A phenomenological analysis of the subjective experience elicited by ibogaine in the context of a drug dependence treatment
Eduardo Ekman Schenberg, Maria Angélica de Castro Comis, João Felipe Morel Alexandre, Luís Fernando Tófoli, Bruno Daniel Rasmussen Chaves, Dartiu Xavier Da Silveira
Journal of Psychedelic Studies August 29, 2017 DOI: 10.1556/2054.01.2017.007 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPatients with substance-related disorders who received ibogaine in a treatment program reported intense physical discomfort and a psychologically challenging experience, along with heightened memory retrieval—especially about past drug use—and vivid, dreamlike visions. The experience shared some features with other psychedelics but also differed markedly. The authors propose that ibogaine's subjective effects may function as simulations of threat and danger, drawing on an evolutionary theory of dreaming.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Patients with substance-related disorders |
| Intervention | ibogaine |
| Topics | Ayahuasca LSD Psilocybin |
| Keywords | Psychology Hallucinogen |
| Citations | 39 |
| Key finding | Ibogaine produced a difficult subjective experience with strong physical effects, heightened recall of drug-related memories, and dreamlike visions, which the authors interpret as threat simulations. |
Abstract
Objective This report documents the phenomenology of the subjective experiences of 22 patients with substance-related disorders who were involved in a treatment combining cognitive–behavioral therapy and hospital sessions with ibogaine in Brazil. Methods Participants underwent a one-to-one semi-structured interview exploring the subjective effects of ibogaine. We employed interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify relevant phenomenological categories, including physical sensations, perceptual (visual, auditory, and olfactory), emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. Participants also compared ibogaine with other drugs used in life, including psychedelics like ayahuasca, psilocybin mushrooms, and lysergic acid diethylamide. Results The findings reveal that the subjective experience with ibogaine has similarities with other psychedelic substances, but also important differences. These include very strong and unpleasant physical effects as well as, at least in this patient population, a very difficult and challenging experience. Conclusions Overall, the descriptions involve heightened memory retrieval, specially related to drug abuse and the perception of one’s own future with or without drug use. Strong perceptual phenomena, especially dreamlike visions, were commonly reported. Based on Revonsuo’s evolutionary hypothesis for the function of dreams and of previous suggestions that ibogaine has oneiric properties, we suggest the subjective experience of drug-dependent patients elicited by ibogaine may be framed as simulations of threat and danger.