The Ukrainian military is experimenting with ibogaine, a psychedelic drug known for treating opioid use disorder, to treat PSTD, traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and enhance battle readiness, potentially improving combat performance. Ibogaine, while banned in the United States, is being sourced by Irvin Dana Beal, a key figure in the Yippie movement and an advocate for ibogaine’s therapeutic uses.
Oleksii Skyrtach, a Ukrainian military psychologist who provided Beal with a letter for immigration authorities to help him move through customs with the drug, says “We really need as much Ibogaine as possible. Even if the war ends now we’ll have too many ‘rambos’ to come back home from the frontline. It’ll be much more serious problem [than the] USA faced when thousands of veterans came home from the Vietnam war.” Ibogaine helps heal PSTD
Veteran Jon Lubecky, legislative director for Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions, made repeated humanitarian relief visits to Ukraine, also helped finance the project and made connections, including to the Ukrainian Psychedelic Research Association. He confirmed his involvement. “As a combat Veteran of Iraq who suffered through 8 years of crippling PTSD, returning to a war zone, and having no effects, while seeing everyone around suffering as I once did, I knew something had to be done, and I could.”
The focus is on Ibogaine’s potential to enhance cognitive functions, including pattern recognition, which could be beneficial in military contexts. Additionally, there’s interest in microdosing ibogaine to boost soldiers’ morale and mental agility. This approach reflects a novel and experimental method in addressing the complexities of TBI and its impact on soldiers’ effectiveness.
For more details, you can read the full article on The Intercept here.