A Thematic Analysis of the Subjective Effects and Phenomenology of Ibogaine Administered in a Clinical Setting

Drawing on an unprecedentedly larger sample (N = 236) than previous studies, we investigated the subjective effects of ibogaine by asking a series of three original, open-ended questions to participants enrolled in an ibogaine-assisted treatment program at a specialized healthcare facility in México. The objective was to characterize the overall phenomenology of the subjective ibogaine experience. We found common and recurring themes among the responses, such as emotional amplification, life review experiences, perceptual and sensory alteration, visionary states, and experiences of ibogaine’s perceived character and agency. The findings offer an in-depth and empirically grounded portrait of ibogaine’s experiential landscape and demonstrate its unique capacity to evoke structured, meaningful, and potentially transformative states of consciousness. This study distinguishes itself through its large sample size, rapid data collection, use of ibogaine in a safe and clinically controlled setting, analysis of reports from patients carefully prepared for their ibogaine experience, and use of open-ended phenomenological questions designed to capture the full range and depth of ibogaine’s subjective effects.