Testimonials

As an ex-photojournalist with over 17 years experience I was diagnosed with PTSD in 2007.

Stupidly I left it untreated until 2011 when I started therapy, but I quickly became frustrated as I felt the counselor was not hearing me or helping me. I stopped therapy and started on anti-depressants but while the meds suppressed my emotions it did not treat the core issue of the PTSD.
After two years or so I felt the meds were not working anymore, so with the assistance of my GP I weaned myself off the meds, and then started a slow spiral down into a very dark place.

I experienced extreme feelings of disconnection and alienation, found it virtually impossible to communicate with family and friends, and began to isolate myself from the world. Since 2012 I started living like a hermit in a cottage on my parents’ smallholding, and had overwhelming negative emotions about the world and myself. I found social interaction physically exhausting and started avoiding people more and more. Towards the end of 2018 I was borderline suicidal.

Through the intervention of my parents I finally checked into the Magalies Ibogaine Wellness Centre beginning of February 2019.
Apart from the treatment with ibogaine, which left me with a profound sense of calm and of having “a clean slate” to start over, the therapy from the various psychologists and counselors was so spot-on to my specific needs.
The interaction with the Centre’s medical doctor was fantastic, and his knowledge and demeanor was reassuring and helped me to remain calm throughout the ibogain experience.

The ibogain went about it’s work of finding and ridding my body of so much negative energy stored inside me over so many years, and the one-on-one therapy and group therapy sessions enabled me to face all the trauma I experienced over so many years and process it.
The treatment and therapy cracked open a 15-year old tightly wound ball of negative thoughts and emotions, and left me not only able to speak about what I experienced for the first time ever, but actually WANTING to speak about it.

Currently I am in a space where I can see beauty in the world again as well as in myself.
I have goals and motivation, and I feel connected and part of the world again.
I cannot thank the Centre and its’ staff enough for what they did for me. How they were able to save me, help me deal with my trauma, and give me the tools to be able to cope with my daily life moving forward, to me is nothing short of a miracle.
I highly recommend the process to anybody who feels in need of assistance in fighting addiction, anxiety, depression or PTSD.
Johann

How Ibogaine has changed my life, but first let me give you some back ground which some might relate to.

Before I start my testimony, the only reason why I am making my testimony anonymous is that we live in a judgmental and unforgiving world, I am entrepreneur and this might damage my company brand for which I have worked very hard to uphold and that, unfortunately takes away the beauty and healing that Ibogaine has given me.

I am a 30 year old male Indian South African, I have loving wife and family who stood by me through everything I put them through.

I was an alcoholic (12 years), a daily cocaine and khat user (4years daily, 12 years total user), prescription pills dependent i.e sleeping tablets, antidepressants (4 years) and even pain killers due to my drug and alcohol abuse.

Yes I can really say that I was all kind of messed up.

Every time I admitted myself into a rehab it was because I knew I messed up big time and although I needed the change in my life I just could not do it. I have tried AA, NA, councilors, therapists and even hypnosis none of which really helped me.

The many rehabilitation centre’s I have been too, all of which only really touched the surface of my issues I was dealing with and knowing my charming myself even though I voluntarily admitted myself into these
places I would only tell the doctor in front of me what he or she needed to know in order to get myself out of the situation so I can get out of there and start abusing again because I knew deep down inside no one could help me.

Although I always kept a smile, I “sort of” knew deep down what demons I was facing daily, by saying “sort of” I too can honestly say, at that point in my life I really couldn’t exactly say what in the world was
going on with me?? Was it the years of abusing substances that cause me to behave in this manner? Was I mentally ill? Am I a narcissist? Am I a bad person? Was the trauma I experienced might have caused this? I JUST COULDN’T UNDERSTAND MYSELF AND WHY I DO THE THINGS I DO EVEN THOUGH I KNEW I AM HURTING MYSELF AND THOSE I LOVE THE MOST….

I can honestly say to you, my life was still an absolute mess and my escape was using substances because I couldn’t deal with things that were happening around me, basically I was not in touch with reality, to
a point that my family and my wife would hide certain things that was happening because they knew I couldn’t handle it and I would act out on binging on substances. To this day I cannot believe that they were able to put up with the “old me”. Many times in the past I felt like taking my life in order to save them the pain I was putting everyone through, I even acted out on it a few times whilst being under the influence. I can only imagine the horror I have put them through, but Ibogaine has thought me how to forgive myself first and then seek the forgiveness from the ones I love.

This time around I did not “mess up” I knew I needed to have my mind right in order to create a better life for myself and my family. I reached out to Magalies Wellness Centre. I believed that man-made medication has not helped me and in-fact made me more chemically imbalanced nor did it help me through the years to cope with what I was dealing with therefore my last resort was to try a natural substance in hope that this will help me solve my issues within myself and in turn cure my dependent drug and alcohol abuse.

Even before going in on the Monday I found myself being very anxious as I did not know what to expect also I tried to manipulate my family and myself into thinking that “I don’t think I need this treatment” whilst deep down I knew that I could never control these demons I have been living with for all these years.

Another thought that made me very anxious was the fact that “what will I be doing in my spare time or for entertainment” because my life revolved around drinking and partying. Just the thought of being a sad sober person watching people have fun responsibly while I stand there looking all miserable and not really enjoying myself, this thought killed me because yes I’m still young and yes I love to socialise and yes I’m always the life of the party but how am I going to be all that when I’m just going to be a “dry drunk”.

Boy was I wrong!

Life after Ibogaine…

After Ibogaine I cannot label myself with the stigma of being an addict nor a victim of circumstances rather I look at myself as someone who did not know how to handle life or trauma on its own harsh terms. Situations that were huge walls in-front of me that I could not see a way past are now little humps on my journey.

I understand the world and people differently now. I cannot believe that all these years I put my body, mind and my loving soul through such destruction but I am at peace with it. It honestly feels so good to be normal again, I feel like the person I knew before I allowed anxiety and depression lead me to drugs and alcohol.

Ibogaine has thought me how to absolutely LOVE the face I see in the mirror!

After Ibogaine, harsh life still happens but now I have the tools mentally to deal with situations differently without seeking an escape. Ibogaine has thought me that it’s okay to have fun although being sober,
I am still the life of the party I am still funny even more so now and I am able to interact and have really meaningful simulating conversations with people around me.

My life has changed so drastically that all the things the “old me” chased doesn’t mean that much to me anymore, don’t get me wrong I still want to build a wealthy future for my generations to come but now I take care of my wellbeing and my families wellbeing first and I know the rest will follow and even if it doesn’t IT IS OKAY. My family life has changed, I have earned their respect back they cannot believe that I have done a 180 turn. My loving wife cannot come to terms that it’s actually me the “real me” that she remembers back in school that is standing in front of her. She loves me even more now than ever before, I am so proud of myself and I can now say that today I am a real MAN.

I understand that all these substances the “old me” did will always be around but I will not put myself through that ever again, I have been stuck in that dark place for so long almost half my life and now that I
have found peace I never want to let that go. I can genuinely say that I am drug, alcohol, prescription medication, anxiety and depression FREE AND I FREAKING LOVE THE LIFE I LIVE!!!!!

A special message to the Magalies Wellness Centre Team, You are God sent! The work that you do by taking people out of pain and suffering is beyond belief and I am so grateful to have you as a part of my life! May God bless you in every way possible! Your loving care for me during and after my treatment is really heart-warming and assuring! I can never re-pay the Ibogaine plant and you guys for what you have done for me and the life I now live but all I can say is THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR ME & MY FAMILY!!

​It has been a beautiful experience to do Ibogaine.
It has changed my life and my perception to life.

I was full of anger and full of guilt before my Ibogaine treatment, and now that I have released all the negativity in my life and all the trauma and its devastating effects to my life, I feel like a brand new person. Full of self-confidence and full of life.

I would like to thank Magalies Ibogaine Wellness centre for changing my life and for giving me myself back. Thank you very much for healing me, for giving me unconditional love, for everything that you have done for me.

After my treatment when I couldn’t understand the way I felt, Anso Taljaard gave me the best advise I had in my life and changed my perception towards everything.
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Today I am the best that I have been in years thanks to Magalies Ibogaine Wellness Centre and continuing to get better and better everyday from there on.

I first heard about Ibogaine 3 years ago, and like most people, I was pretty terrified about trying a somewhat unknown plant medicine over regular rehab.Truthfully, I had been caught in cocaine addiction for about 15 years. After covid happened,  things just got increasingly worse and that coupled with a very stressful job which had me stress eating, drinking, smoking 20 cigs a day and then using cocaine, was a recipe for disaster.

After the year I had, and after seeing the success of one family member with regular rehab and then the relapse of another friend with regular rehab, I decided to choose Ibogaine as a treatment route for myself at Magalies Wellness Centre.

It’s been 3 weeks since my treatment and I have to say it is the best and greatest gift or investment I have ever given myself. I feel like a new human being, completely reset back to zero. I have no pangs for any of my past addictions and every single day, I am finding new ways to live my life. It genuinely is a beautiful thing.

I found the Ibogaine to be one of the most powerful and positively definitive experiences of my life.

The team at Magalies Wellness Centre are incredible and very much part of the amazing week-long experience and I will be eternally grateful to each of them. The constellation of star-studded soul workers are led by the inimitable Martie Underwood –  I now imagine them to all be superheroes in their own way.

For anyone struggling with addiction, or trauma please take the leap.
I finally feel like the version of myself I have dreamt of being for so many years and most importantly I feel free from my past. All the reasons I was using addiction to deal with life have become a story from an old life. A story that has no sway over my current self and I’m now free to fix damaged relationships, and forge new ones, especially with myself.

It is the most freeing feeling I have had in many decades. Do the work. Go deep and face yourself. It is so worth it and you will never regret this decision.

Hi there, names will come later, for now call me Mr. Ex-Heroin Addict…

I have been struggling with Heroin-addiction on and off over the last 20 years.

So who am I? I am you who like to drink a few beers after work. I am the Doctor you go see when you’re feeling ill. I am the Lawyer you visit for legal problems. I am the neighbor. I am your child. I am your child’s teacher. I am your friend. I am the person in traffic next to you.

I am anybody and I am everybody.

Don’t be so quick to judge – instead of having a few beers at the end of the day like you, I preferred drugs. Why? Because they were great. It made me feel like my mind expanded and I could see another layer to life that alcohol just never gave me. It made me be able to cope with an otherwise bleak and hopeless world.

Make no mistake, as much fun as all of it was, getting addicted was never part of my plan. Of anybody’s plan. Believe me, it’s not the type of thing you go out and do on purpose. Unfortunately, one morning you wake up in the worst physical pain of your life, not understanding what’s wrong with you.

Welcome to heroin-addiction your poor bastard. And it doesn’t take months, it takes weeks. Understand that from this point forward none of us want to continue to live like this. Society and the medical community is just not very helpful to us that they consider as junkie scum.

Even if you do go to a rehab of some sort and get your ‘prison education’ in there about drug use, all they typically do is move you to methadone-based medicines that is even MORE addictive, expensive and more difficult to get out of your system than actual Heroin is. So really it helps nothing, from one dependency to the next.

Attempting detox alone…lol….so many attempts, so many failures. You see the thing with Heroin is not just the psychological cravings and so forth that you need to overcome. That would have been easy. The real kicker is the physical – for at least the first week you are in so much pain you start begging God to just kill you. However, such mercies are not forthcoming, God must’ve taken the week off. You can’t eat, you throw up constantly, you are in pain, bugs are crawling under your skin and in general you just feel like you are going mad! Believe me when I say that crawling through hell would be less painful. Some make it 6 hours, some make it 3 days, but irrespective of that, somewhere you fold and run to your dealer just to make the pain go away.

The result of this is no friends, no life, no happiness, no family. And you feel utterly desperate and without hope – you don’t know how to get through this invisible prison of Heroin that keeps you locked up close to your dealer, while he keeps the keys to your bank account.

One day a miracle happens; my parents tell me about a place that could help. Word of mouth is how they found out about it.

At Magalies Wellness Centre they offer a new treatment option for basically anything from cigarettes to Heroin addiction. I jumped at the chance to go for the Ibogaine treatment for 5 days. The marketing says no withdrawals, no pain, 5 days and Heroin is a thing of the past. Now that’s kind of hard to ignore and hard to believe at the same time.

Arriving on the Monday, medical tests in hand to make sure I can handle the treatment, I checked in. Safety is the number one priority for them to make sure that you experience no complications during your treatment. Treatment started the Monday evening with a test dose of Ibogaine, a visit from the doctor and from there I received the rest of my dose over the next few hours. By Wednesday night I could start getting up again, not having had any Heroin in days and feeling no pain.

I would lie if I said I wasn’t STILL skeptical, but that’s just because I fear Heroine-withdrawals so much. Only by the Thursday, still not feeling any withdrawal symptoms at all, did I slowly start to relax and realize the biggest nightmare of my life is over, with no pain!

I have to mention that in no other treatment facility have I ever been looked after so well! During treatment you are under constant observation, vitals taken every half hour. The staff there is just awesome in one word! They are all truly passionate about what they do and helping people like me. Anso, Marie, Lou-Anne and so many more staff that deserve special mention.

You guys didn’t treat me; you guys gave me my life back. Something I gave up hope on. And by doing so you gave me a chance to spend my son’s life with him. Time with my parents again. And even a new relationship!

A mere thank you will never ever be good enough, but that’s what I am able to offer at the moment. So thank you, thank you for my life….

Mark

If anyone is considering undertaking this journey because they are struggling with depression, anxiety or PTSD, then I would say: just do it! It honestly has been the best-spent money of my life. You will still have to do the work, before and after, but ibogaine will be a massive help.

It is not easy to find information about the effects of ibogaine on anxiety and depression and when you’re in that state you obviously are fearful of anything that potentially can make it worse. But I can say from my own experience that this ibogaine journey is the best thing that ever happened to me! My anxiety is just a memory of the past, and I feel so much more empowered, confident and especially feeling the ability to fully enjoy life again is simply amazing.

In the past, I was battling a lot with depression, but this changed in March into a very intense and debilitating feelings of anxiety and these feelings were so intense that at times I almost felt as if I was about to go insane. And then that thought would scare me even more (because that would mean I would not be able to look after my kids) and sent me down a downwards spiral. And although I was busy resolving lots of things from the past with 2 very good therapists who amongst other used regressions as a technique to clear things up, I would feel a little better for like 3 days and then feel like I was back into the feelings of extreme anxiety. There was something that in spite of all their and my efforts we could not clear completely. I felt that they were helping me very well, but yet more help was needed in conjunction.

I heard about Magalies Wellness Centre in March already and my intuition was telling me: “just go, this is the right place” but when the anxiety came, I wasn’t so sure that doing a psychedelic medicine was going to be safe and I was really afraid it would make my anxiety (and the confusion) I was experiencing worse. But, o boy!, was I wrong!  One day I spoke to a friend about doing this treatment and how I think his centre really combines all the aspects of therapy really beautifully and safely. She then decided to go for herself and when she came back the first thing she said is:” You have to go!”. And that was the last push I needed to finally sign up and book a date.

When you speak to Marte the owner of the centre you just know that this is someone who does this work out of passion and compassion. She will answer any question you have in depth and really takes time for the client. The moment I walked into the Magalies Wellness Centre I could feel: “I’ve come to the right place. “The lodge you stay at is beautiful and very peaceful. All the staff members are very welcoming and do anything they can to make you feel at home and accepted just as you are. The staff really do an amazing job and are available when you need them. You always feel very well looked after. They only take 3 clients at a time so they have lots of time for you. They also offer check up support for after your journey.

The journey itself is very different for different people but for me, although I was confronted with severe trauma in the beginning, it was also extremely beautiful and very serene towards the end. The whole experience was the opposite of scary for me and that was a huge relief. I realize this is something you should do when you’re ready for it, when you’re ready to face your unresolved trauma, but if you are, then this can be something that can really propel you forward into a beautiful, improved version of yourself.

Anonymous 42 year old female

​I booked into Magalies Welllness Centre to address various addiction and stress related issues and am please to report that since treatment I have stopped drinking Alcohol, smoking tobacco, taking prescription medications and have zero withdrawal symptoms.

I am at peace and feel completely balanced in terms of sound mind and emotion, the therapy was a game changer in terms if achieving lasting results and exceeded my expectations of the so called reset, restore, renewal and repair the medicine is renowned for.

​Highly recommend the Centre and their professional staff – any patients will be in good hands throughout the prep, treatment and after-care stages of the process.

I came to Magalies Ibogaine Wellness Centre for heroin addiction.
The place is so peaceful and it feels good to be away from the city. I would recommend going for at least 6 days. I did not have any withdrawals the first two days. The third day I felt low, but that is my body recovering from the hard drug.

The people is so dear and helpful, good therapy and help from Anso. Helping with alternatives to stay away from hard drugs. Ibogaine really works, as soon as the withdrawals come I take another Ibogaine. Yes, you will still feel loss of energy but that is normal, at least I didn’t get bad iron taste in mouth, and Ibogaine treated the muscle aches.
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I would strongly recommend Magalies Wellness Centre. Especially for heroin addiction. Just the amazing scenery, animals, healthy food and friendly staff makes it even better than other rehabs!
It’s a down to earth, relaxed and no-judgment environment. I loved it there and can’t wait to visit again!

I hereby write this testimony for anyone fearing /being petrified of the beautiful, magical plant ibogaine.
Upon my 6-month research of whether I wanted to do ibogaine/not, I went ahead. I was petrified of trying it. Google is pure evil. Of course, nobody wants anyone to know about this ‘magical’ cure, as then the rehabs, and big PHARMA lose.

Rehabs are not the answer, neither shrinks. THEY don’t address your inner pain, inner issues, things u didn’t even know were bothering u. Ibogaine is one million psychotherapy sessions in one treatment. There is no such treatment out there with these healing qualities.

Whilst it didn’t eradicate my physical pain, it was able to go into my inner traumas, all the way from childhood, during visualisations, you have flashbacks of traumas, but everyone’s experience is unique and different, and u can also flash past them, if u don’t want to go back into it. The subconscious is able to work together with the conscious, and after treatment, what u visualise, will all make sense, you’ll come to realisations. You’ll know what was bothering u/what u were taking, and what those things were doing to you and your body.

I had bladder removal 3 years ago, for ic, and became dependant on opiates, oxynorm, durogesic, u name it, to numb the pain. After seeing what it was doing to me, ill never touch an oxy in my life…I do believe i’ll find a solution to my pain.

Ibogaine goes over and beyond what u need. If u depressed, addicted or have chronic illnesses, anxious, I’d suggest doing ibogaine. I actually feel everyone should do ibogaine, as you may just find that inner peace u were searching for.
I feel like i’ve come out of a 5 year coma. I feel alive, energy, and ready to take on any challenge life gives me.

Magalies is professional, and when doing this, you want to be in capable hands. They have a GP, nurse and experienced facilitators, as well as emergency equipment. They have positive energy, and make sure you are taken care of. The GP checks your heart, bloods to make sure u can have treatment. You consent to each iboga capsule during your treatment, so if u don’t want more, they don’t give. They have cameras, check your vitals every half an hour and make sure you are safe at all times, as well as comfortable.
I strongly recommend their ibogaine centre. Ibogaine is a pure miracle. I thought it was ‘too good to be true’, but it is no lie, and not short of a miracle plant.

​Tatum

My Iboga Journey….so far.
A review one month after treatment.

A month ago my life was falling apart or rather had fallen apart.
I was depressed, suffering from intense anxiety, terribly overmedicated and dependant on tranquilizers and anti-depressants which were not making anything better.

I was placed on disability leave from work because of these factors six months previously. I then relapsed on Methcathinone (cat) from which I had 4 painfully earned clean years left wasted over a few months and found myself taking cocaine and large amounts of MDMA along with the Cat. I smoked pot almost none stop in an effort to self-medicate while my long term relationship deteriorated and ended in the midst of this.

I had been the target of crime twice while in this bad space, which compounded my feelings, and I was a complete wreck left with nothing. That’s how I saw it. It was all I could see. I had given up on life and was in a suicidal despair. My family was being affected terribly and I was dragging everyone down with me.
I had just finished my second of two week-long stints for depression in Sandton Clinic in the space of a month and I wasn’t feeling any better than before.

I might have been recently clean from drugs other than my perpetual weed habit but it was an effort to keep it that way and I was relying heavily on tranquilizers and on 4 different schedule 5 medications at once. I needed help badly. Luckily my best friend who lives at the coast suggested I go stay with him and after seeing how the meds were making me worse helped me wean off all of them other than the tranquilizers, which I had become absolutely dependant on and the mere thought of going without them brought up the familiar panic response. None the less I was able to think again and with a clearer mind I decided to address the issues with something drastic.

Two good friends of mine had been going through their own tough time and struggle with substance abuse and told me about their success with going through an Ibogaine assisted detox program. They stressed it wasn’t a “rehab” in any classical sense and they both suggested I look into it as they believed with a pressing certainty that it would help me with all my issues. It wasn’t the first time I had heard of Ibogaine, which is an extract of the root of the Iboga tree which grows in West Africa. I was very familiar with plant entheogens (teacher plants) and the psychedelic experience and Iboga was always something I had heard to stay away from. “It’s not recreational” and “It is extremely intense” were two mental images that had formed from the little I knew about the plant and my knowledge about its uses up to that point was limited to the success stories I had read about its’ use as a detoxing agent for heroin addicts (If I remember correctly there was a Carte Blanche epiode focussing on Iboga for heroin withdrawal).

My preconceived conception about it was that it probably scared addicts straight. To say I was scared of it is an understatement, I was terrified. Ibogaine treatment was something I was viewing as the emotional and mental equivalent of being flayed alive.
I got hold of the suggested facilitators at the Magalies Wellness Centre and immediately was assured, with that same certainty my friends who had been there showed, that this would help me if I wanted to get better. After speaking to Anso, the psychologist who heads the centre, I was sold. She spoke my language and understood my situation and for the first time in a long time I was already starting to feel a glimmer of hope. After confirming a booking into the Magalies Wellness Centre I immediately began researching everything I could read into about Ibogaine. Much of what I read spoke of miraculous cures and the uniqueness of the experience for each individual as well as just how physically and mentally trying it could be. Although I was feeling that this may just be something that could help me, I was not at ease about the experience itself and “terrified” still described my state of mind. There was nothing to lose though as I saw it and it was time for a kick up the backside, a big fat “psychedelic smack” was something I figured I might as well go through before giving up on hope.

Preparing for the treatment I thought I would detox myself as much as possible and attempted to stop tranquilizers on my own a week before. After experiencing extreme anxiety and panic, I soon realised the extent of my dependence on the tranqs and called up the Wellness Centre to explain my situation. I was informed that it was not necessary and that detoxing from the tranquilizers was something the Ibogaine would assist with no problem. Ok, that was a silly thing to have tried alone, so I continued with the tranqs and spent the last few days before treatment in the familiar manageable haze of large doses of benzodiazepines and a constant cloud of weed smoke. I shook non-stop, had lost so much weight I looked close to death and it didn’t take much to get me to burst into tears about everything in my life and nothing at all, I was drained and tired of feeling like someone was sitting on my chest and I thought impulsively and constantly of ending my life.

It was a nightmare and I was really starting to look at the treatment as a “last chance”, a lifeboat that was either going to save me or sail past like all the other treatments and medications which promised to help but didn’t in the slightest. To emphasise the extent to which I had exhausted other treatments over the course of my recurring depression I must point out that I had tried everything psychiatry and psychology could offer, every medication imaginable; hospitalisation, a stint in rehab, psychology sessions, exercise, herbal alternatives and vitamin and mineral supplements and even electro convulsive therapy which is a barbaric treatment that left me with amnesia I still have. These treatments combined never once left me feeling that anything was better or would possibly be getting better anytime soon.

The Monday I checked in I was quite literally shaking with fear and the drive through to Magaliesburg from Johannesburg felt a bit like walking to the gallows. Upon arrival at the centre I was immediately greeted with compassion, love and smiles from everyone there. I felt my concerns starting to leave as I realised I was among people who know what they are doing and are passionate about helping people get better. I related to everyone there and came to realise that many of the facilitators and therapists had been through their own life journeys and sorted out their lives with the assistance of Ibogaine. This was something I was now committed to and the day flew by as I got ready for the first treatment which was to begin at 6pm on the Monday night. There was no eating for 6 hours before the treatment commenced and minimal water was to be consumed for a few hours before.

I settled into bed and tried to do the last of my mental preparations while I had my blood pressure and heart rate checked. The time had come. I received a test dose of 200mg in a capsule along with an anti-nausea medication and was left in the room with a camera watching should I need to signal for assistance. I had been informed that I would recieve my Ibogaine treatment split over two nights, one capsule at a time while having my vitals monitored to ensure there were no adverse effects and the medication was being tolerated. Within what I am guessing was less than 20 minutes I felt my shakes calm down to nothing. I had not expected this initial tranquil feeling before anything else started. My body felt heavy and despite the anti nausea tablet the sick feeling in my stomach set in and my body started to tell me that something stressful was in it. I lay back waiting for the huge trip to begin and closed my eyes tightly as I had been told that any visual experience during the trip would only happen with closed eyes and should I want it to stop I just had to open my eyes. After a few hours of lying there staring into darkness while receiving more capsules to get to my first nights target of 4, there was nothing. The physical side was unbelievable and the nausea and discomfort felt from even moving slightly was something that was not pleasant and although I did not throw up I had spent much of the time feeling a bit ill. It was disorientating and nauseating but it wasn’t emotionally or mentally testing that first night and I was slightly disappointed at not having had a profound “trip” as was described by many others who had documented their experience and by the early hours of Tuesday morning I was given a sleeping pill and nodded off.

“Grey Day” is the term given to the day after treatment. It is a time of trying to process what had happened while dealing with the body stress and side effects like light sensitivity and emotional issues surfacing and the sense that something was changing. We watched documentaries and ate well that day and the next while receiving counselling and therapy from the various on-site practitioners and Anso who brings an amazing insight into the human experience and imparted advice on things like how to manage negative thought patterns into more positive ones. I had already lost all craving for tranquilizers and cannabis and was waking up at the crack of dawn. Something was starting to change, I won’t say I was better on Tuesday or Wednesday. I was still struggling emotionally and felt depressed. We watched informative documentaries and made a vision board which is something I had been wanting to do for a while and was glad to do.

Thursday arrived with much anticipation and a change in expectations. I felt ready to let go and accept whatever came from that nights session. I requested if it would be possible to play some music in the beginning of the session and an arrangement was made to borrow an ipod and speakers. I was hoping that would ease the transition into the experience. As with the Monday nights treatment all safety precautions were taken and the Ibogaine administered one capsule at a time, this time supplemented by Iboga root bark which contains a small amount of Ibogaine along with a number of other plant alkaloids in order to try and achieve the desired effect. This session was very different to the last. The beginning of the trip was dominated by the ambient psychedelic music I had put on. The music was something I can’t explain and for a while I was lost in just how beautiful sound can be, I could feel the Ibogaine going to work on every part of me, both physical and mental and the image that one of the facilitators put in my head about Ibogaine as millions of minions working on the “chip boards” inside me, soldering connections and disconnecting unwanted connections was spot on. After a couple of hours of getting immersed in the music and general feeling of wellbeing (despite the ever present nausea) the music cut out and the trip itself began. To say that you “see” a lot during the trip is a massive understatement. Feeling like an observer I saw so much imagery from my life, quite possibly everything I have ever seen running frame by frame at millions of frames a minute. It was far too much to recall even a single frame and was very dreamlike and nowhere near as terrifying as I imagined. As hard as it is to describe any psychedelic experience, this one takes the cake so to speak. I gave up trying to make sense of the trip afterwards and the notes I had been painstakingly taking throughout the course of the week stopped as I realised that I did not understand or have the ability to translate the actual experience itself afterwards. I did get physically sick that night and purging Ibogaine is not a pleasant thing to do, it tastes revolting.

All I can say about that night is that it was profound, confusing and most definitely felt like I was being reset, rebooted and allowing my various levels of subconscious to process what was far too much to consciously go through. The next day as predicted was a grey day with disorientation and unsteadiness with much emotion flowing through me. Here is where the magic begins. In the weeks following the treatment all I can say is that every day is better than the last. I left the centre with no desire to do drugs, no physical or emotional withdrawal and most importantly absolutely zero trace of the depression that had haunted me for longer than I could remember. I occasionally get a touch of anxiety although it is not nearly the unbearable monster it was before and I look forward to it being a thing of the past soon. The world is filled with hope and beauty and what Iboga has given me is the ability to control my mind and emotions. Being able to choose to feel better is a skill which I did not practice before.

It is difficult to relate it as a spiritual awakening because that means such different things to different people, although this is how I see it. My sleep cycles reset and I rise with the sun and I go to gym most days where it was previously difficult to get out of bed. My relationships with family and friends have changed completely and I have been able to remove myself from groups and people that were not good for me. I am no longer the angry person I realise I had become, with situations in life that would have been unbearable now seeming like nothing more than the surmountable challenges they are. I appreciate the time I spend with my young son in a way I wasn’t able to before. I went from bursting into tears every day for months previously and now the only tears I have shed in the last month have been of joy at the beautiful things that I already had in my life all along which I am now appreciating and massively grateful for as well as the amazing things that I am able to bring into my life with intent. I have stayed in touch with the people from the centre who have become friends as well as having met and stayed in touch with a few other people who have gone through the treatment process for various reasons. The consensus from every single one is the same, despite their different subjective experiences during the treatment and their various reasons for undergoing treatment; from drug issues, burnout and emotional distress to psycho-spiritual reasons. Every one of them is so blown away by the experience that the word “miracle” gets thrown around and accepted as undeniable.

There is so much to say about Ibogaine and the supporting treatment process offered and the strange thing is that the more I try understand it the less I do, all I can say is that it works, without a doubt, it has given me my life back and I will never again even consider antidepressants/rehabs or becoming a “patient” again. This treatment does not create patients, it allows you to heal to a point that is not just a maintenance or relief from symptoms but gives you a chance to be “you” again and what you do with that is your own choice.

If you are thinking of doing Ibogaine assisted therapy, please put aside your doubts and fears and give it a chance, the benefits are so profound and so immediate that they will speak for themselves. If you are seeking to no longer consider yourself sick or a permanent “patient” or are living in the cycle of a twelve-step program, then know that there are people working to fix ailments rather than create patients and they are doing an unbelievable job. It is a leap of faith and one that I am so very grateful that I took, I only wish for others who are struggling like I was to commit to this option and feel good again.

I am so much at peace sometimes it feels too good to be true.

When I got home I saw my Mom in a different way because I now understand why things happened the way they did when I was a child. Now I know she does love me.
I also visited my Dad’s grave, something I never did since he passed away more than 3 years and I actually got some closure.
No more anxiety/ feeling depressed. Actually feels awkward because I was so used to living alone and isolating my self, now I feel very adventurous. Like I can take on anything.

I also have no craving for alcohol. Before the only thing I used to think of at work was my next glass. Now it’s all gone
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Thank you soo much!

I have battled with a codeine addiction for the past 30 years. Last year (October 2016) I went to a rehab facility and booked myself out early because I refused to be treated like a common criminal, and because they were doing their utmost to break my spirit, and worse, they…

I first heard about Ibogaine 3 years ago, and like most people, I was pretty terrified about trying a somewhat unknown plant medicine over regular rehab.Truthfully, I had been caught in cocaine addiction for about 15 years. After covid happened,  things just got increasingly worse and that coupled with a very stressful job which had me stress eating, drinking, smoking 20 cigs a day and then using cocaine, was a recipe for disaster. After the year I had, and after seeing the success of one family member with regular rehab and then the relapse of another friend with regular rehab, I decided to choose Ibogaine as a treatment route for myself at Magalies Wellness Centre.

It’s been 3 weeks since my treatment and I have to say it is the best and greatest gift or investment I have ever given myself. I feel like a new human being, completely reset back to zero. I have no pangs for any of my past addictions and every single day, I am finding new ways to live my life. It genuinely is a beautiful thing.

The team at Magalies Wellness Centre are incredible and very much part of the amazing week-long experience and I will be eternally grateful to each of them. The constellation of star-studded soul workers are led by the inimitable Martie Underwood –  I now imagine them to all be superheroes in their own way.

For anyone struggling with addiction, or trauma please take the leap. I finally feel like the version of myself I have dreamt of being for so many years and most importantly I feel free from my past. All the reasons I was using addiction to deal with life have become a story from an old life. A story that has no sway over my current self and I’m now free to fix damaged relationships, and forge new ones, especially with myself.

It is the most freeing feeling I have had in many decades.Do the work. Go deep and face yourself. It is so worth it and you will never regret this decision.