Adversity as Catalyst: A Mixed-methods Analysis of Iboga-induced Psychological Transformation

Abstract

In this study, I investigate the psychological enhancements associated with iboga experiences using a general interpretivist framework informed by grounded theory and configurational comparative methods. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 individuals who had previously undergone iboga sessions in clinical contexts. The analysis yielded three core categories: (1) processing and psychological shifts, (2) visionary and mystical experiences, and; (3) negative psychedelic experiences. Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) identified that post-iboga psychological shifts were most consistently associated with perceived plant intelligence, epistemological insight from the plant, and engagement with difficult emotional content. Ego dissolution and identity transformation were linked to trauma release, emotional insight, and relational epistemologies. Contrary to prevailing narratives that pathologize negative psychedelic experiences, this study demonstrates that such experiences—characterized by fear, psychic disintegration, and surrender—functioned as central mechanisms of psychological growth. The findings further reveal that participants frequently attributed their insights to iboga itself, challenging neuroreductive frameworks and supporting participatory, relational models of psychedelic knowledge. This research advances psychedelic science by formalizing adversity as therapeutic, validating plant-based epistemology, and introducing an integrated model of identity deconstruction through affective processing. The study addresses critical gaps in iboga research and calls for expanded ontological frameworks in the design of psychedelic-assisted therapies.