Ibogaine Uncovered

In this episode, Talia Eisenberg talks with Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed, about creativity, cognition, and how narrative changes when the nervous system changes.

Ohler breaks down how ibogaine differs from classic psychedelics, describing a state that feels sober yet radically clear. He explains how his second flood dose shifted quickly from personal healing into an extended, high-precision creative session where he restructured chapters, tone, and architecture for upcoming books. The conversation closes with advice for creatives using psychedelic work to understand themselves better, and why ibogaine can function as an introspective tool for writers rather than just a dramatic visionary experience.

Norman Ohler is a bestselling German author and historian whose book Blitzed examined drug use in Nazi Germany and its impact on wartime strategy and leadership. He writes about drugs and history, hosts the DopeCast, and is working on Stoned Sapiens, a drug-centered reframe of human history that includes iboga as one of the oldest psychoactive influences on culture and consciousness. 

Links

• I write books — NORMAN OHLER
• Norman Ohler (@normanohler)
• Stoned sapiens | Substack

Timestamps

• (01:55) Blitzed and why drugs belong in serious history
• (05:25) Why humans seek drugs and the science of neuroplasticity
• (08:10) Becoming a writer and the role of discipline versus inspiration
• (10:15) First LSD experience and how it changed narrative form
• (14:10) Arriving at Beond: the observer versus the inner journey
• (21:10) Why Beond’s protocol matters, neuroplasticity, breathwork, and integration
• (28:20) Stone Sapiens, iboga’s ancient role, and what changes after treatment
• (30:45) Advice to creatives using psychedelic work for self-knowledge

For athletes with traumatic brain injury, when the cheering stops, the damage does not.

On this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg is joined by former pro rugby player Chris Simpson-Daniel, bare knuckle champion Mark “The Shark” Irwin, and retired MMA veteran Mike “The Joker” Guymon. They speak about traumatic brain injury, early cognitive decline, depression, and the absence of viable medical treatment. The conversation traces their careers in rugby, MMA, and bare knuckle fighting, the slow accumulation of head trauma, and the neurological symptoms that followed. They discuss systemic failures within sport, the psychological toll of identity loss, and the lack of long-term care. The episode then turns to their shared experience undergoing ibogaine treatment at Beond, exploring neurological symptoms, emotional processing, physical recovery, and the emerging evidence that ibogaine may offer meaningful intervention for TBI when conventional medicine does not.

Chris Simpson-Daniel is a former professional rugby player in the UK, involved in the class action lawsuit addressing long-term brain injury in rugby and founder of Tempest Group Villages, a supportive living initiative for athletes. Mark Irwin, known as Mark The Shark, is a bare knuckle champion and co-founder of Athletes Journey Home, supporting fighters with TBI through psychedelic therapy and research. Mike Guymon, known as The Joker, is a retired professional MMA fighter who has spoken publicly about the neurological and psychological toll of repeated head trauma.

Timestamps

• (03:00) Why they entered their sports and the meaning of brotherhood
• (11:00) Rugby head trauma and the UK class action lawsuit
• (14:30) Early TBI warning signs and pressure to keep competing
• (18:00) Mike’s accumulated TBIs, tremors, balance issues, and daily impairment
• (24:45) Medical dead ends, CTE, and being written off by doctors
• (30:00) Why ibogaine, the Stanford TBI study, and this cohort’s purpose
• (35:00) Deciding to try Beond, skepticism, fear, and hope
• (37:00) Inside the ibogaine sessions and individual experiences
• (45:00) Early outcomes, tremors stopping, mood shifts, and mobility returning
• (50:00) Beond’s medical model, coaching, and community support

Links

• Mark Choinski (@mark___the___shark)
• Michael Guymon (@jokerguymon)
• The Tempus Group (@tempus.villages)
• Athletes Journey Home – Psychedelics for Traumatic Brain Injury
• Athletes Journey Home (@athletesjourneyhome)
  

What happens when a world class chemist studies a molecule for twenty years and then finally takes it himself? In this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg speaks with Dr. Dalibor Sames about the science of ibogaine, its unique pharmacology, and what it reveals about the future of mental health treatment.

Dr. Sames explains why ibogaine does not fit into traditional pharmacology models and introduces his matrix pharmacology theory, describing how the molecule interacts with many systems at once rather than a single receptor. The conversation covers synaptic repair, neurotrophic factors like GDNF, antidepressant effects, and why ibogaine shows efficacy across addiction, depression, PTSD, and TBI. In the second half, Dr. Sames describes his time at Beond as both participant and observer, including vivid visual phenomena, an unexpected moment where he felt he could “see” molecular structures, and the takeaway he emphasizes after watching clients transform in real time: this is powerful technology and scaling it demands responsibility.

Dr. Dalibor Sames is Professor of Chemistry at Columbia University, where his group combines molecular design, organic synthesis, and pharmacology to develop CNS therapeutics that induce restorative neuroplasticity, as well as tools for imaging synaptic function. He is also a cofounder of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals and Kures, Inc., translating discoveries from his lab into clinical development.

Timestamps

• (00:05:00) GDNF and neurorestoration: why synapses became the entry point

• (00:08:00) Skepticism vs the clinical reports: breakthrough medicine or snake oil

• (00:10:00) The “empty screen” problem: why standard receptor panels did not explain it

• (00:12:00) Matrix pharmacology: the Manhattan traffic grid analogy for how it works

• (00:15:00) Why analogs: cardiac risk, access, and the ethics of redesigning nature

• (00:20:00) Serotonin transporter and pharmaco chaperoning: unusual protein folding effects

• (00:22:00) “Meets you where you are”: individuality of experience and doing science on subjectivity

• (00:25:00) Why take it now: what changes when the scientist becomes the participant

• (00:33:00) Pre Beond phenomena: the African face vision and possible explanations

• (00:40:00) The Beond journey: projections, maintaining baseline awareness, and asking for molecules

• (00:47:00) Beond as living lab: observing client transformations and the responsibility to scale safely

• (00:54:00) Closing thesis: duty, antibiotics analogy, and what comes next

What happens when one of the world’s leading voices on detoxification and the gut brain connection experiences Ibogaine? On this episode, Talia Eisenberg sits down with Dr. Alejandro Junger to explore the scientific mechanisms behind Ibogaine and its potential to reset the entire nervous system.

Dr. Junger explains how Ibogaine interacts with neurotransmitters, neuroplasticity, and the enteric nervous system. He describes why the gut contains more neurons than the brain in the skull, how noribogaine may influence inflammation and mood, and why repairing the intestinal wall is central to long term mental health. The conversation focuses on the biology of depression, the critical role of the microbiome, and the risks and safety protocols around Ibogaine. Dr. Junger also shares how Ibogaine shifted his own depressive physiology.

Dr. Alejandro Junger is a triple board certified physician in internal medicine, cardiology, and functional medicine. He is the bestselling author of Clean, Clean Gut, Clean Eats, and Clean Seven.

Links

• Dr. Alejandro Junger's 21-Day Cleanse Program
• Alejandro Junger: books, biography, latest update
• Alejandro Junger MD (@dralejandrojunger)

Timestamps

• (00:00); Intro, Alejandro’s background and visit to Beond
• (10:00); Divorce, survival mode, anger and the slide into depression
• (16:00); Early Ibogaine work in Mexico and his first non visionary Ibogaine session
• (21:00); Avoiding antidepressants, choosing Ibogaine, and the intention to forgive
• (25:00); Open heart surgery, cardiac risk, and ibogaine vs noribogaine explanation
• (30:00); Supplemental dose, sudden emotional shift, and relief of depressive heaviness
• (35:00); Three brains model – head, gut, heart and the gut as an intuitive brain
• (41:00); Leaky gut, microbiome, chronic inflammation and modern chronic disease
• (48:00); Ibogaine for personal growth vs crisis and witnessing veteran transformations at Beond
• (58:00); Combining Clean gut repair protocols with Ibogaine before, during, and after treatment
• (01:10:00); Future of centers, human connection, and where to find Dr. Junger’s work

From combat missions to psychedelic legislation, Adam Marr has lived the full spectrum of service.

In this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg sits down with the Apache helicopter pilot turned veteran advocate to explore how personal trauma led him from the battlefield to the frontlines of mental health reform.

Adam shares his journey through military service, family tragedy, and profound psychedelic healing. He recounts his first experiences with Ayahuasca, Ibogaine, and 5-MeO-DMT, and how these medicines catalyzed a spiritual rebirth that later informed his national advocacy work. Together, he and Talia trace the evolution of veteran-centered psychedelic programs, the creation of Beond Service, and the landmark policy initiatives that are reshaping access to healing for veterans and their families.

Adam Marr is a former U.S. Army Apache helicopter pilot and co-founder of the Warrior Angels Foundation. He serves on the leadership team of the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition, helping to shape national policy and expand access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans. Marr has also been instrumental in developing Beond Service, a comprehensive healing program at Beond that combines Ibogaine treatment with integration and family support.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) – Introduction and Adam’s path from combat pilot to advocate
• (02:15) – Meeting Talia in Kentucky and the emotional testimony that connected them
• (03:45) – Childhood, military upbringing, and joining ROTC after 9/11
• (07:00) – Deployment to Iraq and the emotional toll of missing family milestones
• (11:15) – Returning home and witnessing his brother’s decline after TBI and PTSD
• (17:30) – The broken military medical system and discovery of alternative treatments
• (20:00) – Founding the Warrior Angels Foundation and appearing on Joe Rogan
• (25:00) – First experiences with Ayahuasca and early lessons in surrender
• (30:00) – Personal burnout, family crisis, and turning to Ibogaine for healing
• (33:00) – Ibogaine visions, subconscious healing, and spiritual awakening through 5-MeO
• (41:00) – Integration challenges and learning the importance of support
• (45:00) – Building the Veteran Mental Health Leadership Coalition
• (54:00) – Founding Beond Service and creating holistic veteran and family cohorts
• (01:08:00) – Closing reflections on service, faith, and the ripple effect of healing

How do you prepare for one of the most powerful psychedelic medicines on earth?

In this episode of Talia Eisenberg speaks with Yan Katz, a clinical counselor and coach at Beond, whose own healing journey reshaped his view of masculinity, purpose, and the long arc of integration.

Yan shares his path from high-pressure careers in finance and the music industry to becoming a psychotherapist and men’s work facilitator. He describes how psychedelics, and ultimately Ibogaine, helped him reconnect with vulnerability, redefine success, and step into service. The discussion explores masculine conditioning, the importance of preparation and integration, somatic awareness, and how coaching can support lasting transformation after Ibogaine.

Yan Katz is a clinical counselor, preparation and integration coach at Beond, and men’s work facilitator. Drawing on psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and somatic methods, he supports clients ranging from veterans to executives in navigating psychedelic healing and building sustainable change.

Timestamps:

• (01:45) – Masculinity, vulnerability, and early emotional conditioning
• (03:28) – First LSD experience in Washington DC and realization about purpose

• (07:03) – Burnout in finance and the music industry
• (11:02) – First Ibogaine journey: clarity, healing, and release from nicotine and cannabis
• (17:36) – Synchronicities, calling, and preparation before Ibogaine
• (23:14) – Processing mortality through psilocybin and setting life boundaries
• (27:41) – Men’s work, brotherhood, and masculine healing
• (29:42) – Psychedelic preparation coaching: tools, metaphors, and mindset
• (33:56) – Somatic practices for awareness and integration
• (46:22) – Rituals, fatherhood, and living life as ceremony

What happens when your sibling not only shares your past but also walks with you into the same medicine that changed your life?

In this deeply personal episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg sits down with her brother, psychedelic integration therapist Zev Eisenberg, to explore his first-hand experience with Ibogaine and the healing it brought to their family.

Zev reflects on their shared childhood in Omaha, his journey from the high-pressure art world to becoming a therapist, and the fears he carried about Ibogaine after witnessing Talia’s own intense experience years ago. He shares how the medicine helped him reprocess painful memories, regulate his emotions, reconnect with his inner child, and even take steps toward reconciliation with their father. Together, they discuss family dynamics, the evolution of psychedelic work from trauma healing to personal optimization, and the value of returning to Ibogaine for deeper layers of growth.

Zev Eisenberg is an NYU-trained psychologist and psychedelic integration therapist based in New York City. He now specializes in helping clients prepare for and integrate transformational psychedelic experiences through his practice, Heart Openers.

Timestamps

• (01:32) – Gratitude for the experience and seeing Beyond’s care model firsthand
• (03:02) – Growing up in Omaha, early drug use,
• (07:28) – Why Zev avoided Ibogaine for years despite seeing its impact on Talia
• (09:57) – Life challenges in early 2024 that led him to finally say yes

• (14:55) – How previous personal work shaped a gentler Ibogaine experience
• (16:28) – Detailed journey account: memory-based visions and emotional completions
• (20:42) – Releasing fear of Ibogaine and the idea of returning for deeper work
• (22:59) – Therapist’s perspective on Beyond’s facilitation and client empowerment
• (25:54) – Family healing: reconciling with their father post-ceremony
• (32:05) – Childhood memories reframed with purpose after Ibogaine
• (36:54) – Career arc: from the New York art world to psychedelic integration therapy
• (41:15) – Integration at six weeks: inner child work, physical energy, and mental clarity
• (45:08) – The growth mindset and why healing is never “one and done”
  

What if healing wasn’t about fixing what’s broken, but about softening into who you truly are? In this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, host Talia Eisenberg speaks with Crille Rask, a Swedish designer and creative based in Bali, who came to Beyond seeking depth, clarity, and a new way to love. What he found was a medicine that didn’t take him away from himself, but right into the center.

Crille shares how his experience with Ibogaine opened up deep emotional healing, helped him confront inner chaos, and offered a new, embodied presence in both his relationship and creative life. From powerful visions to profound discomfort, he speaks candidly about anxiety, childhood trauma, and the difference between peak experiences and sustainable change. This is a story about what it means to feel safe in your body and finally be at peace.

Crille Rask is a designer, builder, and multidisciplinary creative living in Bali. With a background in fashion marketing and a passion for architecture, he crafts homes and experiences rooted in beauty, community, and connection. He’s also a devoted partner and inner explorer, navigating the edges of emotional depth and embodied presence.

Timestamps:

• (02:00) – Why come to Ibogaine when life looks good on the outside?
• (04:00) – From therapy to plant medicine: reaching what talk can’t touch
• (06:00) – The inner prison: sitting with self and surfacing old voices
• (09:00) – Childhood waves, panic, and trusting what needs to die
• (11:00) – Journey begins: visuals, memory cards, and felt experience
• (14:00) – Discomfort and doubt: the mind creeps back in
• (17:00) – Grief, fear, and learning to love without a dopamine hit
• (23:00) – Healing the body: breath, softness, and peace
• (27:00) – Brotherhood and breakthrough: witnessing other men cry
• (32:00) – Meditation, AquaRelax, and feeling safe in the womb
• (36:00) – Creativity after chaos: space, stillness, and design
• (41:00) – Loving differently: what integration might look like
• (44:00) – A shared journey: preparing for marriage through Ibogaine

What if healing didn't just fix you, it brought you home to your true self? On this episode of Ibogaine Uncovered, Estonian singer and visionary artist Kerli Koiv shares how her experience with Ibogaine reignited her sense of purpose, cleared ancestral wounds, and left her feeling five years old again.

Kerli opens up about her childhood, struggles with depression, and how fame in the music industry left her creatively disconnected. She describes how working with Ibogaine helped her release generational trauma, reconnect to her authentic self, and rediscover the healing power of music.

Kerli Koiv is an Estonian singer, producer, and artist known for her ethereal voice, visual storytelling, and bold creative vision. Her experience with Ibogaine now fuels a new chapter of artistic expression.

Timestamps:

• (02:00) – From fetal position to freedom: What led Kerli to Ibogaine
• (05:00) – Trauma, addiction, and breaking ancestral patterns
• (09:00) – First Ibogaine experience and the choice to go slow
• (12:00) – Childhood healing, shadow work, and facing discomfort
• (15:00) – Honoring tradition: Music, preparation, and sacred ceremony
• (19:00) – The second journey: ancestral lines, golden threads, and clarity
• (22:00) – Humility and how to approach Iboga respectfully
• (27:00) – Community as medicine
• (31:00) – Synchronicity, lineage healing, and resetting the nervous system
• (35:00) – Creativity reborn: what’s next for Kerli’s music

Links:

• KERLI - OfficialKerli
• KERLI (@kerlimusic) • Instagram photos and videos

Yoga teacher and wellness guide Sjana Elise came to Beyond seeking cognitive enhancement and walked away with a sense of divine liberation. In this  conversation with host Talia Eisenberg, she opens up about her transformational experience with Ibogaine, including how it brought her peace, clarity, and a renewed connection to self, spirit, and service.

Sjana reflects on her lifelong struggles with depression, ADHD, and suicidal ideation, and how those challenges led her to yoga and eventually to Ibogaine therapy. She contrasts Ibogaine with ayahuasca, emphasizes the importance of surrender, and speaks candidly about integration, dreams, and cultivating a new relationship with presence, intention, and her own voice. The episode also explores how this powerful medicine transcends addiction treatment to offer deep healing for anyone ready to meet themselves fully.

Sjana Elise is an Australian yoga teacher, content creator, and wellness advocate known for her poetic presence and deeply personal storytelling. With a background in photojournalism and a passion for embodiment and mental health, she shares her journey with honesty and grace to inspire others toward healing.

Timestamps:

• (03:00) – Early life, mental health struggles, and movement as medicine
• (06:30) – Discovering yoga and finding purpose through practice
• (10:00) – Ayahuasca vs. Ibogaine: Different paths, different lessons
• (14:30) – The Ibogaine experience: surrender, vision, and clarity
• (19:00) – Cognitive healing, inner stillness, and accessing the divine
• (26:00) – Integration insights and the sacred power of dreams
• (34:00) – Witnessing transformation in others at Beyond
• (42:00) – Food, embodiment, and gratitude after the reset
• (47:00) – Addressing stigma and becoming an unexpected educator