rahlii wrote:"Bwiti is thought to have been introduced to the Fang by the Mitsogho (Metsogo), along with the custom of eating iboga roots. Previous to this, the Fang ate the leaves of the iboga shrub for shamanic 'dreaming'.
This is a fascinating post , I look forward to continued reading and I'm very curious now as too the the traditional uses of Iboga. In my limited reading, I hear that Iboga trance can often lead to encounters with our relatives & ancestors in the spirit realm. I wonder if you can share any thoughts on the effects of smoking the leaf , say any visions of spirits during your journey?
If you research the FANG tribe , their tribal arts all center around Ancestor worship, they have some of the most fantastic forms in all of Africa art and their traditional works can sell for millions in the high end art market, they are typically the most desired.
The Fang Cult known as Byeri was put down and outlawed by colonial forces at the turn of the century. The Byeri cult that used these art works in rituals had created images of ancestors that would guard the bones of passed family members and would act as mediums to the Spirit world, they would be spoken to while in Trance , I am assuming Iboga trance.
also of note: Picasso was greatly influenced by African art, particularly Fang masks.
great post , thanks for sharing.
Obviously everything the Shaman says is Hyperspace Hyperbole