The issue of control lies at the very heart of addiction, depression and most other forms of spiritual or emotional suffering; rather than accepting and embracing life in its entirety, we often feel the need to control it by clinging on to certain experiences and averting others. Yet the tighter we hold on, the less we are able to flow with the ever-changing stream of experiences that life throws our way, and we end up getting stuck in a loop that never seems to progress. Ibogaine and other plant medicines can help us learn to let go and be vulnerable, which is what makes them such powerful facilitators of recovery.

Good recovery is all about self-love. This means living with respect, reverence, integrity and intentionality. Unfortunately, many of us acquire the habit of disrespecting ourselves at a very young age, which then becomes a lifelong pattern. Ibogaine and other plant medicines provide an opportunity to reconnect to ourselves on a more authentic level and begin changing this pattern, although it is up to us to continue to develop this connection and allow it to flourish after treatment.

You don’t have to suffer from addiction to know that life can sometimes be overwhelming, and can temporarily lose all meaning and purpose. Yet addiction invariably occurs when it becomes impossible to connect to life in a coherent way, and self-medication provides the only relief from this void. Above all, therefore, addiction arises out of a frustrated search for meaning, and true recovery entails a profound reconnection with oneself, with life and with the world as a whole. Ibogaine and other visionary plants can play a huge role in this process, but it is ritual that provides the roadmap for navigating life’s ups and downs without becoming disconnected.

Recovery from addiction using ibogaine is very much a personal journey into the unconscious layers of the mind, where it is possible to access and transform the conditioned narratives and subconscious pain that we each carry. The very purpose of using ibogaine is to re-discover a lost connection to one’s true self, and regain control of one’s identity, meaning and purpose in life. For this reason, it is essential to have complete ownership of one’s own recovery, as to attempt to undertake this journey at the demand of others would defeat the whole purpose and reinforce the pattern of living inauthentically.

Anders Beatty and Ben Taub from Ibogaine Counselling Services will be speaking at a live event all about psychedelic treatment for addiction in London on December 13th. Hosted by The Psychedelic Society, this unique talk will tell you everything you need to know about treating addiction ibogaine and other psychedelics. Click either of thes link below for more info: