Nov 10, 2026 · 1h 19m
Ibogaine shows promise against addiction and neurological trauma
320. What Ibogaine Does to a Damaged Brain - Jonathan Dickinson
The episode weighs striking early findings against ibogaine’s serious cardiac risks and the safeguards required before wider clinical use.
- 1Ibogaine may reduce opioid withdrawal and restore agency, while addiction is framed as a loss of choice rather than simple drug-seeking.
- 2Veteran research links treatment with improvements in PTSD, depression, sleep, disability, brain blood flow, and electrical activity.
- 3A five-day protocol requires cardiac screening, monitoring, magnesium support, preparation, integration, and careful patient selection.
Don't miss
Jonathan explains how veteran research found broad improvements across disability, PTSD, mood, sleep, and measures of brain function after ibogaine treatment.
The brief
Psychologist Jonathan Dickinson describes how difficult SSRI withdrawal and early psychedelic experiences led him into ibogaine clinics, where he began studying agency in recovery.
The conversation frames addiction as a search for normalcy and ibogaine as a possible route back to choice, while emphasizing preparation and active participation.
Jonathan reviews veteran research reporting improvements in disability, PTSD, depression, anxiety, sleep, brain blood flow, and electrical activity after treatment.
The five-day process includes screening, preparation, overnight treatment, cardiac monitoring, magnesium and fluids, recovery, integration, and follow-up care.
The central tension is clear: ibogaine may help with withdrawal, trauma, pain, and neurological conditions, but cardiac risk demands strict safeguards and better trials.
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