Introducing the Iboga Therapy House Banner

[Jabberwocky]

Hi everyone,

I'm sure all of you have already seen the new banner, and although many may already know about Ibogaine therapy, I am sure that at least some of you had never even heard even heard the word "Iboga" before.

To quickly bring the later up to speed, here is an excerpt from wikipedia:

Iboga (Tabernanthe iboga), also known as Black bugbane, is a perennial rainforest shrub and hallucinogen, native to western Africa. Iboga stimulates the central nervous system when taken in small doses and induces visions in larger doses.

Normally growing to a height of 2 m, T. iboga may eventually grow into a small tree up to 10 m tall, given the right conditions. It has small green leaves. Its flowers are white and pink, while the elongated, oval-shaped fruit are orange. Its yellow-coloured roots contains a number of indole alkaloids, most notably ibogaine, which is found in the highest concentration in the root-bark. The root material, bitter in taste, causes an anaesthetic sensation in the mouth as well as systemic numbness to the skin.

Traditional use
The Iboga tree is the central pillar of the Bwiti religion practiced in West-Central Africa, mainly Gabon, Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo, which utilises the alkaloid-containing roots of the plant in a number of ceremonies. Iboga is taken in massive doses by initiates when entering the religion, and on a more regular basis is eaten in smaller doses in connection with rituals and tribal dances, which is usually performed at night time. Bwitists have been subject to persecution by Catholic missionaries, who to this day are thoroughly opposed to the growing religious movement of Bwiti. Léon M'ba, before becoming the first President of Gabon in 1960, defended the Bwiti religion and the use of iboga in French colonial courts. On June 6, 2000, the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Gabon declared Tabernanthe iboga to be a national treasure.

Addiction treatment
Outside Africa, iboga extracts as well as the purified alkaloid ibogaine are used in treating opiate addiction. The therapy may last several days and upon completion the subject is generally no longer physically dependent. One methadone patient said in the Dutch behind-the-news show 2 vandaag that in just four days he reached a state that normally would have taken him three months, but without the agony. Evidence suggests that ibogaine may also help to interrupt addiction to alcohol and nicotine. The pharmacological effects are rather undisputed with hundreds of peer reviewed papers in support but formal clinical studies have not been completed.

I don't think I can stress enough the need for more effective treatments for addiction. You don't have to be part of the drug scene for very long (or at all) before coming into contact with the ugly reality of this disease - whether it effects a friend, family member or becomes one's personal struggle. Bluelight has unfortunately lost more than a few of it's own to addiction, and the sad reality is that this will almost certainly continue to be the case per the nature of our community.

With these thoughts in mind, it gives me great pride to introduce a campaign that focus specifically on the treatment of addiction. I believe that in a similar spirit to "The Dark Side" and "Healthy Living" forums, our partnership with the Iboga Therapy House (ITH) through our good friends at MAPS, represents a subtle, yet profound shift in the direction of our community. Helping raise awareness of alternative options for the treatment of addiction, in addition to our open acknowledgement of addiction itself further reinforces our community's sense of moral responsibility and dedication to the wellbeing of those who frequent our forums.

I urge everyone to click through the banner link and learn more about the facinating approach that the Iboga house has taken to address the disease of addiciton as well as the design of the MAPS-sponsored ibogaine study that they are conducting.

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments you might have regarding the study.

All the best,

SG

[Edited by TLB to fix header]

 

[drew345]

Not to sound like an asshole as I think its a great idea but how is an addict supposed to afford 4,000 dollars?

 

[`pr0digy]

Not to sound like an asshole as I think its a great idea but how is an addict supposed to afford 4,000 dollars?

I have met many an addict that could afford such a price. It's a rather rare service, it'd be great if they could make it cheaper, but have you ever seen a rehab bill ? Many would laugh at getting only $4000...