Ibogaine’s use in this manner was pioneered by Howard Lostof. While battling heroin addiction Lostof sought ibogaine recreationally and was flabbergasted by what he found; a thirty six hour trip through repressed memories of traumatic events at the heart of his addictive cycles; a slide show of his life in full Technicolor; examination with the emotional detachment of a third party observer; simultaneous realization and resolution of the experiences that led him to excess, all during a state of wakeful slumber. After a night sleep, waking rested and excited by the possibilities, Lostof was astonished to find his cravings had benignly departed leaving none of the effects opiate withdrawal can elicit, such as: profuse perspiration, prolonged vomiting, agonizing pain, and severe psychological trauma. Inspired by revelation, Lostof dedicated his life to sharing the freedom he felt this powerful medicine could grant. To this end he developed methods facilitating the resolution of addiction to: opiates, stimulants (such as cocaine and amphetamines), alcohol, nicotine, and any combination of the above substances, each of which was granted a patent.  Along with methods, Lostof formed NDA International, Inc. to assist in the distribution of ibogaine to those in need (Lovett, 2006, p. 4).

Formal research with ibogaine in human subjects is quite limited, but with international self-help groups offering unofficial treatment for over thirty years, anecdotal reports abound. Describing an experience with ibogaine one former addict says:

“My experience with ibogaine was one I will not forget. At first I was afraid; I did not know what to expect, but what did I have to lose? Nothing. My life was in turmoil. I could not stop using drugs. For some reason I was uncomfortable with just being myself…I took the therapeutic dose hoping to get to the root of my problems; for some solution to what or why I was doing this to myself. I was awake through it all. I began seeing pictures flash before me. Thinking back to it now it was overwhelming…Through my childhood I remember a lot of fighting, being afraid; a scared and frightened child. I was hurt – violated when I was about four of five years old. It makes a lot of sense now why I have always felt this fear inside of me even to get close to my significant other. Coming out of it there was anger because of what happened to me, and yet there was such a sigh of relief, a peace of mind. There was also a spiritual side within that was beautiful” (I begin Again, 1).

From the mid eighties to the early nineties Lostof transported forty addicts to the Netherlands for treatment. He reported that “twenty to thirty subjects lost their cravings, and that twelve stayed drug free for at least six months” (Cowley et al, 1993, p. 2). Research in this vein is currently conducted by several groups around the globe. One in the spotlight now is Deborah Mash and colleagues, who occasionally take seekers into international waters to avoid the authorities. Mash accompanied Lostof to the Netherlands during his early experiments with ibogaine. She is the lead scientist performing research for the FDA through her position at The University of Miami. FDA approval for phase one testing with human subjects was granted in 1996, unfortunately later that year the National Institute on Drug Abuse, who funds Mash’s research, denied her request. Appropriations were granted for more investigations in the animal model, which confirmed the results of previous work. As of 2006 NIDA still refused to proceed with Human trials, despite accumulating evidenced supporting them.

            Quests to identify ibogaine’s neuro-chemical mechanisms have shown some light into the complex interactions ibogaine stimulates within the brain. Ibogaine has been shown to affect a wide range of systems including: dopamine, serotonin, opiate, and NMDA receptors. Ibogaine’s action as a NMDA antagonist is one interesting path to explaining the absence of withdrawal symptoms, as it was found to lower the severity of dependency and withdrawal in rats (Lovett, 2006, p. 8). Ibogaine’s activity with the dopagenic system is also of significance. Ibogaine lowers the levels of dopamine available to neurons; this may play a role in interrupting addiction, as increased levels of dopamine are suspected to reinforce substance use by stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain (Nadis, 1993, p. 2). Research with animal subjects has answered many questions pertinent to progress with human testing; many supporting Lostof’s claims. In 1988 Dutch scientists found ibogaine to “attenuate narcotic withdrawal;” following shortly in 1992 and 1993, it was found to “reduce or interrupt” the intake of morphine, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol in rats with open supplies (FAQ, 1995) (Ibogaine Works, 1).

            When dealing with powerful mind activating substances there are certain guidelines researchers should follow. A thorough physical and psychological screening should take place before and after each session, and the environment should be designed to maximize the comfort of the participant. The use of ibogaine in the treatment of substance abuse requires additional precautions be taken. Ibogaine potentiates, or strengthens, the effects of heroin on the body, so it is vital that subjects abstain from drug use for twenty four hours before treatment. Minor nausea may occur, so patients are recommended to fast for eight to twelve hours pre-ingestion. Ibogaine has been found to be non-toxic at therapeutic doses (Diamond, 1994, p. 2), and does not induce dependence or withdrawal (FAQ, 1995).

            Many obstacles confront those wishing to break free from substance abuse. Physical and psychological misery can render chemical bliss very enticing, regardless of how illusory and destructive it may be. An inability to identify subconscious motivations behind their pursuit of altered states of consciousness may leave addicts with few options for recovery. Iboga and ibogaine present the chemically dependent with an alternative, one that address motivation, curbs cravings, and allows recovery to proceed without experiencing the horrifying ordeal recovering addicts have faced in the past.

References

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