A sacred plant of neuronal effect: the use of ibogaine in addiction treatments in Brazil

Ibogaine, a non-typical psychedelic derived from the African plant Tabernanthe iboga, is used in four Brazilian addiction treatment clinics. Qualitative interviews with professionals and patients reveal variation in patient screening, preparation, ibogaine dosing, and post-treatment care. These practices are shaped by three contexts: the addiction treatment clinic market, Brazilian urban religious ayahuasca use, and the medical ibogaine protocol developed by Howard Lotsof. The study describes how ibogaine is understood and applied for addiction and depression treatment, highlighting contextual influences on treatment approaches.

Study at a glance

Abstract

ABSTRACT This research qualitatively investigated four treatments for addiction in Brazil that use ibogaine as the main tool in the process. Ibogaine is a substance derived from an African plant, Tabernanthe iboga, traditionally used in its region of origin and which leads to intense sensations during its acute effects and also different experiences of oneself and the surrounding world in the period after its use. It’s considered a non‐typical psychedelic. We visited the clinics and interviewed professionals and patients of these places. In this article, we focus on how ibogaine is used for addiction and depression treatment and how its effect is understood. There is variation in patient screening and preparation, how the ibogaine is determined, and the care practices proposed after the treatment. These variations seem to be influenced by the context where ibogaine is inserted and their practices. We identified three different contexts that influence ibogaine use in Brazil: the market of addiction treatment clinics, the Brazilian urban religious use of ayahuasca, and the medical context of ibogaine use developed by Howard Lotsof.