Hi everyone,

This is my first post on DMT Nexus. I am looking for some advice with regards to first time Iboga use and its anti-depressant qualities. I have recently returned from an Ayahuasca retreat which I found to be very insightful and a cleansing experience to say the least but, although I'm confident the medicine is still working to some extent, I have found it very hard to icorporate the lessons back into my daily life and as such I have somewhat fallen back into the depressed state I was in pre-Ayahuasca! From what I have read, it seems Iboga is more of a one off thing than a lifetime commitment to shamanic healing. I have also read that it is more straight to the point and less "out there" than Aya. That is why I have come here to seek advice.

I have found what seems to be a popular source for obtaining Iboga online and have been advised by them to go for the powdered extracted form (TA Iboga). I've been told that 3.4grams should be enough for a full flood dose then I could micro dose afterwards for the next couple of weeks or so with the capsules they sell (which contain much smaller doses of ibogaine). I was told I can consume the powder with yogurt.

Here is what I would like to know -

1)Has anyone here self administered Iboga this way (using this method and for the treatment of depression as opposed to drug addiction) and what were the results?

2)Whilst I appreciate that it's probably better to use Iboga in a proffesional/spiritual environment under the supervision of experienced people, this is also very expensive. It would be nice to have someone to empty my sick bucket and tell me that everything's going to be ok but, as a poor student, doing it in my bedroom with my girlfriend watching over me occasionally sounds like a more appropriate method. Is this relatively safe? and do I need to book 3 or 4 days off work?!

3)Should I take the 3.4gs all in one go with my yogurt or shall I just have say 0.5 every hour or so? And should I begin in the morning or evening?

4)Do I need to fast or avoid certain foods, drugs, other substances before, during and after my trip?

5)Has anyone successfuly treated depression using the micro dosing method? If so, what is the best, most cost effective way to do this? Or should I just stick to flood therapy?

6)If it is best that I visit a retreat clinic instead, does anyone know any good ones in the UK or at least in Europe?

7)Finally, am I going the right way towards fixing depression (bare in mind that I eat well and meditate a lot so most of my life is healthy)?. Like most sufferers, I feel like I've tried everything and it's bloody tiring! Some success stories would be nice.

Any additional advice would be greatly appreciated. Although my primary concern is depression, quiting smoking would also be nice. I believe that all adictions are just by-products or symptoms of some kind of psychological problem anyway so hopefuly Iboga will at least begin to take care of everything in one go!

Please avoid the use of super technical lingo or any scientific extraction methods. I'm not very chemistry minded!

Thank you so much for your help

Iboga does not fundamentally route out all your problems and turn you into a flawless person. Many people who eat it to detox relapse, and many people who eat it for spiritual and psychological reasons are confronted by the same problems again a few months later, only to find that iboga no longer offers them relief. It does many beneficial things, but if you want to get the most out of the experience I recommend the following: Do not build up expectations or mentally acquire demands of the experience, and, go to gabon and do a traditional initiation. Where there is a will there is a way, and it is worth it.

good luck

Hey man not got much time to go into your post atm but Ive done iboga once with my girlfriend as my sitter. https://www.dmt-nexus.me...aspx?g=posts&t=13977

I've onlt tried Aya in Peru, not done Iboga, but understand what you are saying.

I did though research Iboga a lot. Yes, you do have to watch your diet, etc. I think you are better off with a flood dose. I think the right way to treat depression with Iboga is the same as with Aya. You need to write down questions you want the answers to. You will need to make positive life changes in line with what you learnt. Some say Iboga gives you honest direct answers, and that Iboga is like "what would your friend say??"
Giving up smoking is easy or difficult, it's easy if you want to. What can you do that's better than smoking, what would your friend say?

Thank you all for your comments, I really appreciate your help.

I think if I order this stuff (4.5gs of total alkaloid Iboga powder) I will probably fast or at most just eat some fruit in the morning then take like half a g. with yogurt or honey water every half hour or so then see how I go. Then I plan on micro dosing a couple of times a week for the 2 weeks following my flood either by getting an addition gram of the same stuff of buying the pre made capsules (30x300mg) of a less concentrated form of Iboga (this is what the supplier recommends). Please say if anyone thinks any of this is a bad idea!

Christian - I know what you're saying. Mother Ayahuasca is not so direct. She likes to beat around the bush a bit with her lessons! That's what drew me to Iboga. But yeh I will write up a list of intentions for sure.

Infinite I - Thanks for the link bro, sounds like you had a good experience. If you get time, I'd really appreciate some guidance on how to take it. I'd also like to speak to that puma guy about it!

Mescaline-man - I wouldn't go so far as to dismiss Aya completely. I know what you mean though since (according to my research) it usually falls second best to Iboga in it's ability to heal. However there is a lot to be learned from the experience and whilst I don't feel any particularly profound changes, most others in the group I was with really did and plan to go back again next year. It really does depend on the individual. Thank's for the video link. I hadn't seen it before but I like the comparison it makes where it says that Aya takes you outside of yourself to other realms to find answers and that Iboga takes you deep within yourself hence there are no translation issues - the message is as loud and clear as your own voice inside your head.

I had the opportunity to do San Pedro after the Aya (I was in the Peruviuan Andes) but I would have had to wait for 5 days after the Aya to avoid unwanted interactions so it wasn't practical for me. My friend did it though and said it was awesome. A lot more gentle in a kind of oneness with nature kinda way (but I guess you already know that!) As a side note, I have tried it before but I did it the wrong way. I just ate like half a cactus! Nasty! Don't every try that! It did very little other than keep me awake for ages.

Anyway, the way I see mescaline and psilocybin is that they offer very valuable insights but probably do little in the way of deep long term healing compared with Aya and Iboga. Maybe I'm wrong about that. If they have helped you then I'll take that on board. I defo feel great after a night on mushrooms. Perhaps you should try peyote if you haven't already or Peruvian torch. Peyote has apparantly got the highest mescaline content by a long shot. These are all on my "to do" list! By the way, I can recommend a very trustworthy place to do Ayahuasca if you are interested and it is donation based so it won't break the bank. I dunno if I'm allowed to mention it on here but if you type "donation based Ayahuasca retreats in Peru" in Google, you'll find it straight away . There are a lot of phonies out there as well as Shamans who tend to lean towards the darker side of the medicine, especially in Iquitos so you have to be careful.

Ouro - I realise that there is no magic bullet out there that will just blast away everything that is sh*t in my life but for me I want to use Iboga as a tool for self growth that will at least build some foundations from which I can flourish. I guess I want from Iboga what I didn't get from Ayahuasca, but your completely bang on about not having expectations. Very sound advice.

I have looked into Bwiti initiations in Gabon but from what I hear these can be dangerous and that the only groups that would consider initiating a white guy from England would do it somewhat half heartedly and only for financial gain. Please correct me if I'm wrong though. Have you had different experiences? The other option is to go to a clinic in UK or mainland Europe which seems a lot more appealing but I am strongly considering doing at home. I just wanna make sure I do it right. Have you used Iboga before? If so, I'd really like to hear how that went for you.

Thanks again

Hi,
Not used it for depression, but I might be able to pass on some advice.

Iboga helped me to get off of alcohol and into recovery, and so far so good well over a year. I took TA the first time, in Canada, and administered it myself the 2nd time, HCL though. A couple of weeks ago I brewed up an ayahuasca analogue with Jurema instead(mimosahuasca) which I took twice.


You should definitely use the time after you take the iboga (you will have the 'ibo-glow' :-)) to do positive things and (start) to make changes in your life that you feel you need to do. From joining a club/sports team to making new friends, making a diary and connecting with family, or whatever, have some plan to get out of whatever rut you feel you are in.

To answer your questions:
2) U will experience 'the waves' and lack of balance you get with aya, but you will most likely not throw up like with aya when it is taken as TA (vs raw root bark). You could get away with taking it Saturday morning, if you had to be somewhere friday & monday, but I would probably take the monday off just to be sure. Have a sitter, just for the peace of mind. Create a relaxing 2-3 hour looping chill out music playlist on youtube or whatever to have in the background. The stuff you hear in a good spa will suffice (cheesy, but it will help you relax and help your trip).

3)Not sure about this, I guess take a gram then wait about an hour, then take the rest, if you feel ok. Take it in the late morning, early afternoon, get a good sleeping eye mask to wear in bed, as the visions are primarily closed eye. You will probably not sleep that night.

4) You should fast. Eat yogurt and light food like salad and fish the day before. try not to eat for about 12 hours before.

Iboga is miraculous stuff, you will come out the other side early the next day reborn with a flood dose. but you need to have a plan afterwords, after the effects fade in the months/weeks ahead. Try to have an intent asking why you are depressed, this may help the visions. And no worries, this should get rid of your smoking very easily.

If you have the money, a retreat and/or proper ceremony would be ideal, but you may want to be prepared for Gabon: http://www.realitysandwi...ga_conversation_mugianis

It's this one Ayahuasca Satsanga.
Yeh I looked into the Chimbre thing. It's the one from that documentary right? Seems fairly legit but also kinda pretentious. And you can be sure it will be very busy and probably expensive. With the Ayahuasca Satsanga you have the option of a retreat in the jungle or the the Andean mountains. I chose the mountains. It was very luxurious and welcoming, the staff were so friendly, they seemed like part of the group. I felt like I was part of a big family. Oh and the shaman is a G! He's so chilled out and humble!
I paid about £600 for a return flight from London to Lima (budgetair.co.uk is super cheap. I flew with KLM/AirFrance) Then you'll need to either get an internal flight or a bus (wich is cheaper) to Huaraz or Iquitos. Obviously you may want to do some trekking or something to make the most of your time there so depending on how much u want to donate, £2000 should be enough for the whole trip.

You will at the very least gain some interesting insights and come away feeling nice and healthy after purging a lot from every orifice. But if you're lucky it will change you in a big way. Like Ouro said, try not to have any expectations at all, focus on what it is you want and keep a journal of all the lessons you have gained no matter how small then take time to really think about them and try to integrate them into your life. This is a really crucial aspect of learning from Ayahuasca in my opinion.

Let me know if you want any more info on this subject. I'd be happy to help. Likewise I'll be sure to hook you up if I ever need some guidance cooking up some San Pedro

mescaline-man - I forgot to say, the way Aya seems to work is that it starts working with your general health, then your kind of superficial issues, then starts to work deeper. For me it wasn't until the last ceremony where it started to turn my attention to deeper rooted issues. Perhaps that's why I didn't feel my experience was as complete as it could have been. If you want to speed up the process, it is essential that you get as healthy as possible before you go. This way there will be less crap to clear out. Meditation, healthy eating (maybe even to a juice fast the week before), abstainance from sex, alcohol, drugs, and meat (especially pork), exercise, saunas etc for as long as you can prior to your retreat is HIGHLY recommended!!

Thanks for this ddraig. Sounds like you have had a good experience with Iboga. How does it compare to your experiences with Aya in terms of long term general well being?
The article was very informative and has made me think seriously about the potential dangers involved. I don't wanna die! I think I'll go with half a g. at a time. Did you ever micro dose with smaller amounts? I have heard about people who have taken it like twice weekly in very small amounts and have noticed great benefits without actually going through the whole Iboga experience. I am not concerned about going through the flood process but it would be nice to continue the benefits afterwards.

You say there is an after glow which lasts for months. Do you think there is an additional benefit of making it an annual or bi annual thing? Or is it more of a one off thing?

I think if I go for a retreat I'll keep it close to home. I'm kind of intimidated by the prospect of wandering into Gabon!

Thanks for the tips

Wow, an interesting place, Escape. For the retreat that it is, it seems reasonable, although a week's stay in Shipibo villages near Pucallpa cost from $150.

I wish you luck with the Iboga, and it looks like you are on a good path. It seems like you have a good plan. I have also looked into it recently, and may try it in the near future

Regards, Chris.

Nice. Do you have a link for that place? I will definately be getting involved with Iboga sometime soon so I will keep you posted and let you know how it goes

The Shipibo place was one of many in San Francisco, near Pucallpa. They are all similar priced and negotiable anyway.

As for Iboga, i haven't yet decided for sure.

It could very well help against depression. But don´t combine it with any other medication. Only you can decide whether you´re ready for it. It get´s quite heavy.

Doing a flood with an experienced guide is probably more effective than microdosing, but this is not a well established fact. It has strong medicinal properties, just as the chemical it is, but the flood-experience allows you to visit and re-live your earliest childhood memories. If any negative experiences in your early childhood would be at the root of your problems, then maybe you could more easily overcome them this way.

No Problem. Aya and Iboga seem to have a lot of similarities in terms of benefits, and I have only tried my own aya brew, so Im not sure I can fairly compare. I would say Iboga is phenomenal for long term effects though. After a flood, its like your brain and body is wiped, like you are a baby. Cigarettes, caffeine, (even bad habits/fear) will be erased. Your taste buds will be like a baby, everything will taste new and different You will generally feel amazing, this is the ibo-glow and can last for at least a month, w.o. microdosing.

I have microdosed a couple of times with like 1->3g of bark, both were very positive, and helped me with some insight. I would recommend micro-dosing for a period afterwords, as my friend in AA did this for a few months after a flood and said this helped remove his depression/anxiety. Iboga supposedly 'repairs' the brain, so perhaps prolonged exposure over the course of a few months after the flood will be very helpful.

As far as visions/experiences, like polytrip mentions, you may see things about your childhood as well as feel things from another's perspective (typically someone close to you). I had a few of these experiences in both of my trips.

As far as Gabon, I don't mean to deter you, as I was planning to go this year, and visit a girl in Kenya afterwords, but alas it did not happen. Just be careful, and prepared, like whenever you travel.

Not sure about flooding every year, some people do it. You will get your arse kicked if you havent done what it tells you to do next time you take it. This happened to me on my second time!
When are you planning to take it? Good luck and report back

Hi Guys,

I thought I would update you. I have just ordered 5 grams of TA Iboga powder and I should be doing a flood dose in the next couple of weeks. I will definately keep you posted by writing about my experience. In the meantime I have a last minute question that's been bugging me a bit.

I understand that Iboga can produce a kind of positive afterglow for months after the initial flood dose. That sounds great and will be a welcome relief from depression but what I'm really interested in is something permanent. Can the insights, lessons and resetting of the mind experienced on Iboga be powerful enough to at least give me the opportunity to implement changes for permanent affect? I wanted this from Ayahuasca but didn't quite acheive it.

If I took another dose a few months down the line will I double the benefits or at least continue the pleasant afterglow? If so, does there come a point where I will build up a tolerance to it? I hear so many people talking about how great they feel in the few months after Iboga but what I'm interested in is what happens after? I don't want to slip back into depression!

As I don't have any hard drug addictions my theory is that there will be less to clear out from a physical point of view and the medicine will be able to attend directly to clearing my emotional blockages right away. I'm hoping that I will gain enough momentum after the flood dose to build strong enough foundations to create a permanently happy inner world. That is what I hope for!

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

I'm no expert, but from watching lotsa vid's and trip reports, Iboga will provide the afterglow.

BUT it is imperative that you have a positive framework of action to follow or you may slip back. keep doing the same=same results. You will need to learn from this and make changes.
This was the advice given to drug addicts, it would be the same to depression which is a kinda similar addiction to negativity.

Thanks Christian,

That's what I thought. I guess I just wanted to hear someone else say it! I just hope the said afterglow will allow me enough time and strength to apply the changes needed.

Peace

Some kinda positive planning helps greatly i heard. That's where the gold lies.

I'm in the same situation as you man. I have about 4.5g of TA extract that I've had sitting around for about a month now. I guess I'm waiting for the perfect time to take it.

This looks interesting. I've never heard of it before. I just researched it briefly and it seems it is safer and more effective than St John's Wort. Although people have said that a tolerance builds up after a few weeks. May check it out though.

I wonder if it's best to discontinue use before using Ibo because of it's affect on dopamine and serotonin levels?