Tabernanthe Iboga, A low growing african
shrub is so far the only natural source of
ibogaine that has any history of
ritual use. It grows throughout tropical zones of west africa, mainly in Gabon but also throughout Zaire.
Used primarily by the Bwiti, a cult found in Gabon. Eboka, as they know it, is used in lower doses as a stimulant and hunting aid, or an aphrodisiac. Higher doses are believed to bring the user into contact with their ancestors. Eboka has been central to the Christian based Bwiti cult for hundreds of years. Ibogaine itself has come under european scrutiny relatively recently, its properties being extremely difficult to categorise in relation with any other mind altering chemical:
"Taking the substance is a powerful, intense and fundamental experience that has brought a massive response from many people seeking to deal with addiction to heroin." - Dan Leiberman, a South African ethno-botanist who has been studying ibogaine for the past twelve years.
Heroin users taking this drug have undergone a strange and powerful change. Coming out of a three day ibogaine trip a large percentage of users have reported that they simply do not want heroin anymore. Not only this but the normal "cold turkey" experienced by heroin addicts is minimal, or even nonexistent. Ibogaine is not a complete solution - many users have returned to heroin after a period of abstinence - there is evidence that a percentage of addicts exposed to ibogaine have never gone back to their old ways.
Whilst this all sounds incredible, there are drawbacks. Like any drug, Ibogaine has had its casualties. It has been found that Ibogaine is fairly easy to overdose on if taken unsupervised, and it can on occasion react badly in some people. It is seven times more likely for a woman to have an adverse reaction than a man, although no-one knows quite why this is. There have been deaths attributed to Ibogaine use. This has lead to Ibogaine being (typically) banned as a Dangerous Psychedelic in the USA, and it is now schedule I. In the UK it is so unheard of it does not exist on any lists naming it to be illicit in any way. In Holland research is being made, and several clinics are offering expensive ibogaine treatments for addicts.
Many books have been written on the ibogaine story, there is way too much information out there to be crammed into one node. If you are interested in reading more, information is available on the net from http://www.erowid.org and http://www.lycaeum.org.