Marc: Ibogaine Treatment - Part 2

This is part 2 of an in-depth, never seen before, insider observation of a patient's in-hospital ibogaine treatment experience. The entire segment takes place in a hospital in Panama. We watch Marc as he undergoes the powerful psychogenic effects of ibogaine and witness his transformation from addiction to wellness first hand. Throughout, he is fully aware of the deep-rooted life episodes he is re-examining as part of a psychological healing taking place under the influence, and he can verbalize (sometimes challenged for words) the connections between past events and the roots of his own addictive behavior and patterns.



Howard and Norma Lotsof and I hoped this would be a breakthrough video for the addict and scientific communities. By recording a patient's progress some weeks before treatment, during the crucial 24-36 hours of actual treatment, and following them on their post treatment psychotherapy and medical follow-up for several weeks, we felt we had demonstrative evidence that the ENDABUSE Treatment was both safe, humane, and efficacious.

Since I had never myself witnessed the entire process, this was a fascinating and eye-opening experience for me. I had never questioned Howard's claims of narcotic withdrawal interruption or the psychological epiphanies patients (including himself) underwent; indeed I had absolute faith in Howard and had heard many people relate their own intimate stories. But I had never seen this first hand myself. The hospital environment was the safest and best way for me to become initiated into the clinical world, and much valuable scientific medical data was simultaneously being recorded and doumented.

Marc: Ibogaine Treatment Video - Pt 1/3

This is the first video that shows one patient's complete ibogaine treatment (before, during, and after) with full coverage of their remarkable experience. It is a first-hand glimpse of the powerful ability of ibogaine to interrupt methadone withdrawal symptoms and addictive craving within 24 hours. The treatment took place in a Panamanian hospital under the supervision of medical doctors with the complete cooperation of Panama's government and health system. This is Part 1 of a 3 part series.


After we completed The ENDABUSE Report video, Howard, Norma and I realized we had to take one step further. A video was needed that documented the entire ibogaine experience, not only from the patient's viewpoint, but from medical and social worker perspectives as well. We needed to show the whole process and dramatically demonstrate the patient's odyssey from sickness to wellness.

Howard formed an alliance with Dr. Eduardo Della Sera, an addiction treatment specialist in Panama. Dr. Della Sera was able to obtain the cooperation of the Panamanian government and the medical establishment to allow human clinical studies to be conducted at a hospital in Panama City.

Eventually, several patients would be treated in Central America. We needed one who would consent to be videotaped and who would allow us access for several months. Marc came forward, a young man in his 20s who had a history of heroin addiction and subsequent methadone treatment. He had undergone the ENDABUSE Procedure previously and now needed another treatment as he had relapsed back into addiction.

We filmed Marc in New York, a couple of weeks before he flew to Panama. The video speaks for itself as far as depicting Marc's mental and physical condition at that moment in time. The most important footage is of his actual hospital experience, from his taking the ibogaine capsule to his ongoing description of his hallucinogenic revelations concerning his life in relationship to his addiction.

We followed Marc back to New York and obtained testimony from his psychotherapist about his recovery and his support group interaction. Dr. Della Sera also discusses the interruption of Marc's methadone addiction and observes that ibogaine is a powerful tool in the treatment of drug dependency.

As a filmmaker, the experience of making this video with the Lotsofs was a personal milestone. Every human being longs for some kind of immortality, whether it be through their offspring, their relationships, or their achievements. This project was a vehicle to do something meaningful that would benefit many people, and I am forever grateful for the opportunity.