Iboga Shrub
1. Iboga is a tool. Iboga is a visionary plant medicine that is on this earth for all who seek it. Iboga is not a magic bullet and it is important to meet it halfway. You can learn from it and use the spirit of iboga’s help and guidance to heal on a physical, mental and spiritual level.
Think of your brain as like a hard drive on a computer. Iboga is like the software that de-programs the hard drive and gets rid of viruses. It processes through all of the prior information (past traumas, belief systems, learned behavior…). It is a re-set so the new programming can take effect.
– Gary Cook, Shamanic Iboga Provider at Iboga Wellness Center, Costa Rica
2. Know your facility/provider. Do research on where you would like to take your journey and go with a place you resonate with. Take the time to read different facilities’ websites, listen to testimonials and look at pictures of the facility. Most importantly, ask hard questions. Will you be guided through a journey or will you be just monitored by medical staff? How much experience does the provider have? If those things are important to you, definitely ask. And remember, how you are treated before your retreat is a direct reflection of how you will be treated during your experience.
\I love it when people call or email with a lot of questions about iboga and our facility. It really shows that they are taking it seriously. I want them to know as much as they can because trust is so important when a person is being guided through the experience.\
– Jeanie Blend, Director of Guest Services at Iboga Wellness Center
3. Safety first. Ask if a facility has medical supervision and how far away the nearest hospital is for your own peace of mind. There are some exclusions that would make a person not a good candidate to take iboga such as heart problems, certain medications, pregnancy and very high liver enzymes. Every center may have a different safety protocol so it is important to find out what that protocol is.
4. Set your intention. It is important to want to undergo an iboga experience 100%. Think about why you would like to take iboga and life questions you may have about yourself. Go into it with a willingness and an open mind without distractions. It should be noted that people should not be coerced into taking iboga, it is a choice that only that person can make.
5. Normal physical effects. Some normal effects include possible nausea, temporary vomitting, dizziness, a faster heart rate, light sensitivity, some sweating and cold hands and feet. Some people feel all of these symptoms and some people don’t. These effects are just part of the process and all are normal. However, it is important to not have expectations about how your actual journey should go. Some people have more of a visual journey and for some people it is more of a day-dream type introspection that takes place. Just go with the flow.
Though everyone’s experience is different, we are all searching for the same thing – happiness and peace. Each of us will will take a different path to get there but we will all arrive at the same place inside. Iboga is used in a ceremonial, sacred, spiritual and traditional setting which allows for this deep and profound process. Iboga is an incredible teacher plant that helps us to zoom out of our lives and to be a witness of who we are and life around us. Once you embrace your happiness and who you are on a deep level this journey called life becomes simple and clear. Iboga is an amazing tool to help you get to this place.-Written by the Iboga Wellness Center Team