Psychological\Physical+Effects

**Psychological and Physical Effects** The ibogaine experience has been described as being characterized by three distinct phases (Lotsof, 1995). The onset of the effect progresses gradually. In the first phase after taking ibogaine (0-1 hours) the visual and the physical perception of the body change. Some patients suffer from lowered coordination ability and feel the need to lie down. The second phase (1-7 hours) is often called “the waking dream state”. The patients lie down and usually are overwhelmed by the effects of the experience: hallucinations, emotions, changes in perception of their own body, time and space.

Patients feel heavy physically and experience difficulties when trying to move. The hallucinations include, among other things, the following scenes: hearing African drums; seeing TV screens, animals, deceased people (who often look alive and approach the person, tell him something and disappear again); flying above oceans, cities, woods; traveling through their own brain or DNA; seeing objects in intensive colors; scenes of violence etc. In spite of the strong hallucinogenic effects, the patients are able to exit them by opening the eyes. When the eyes are shut again, the hallucinations continue, as if they are shown on TV screens.

The vast majority of the patients prefer not to communicate during this phase with the supervisors, but concentrate on the visions. Many patients also report about visions that can be characterized as complete stories, which mean something to the subject and help him to achieve certain insights. These visions are often memories or events from the early childhood. The insights reached are usually have to do with the subject’s past and the meaning of life, the creation and evolution of the humanity, the animal world or the universe.

The visions usually end after three to five hours. The third phase is often called “the cognitive phase of deep introspection”, which usually starts 8 – 36 hours after taking ibogaine. It seems that the body is asleep while the spirit is fully awake. This phase is characterized by an intellectual evaluation of earlier experiences in life and the choices made. For instance, if a certain choice seemed as the only solution at that point, the subject discovers in the third phase that there were other alternatives. After the end of the third phase the subjects finally fall asleep for several hours. Often the need to sleep is temporarily reduced after an ibogaine experience, a situation that can last for one month or even longer. .