Deep in the rain forest of central Africa, an extraordinary initiation ritual is about to begin.
I’m about to be initiated into the Bwiti faith by a group of Babongo tribesmen.
I’ve got more.
The drug makes you violently sick, purging your body of sin.
Then the visions come.
The Babongo believe your soul leaves your body and is free to go on a great journey to speak with the spirits of animals and plants.
They say iboga allows you to see yourself as you really are from the inside out.
Days later you emerge, cleansed, reborn.
After six hours, my stomach begins to heave.
My blood feels like it’s on fire.
I can feel panic welling inside and I check my pulse.
My veins have dilated and I can feel my blood pressure dropping.
For a moment I am sure, I’m going to die, here in the jungle, thousands of miles from home.
He sings softly to encourage the hallucinations to start.
By now, my gag reflex makes it increasingly hard to swallow.
