You took ibogaine. You had the experience. Now you're going home. What are you actually taking with you?
DJ first tried ibogaine in Mexico in early 2025. He'd spent years in AA and American treatment programs. He was looking for another way forward. What he describes afterward is the part I want us to pay attention to: trying to make sense of a huge experience, largely on his own.
I'm Charles, co-founder of Nekawa. In this Student Series conversation, DJ and I talk about preparation, psychedelic integration, and the life waiting on the other side of treatment.
We start with questions raised by a recent New York Times article about ibogaine care. Then we get into what DJ felt was missing from his first experience, the pressure to rush into treatment, and why I want people to have time to settle before asking anything more of themselves.
We talk about sleep. Discomfort. The habits you bring with you. What happens when you change your environment and still have to live with yourself.
And we get into integration. What does that word actually mean once you've finished talking about it?
DJ is building a business to help people and families understand ibogaine and make informed decisions. He's also reading for hours, something he never thought of himself as doing. That matters to me. Being able to sit down, focus, and get into a book is something you can take home.
I say it toward the end: "Because when you go home, you're going to have to be the one to do it."
That's why I care about giving people space to recognize the value in these things for themselves.
At the time of filming, DJ had spent about a month at Nekawa and had not yet received ibogaine during this stay. He's reflecting on his earlier treatment and his current preparation, not reporting an outcome from a completed Nekawa stay.
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Host: Charles Johnston | Guest: DJ
Series: Nekawa Student Series
Recorded at Nekawa Ibogaine, Brazil
A medical note: This conversation shares personal experiences and opinions, not medical advice or a promise of results. Ibogaine carries serious cardiac risks (Alper et al., 2016). Medication and withdrawal decisions belong with independent licensed physicians. The discussion of sleep medication is not advice to stop prescribed medication or replace medical assessment with a walk. Nekawa provides wellness education and hospitality; medical care is provided by independent licensed physicians.
Reference: Alper, K., Bai, R., Liu, N., Fowler, S. J., Huang, X.-P., Priori, S. G., & Ruan, Y. (2016). hERG blockade by iboga alkaloids. Cardiovascular Toxicology, 16(1), 14-22. [https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-015-9311-5](https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-015-9311-5)
#IbogaineTreatment #PsychedelicIntegration #Nekawa
