L’iboga. Un patrimoine naturel, culturel et national au service du monde

Iboga, known as 'sacred wood,' is an endogenous knowledge used in Gabonese spiritual and medicinal rituals like bwiti and mumbwiri. Consumed in powdered form during initiation ceremonies, it enables transcendence between physical and invisible worlds. Marc Kaba's 'Voie sacrée' narrates its psychological, social, and spiritual virtues, while medical science through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) began prescribing its substance ibogaine for drug dependency treatment in the early 1990s. This national heritage is an asset to modern medicine, as ibogaine has attracted international attention for treating addiction, particularly opioid addiction.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This article aims to present "iboga," also known as "sacred wood," as an endogenous knowledge used traditionally in the spiritual and medicinal rituals of the people of Gabon during initiation ceremonies such as bwiti, mumbwiri, and many other rites. This plant, considered a natural, cultural, and national heritage, allows for transcendence between physical and invisible worlds through its consumption in powdered form during an initiation ceremony. While Marc Kaba in "Voie sacrée" describes the psychological, social, and spiritual virtues of this plant through narration, medical science, through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), began prescribing its substance (ibogaine) as part of a drug dependency treatment protocol for humans in the early 1990s. Thus, it highlights how this national heritage is an asset to modern medicine. Beyond its traditional uses, ibogaine (an alkaloid substance) has attracted international attention due to its potential for treating addiction, particularly opioid addiction and other substances. Keywords: Iboga, heritage, national, medicine, world