Transpersonal Intersubjectivity in Ibogaine Experiences: Three cases
Anthropology of Consciousness February 6, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1111/anoc.12172 via OpenAlex
Summary
Three individuals who ingested iboga or ibogaine reported unique experiences, highlighting varying phenomenological categories. Each participant described a sense of transpersonal communication, either with the substance itself or through visions of others, contributing to an impression of meaningfulness and ontological realism. These findings suggest that exploring such narratives could enhance future research and inform ibogaine-assisted therapies.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | individuals who ingested iboga or ibogaine |
| Key finding | Each participant reported distinct experiences of transpersonal communication related to their use of iboga or ibogaine. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT This report presents the personal experiences of three individuals who ingested iboga or ibogaine in different contexts and for different reasons. Narrative analysis reveals a connection with previously identified phenomenological categories of experience, however demonstrating a wide variability. Most notably, each of these interviewees reported a distinct impression of transpersonal communication, either with “iboga/ine” or with visions of others encountered in the oneirogenic experience. This relates with a sense of transpersonal presence that is mentioned elsewhere in literature describing waking REM experiences, such as sleep paralysis. Within these cases, a sense of transpersonal intersubjectivity appears to contribute a sense of ontological realism and meaningfulness of the experiences. Similar deep engagement with narrative reports may better inform future research, as well as ibogaine‐assisted therapies.