VISIONARY PLANTS / ENTHEOGENS." . . entertaining and wise, and packed with information. For those interested in psychoactive plants and African shamanism, this book is a rare joy and a must-read." --Jeremy Narby, author of The Cosmic Serpent and Intelligence in Nature Iboga, spiritual ally of African shamans since antiquity, yields ibogaine, a powerful psychotropic substance. It is used mainly in Gabon and Cameroon in a secret, initiatory tradition called bwiti-ngenza, in which physical and psychological illnesses can be rooted out and cured. Intense psychological conditioning that includes the rites of confession, contacting and honoring one's ancestors, and construction of an in-depth psychological inventory are all part of the initiate's encounter with this sacred root. Like many visionary and initiatory plants, iboga is a key that gives access to other modes of being and consciousness. Despite its suppression by the FDA since the 1960s, and more recently by the DEA, researchers have shown that ibogaine provides a powerful adjunct to psychology due to its miraculous ability to break addictions--most notably to heroin. To the followers of the Bwiti religion, ibogaine is the indispensable means by which humans can truly communicate with the deepest reaches of their soul and with the spirits of their ancestors. This book details the traditions and techniques of iboga's use by African shamans and the essential role it occupies in that community in order to preserve this knowledge and show how ibogaine may have an important role to play in our modern world. VINCENT RAVALEC is the screenwriter, producer, and director of numerous films as well as the author of many books in French. MALLENDI is a bwiti-ngenza initiator and traditional healer in Gabon. AGNES PAICHELER is a researcher in the social sciences who lives and works in France.