Ibogaine is a psychoactive alkaloid derived from the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to West Central Africa. For centuries, iboga has been used in the Bwiti spiritual tradition of Gabon, where it is ingested ceremonially to facilitate healing, ancestral connection, and spiritual insight. Within Bwiti, the isolated alkaloid, ibogaine, is never used in isolation; or in the absence of an intricate system of knowledge that includes ritual, music, community witnessing, and other plant and non-plant tools for accessing guidance, coherence, and truth.
 

Ibogaine was first isolated from the plant in the early 20th century by French and Belgian researchers. Western scientists sought to extract and purify the compound for pharmaceutical purposes, severing it from its broader ceremonial and ecological context. This act of isolation laid the groundwork for the compound to be evaluated through a medical lens, a necessary step for regulatory pathways like FDA approval, but also one that risks stripping the medicine of its relational and spiritual dimensions.
 

The modern story of ibogaine as a treatment for addiction is largely tied to Howard Lotsof, a heroin-dependent young man who, in 1962, took ibogaine and found that his withdrawal symptoms had virtually disappeared. Recognizing its potential, Lotsof dedicated his life to researching and advocating for ibogaine, initiating some of the earliest human studies and pushing for clinical trials in the face of stigma, regulatory resistance, and political obstacles. His legacy endures in today’s renewed interest in ibogaine as a tool for addressing opioid use disorder and other intractable conditions.
 

Yet ibogaine is not simply another intervention; it represents a paradigmatic shift. Its capacity to simultaneously engage biological, psychological, and spiritual domains suggests a more integrated model of healing that treats not only the symptoms of addiction, but its roots: disconnection, grief, trauma, and loss of meaning. This potential must be met with humility. Ibogaine carries risks, especially cardiac complications, and requires intensive screening and monitoring to ensure safety. It also demands ethical stewardship to prevent commodification, extractive research, or the erasure of its Indigenous origins.
 

As overdose deaths continue to rise, ibogaine offers an urgent, evidence-informed path forward—particularly for those underserved or failed by existing systems. We are committed to advancing rigorous science, supporting public benefit clinical trials, and protecting ibogaine’s availability in the public domain. In doing so, we seek not only to alleviate suffering, but to honor the sacred lineage from which this medicine comes and to remember that true healing is not found in isolation, but in reconnection: to self, to community, and to the Earth.