The Bwiti Peoples
Since time immemorial the Bwiti people have maintained a deep connection with Iboga, learning from its teachings and crafting a way of life based in truth. This sacred root bark is central to their spiritual practices, offering profound insights that guide individuals to the core of their being, enabling personal healing and transformation. Iboga is not just a plant; it’s a revered teacher that encourages a love for life, helping people live authentically by being fully in the present. When visiting these people and their homes, it is evident how happy and full of a lust for living life free of distraction they truly are.
Bwiti is a spiritual tradition that began thousands of years ago among the Babongo peoples in the rainforests of southern Gabon, Africa. Later these people would be found by the French and came to be recognized more widely as the “Pygmy” people because of their short stature. Known as the "study of life itself," Bwiti invites anyone who feels the call to explore its teachings, treating all equally. It is a path of self-discovery and mastery, with the journey beginning with the essential knowledge of oneself. The Bwiti have an intimate relationship with Iboga, using it as a sacrament for the holistic wellness of mind, body, and spirit, as well as for profound spiritual exploration. From a young age, Bwiti practitioners are taught to work with Iboga safely and effectively, guided by the wisdom passed down through generations.
The relationship between Bwiti and Iboga is inseparable, their ritual practices, music, treatments, and teachings are all learned from the medicine through generations of co-operative living with Iboga. While this tradition has been preserved orally and through rigorous practice, there are various tribes that have adapted to their own way of honoring the traditions. Among the different branches of Bwiti, Missoko Bwiti is directly descended from the original Dissumba Bwiti practiced by the Babongo. This branch was carefully preserved deep within the jungle to protect it from the influence of French Christian colonizers, allowing the tradition to survive in its purest form. Today, Missoko Bwiti continues to be practiced without any external influence, maintaining its integrity and authenticity.
The Shamanic Way
One of the key figures in the modern Missoko Bwiti tradition is Moughenda Mikala, a 10th generation Shaman who has dedicated his life to this path. Born into this tradition, Moughenda was chosen by the medicine from birth, and at the age of eight, he began his formal training under his grandfather, the previous Bwiti Shaman. His journey was rigorous, requiring twenty years of intense training and four major initiations before he earned the title of Bwiti Shaman. Even after achieving this status, Moughenda continued to work closely with his grandfather for an additional ten years.
Moughenda’s deep understanding of the medicine eventually led him to the United States, where he saw firsthand the need for the healing and reset that Iboga offers. After a decade in the States, he opened the Iboga House retreat in Costa Rica. However, when the time came to assume his grandfather's responsibilities as Shaman, Moughenda returned to his village in Gabon. There, he opened the village to outsiders, offering healing and guiding those who are called to share this powerful medicine with the world.