Bwiti is a spiritual discipline of the forest-dwelling

Punu people The Punu or Bapunu (Pungwe, Pungu, Uréwé) (''Sira, Ban Sira''), are a Bantu meta-ethnicity of Gabon and the Republic of Congo. History According to Magang-Ma-Mbuju and Mbumb Bwass the Punu people come from the people called «Jagas» and come ...

and Mitsogo peoples of

Gabon Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...

(where it is recognized as one of three official religions) and by the Fang people of Gabon and

Cameroon Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the ...

. Modern Bwiti incorporates

animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...

ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

, and in some cases,

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...

, into a syncretistic belief system. Bwiti practitioners use the

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...

dissociative Dissociatives, colloquially dissos, are a subclass of hallucinogens which distort perception of sight and sound and produce feelings of detachment – dissociation – from the environment and/or self. Although many kinds of drugs are capable of ...

root bark of the '' Tabernanthe iboga'' plant, specially cultivated for the religion, to promote radical spiritual growth, to stabilize community and family structure, to meet religious requirements, and to resolve pathological problems. The root bark has been consumed for hundreds of years in a Bwiti

rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of social status, status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisat ...

ceremony, as well as in initiation rites and acts of healing. The experience yields complex visions and insights anticipated to be valuable to the initiate and the chapel.

Liturgy

Intoxicants in liturgy

Taking Iboga brings both open and closed-eye visions which can be made stronger by darkness, ambiance, and suggestion. Following the visions, users experience an introspective mindset in which they often recount past experiences in life. Difficulty sleeping, nausea, and vomiting sometimes last until the day after consumption.

Rites

Bwiti ceremonies are led by a spiritual leader called '' N'ganga'' who is a very important member of the community and has extensive knowledge of traditional healing practices, hexes, and spells. The crucial rite of Bwiti is the initiation ceremony, when young Gabonese women and men take iboga for the first time in the huts specific to each gender to become members of the spiritual practice. There are many ceremonies at different times of the year to give homage to the ancestors. Special ceremonies may be held to heal sick persons or drive out malevolent spirits. During some ceremonies, a traditional torch made of bark and tree sap, the mupeto, is burned. Music and dance are central to the Bwiti tradition. Participants sing and play drums and shakers. Some traditions use the Ngombi harp, while other use the traditional Mongongo. The N'ganga and other participants usually dress in red, black, and white cloth. They may wear skirts of raffia material and small shells or beads. Animal skins, such as Genet fur, are often worn. The iboga root may be made into a tea or more often taken in the form of scrapings. Ceremonies usually begin at night and may last for days since the effects of doses of the drug of the size employed in such ceremonies are particularly long lasting.

Sects and Rites

The term "Bwiti" is often misrepresented in the west. This is likely due to a lack of information dissemination (considering it is an

oral tradition Oral tradition, or oral lore, is a form of human communication wherein knowledge, art, ideas and Culture, cultural material is received, preserved, and transmitted orally from one generation to another.Jan Vansina, Vansina, Jan: ''Oral Traditio ...

), appropriation and modification of rites amongst the different populations, and purposeful disinformation to keep rites secret. The Pygmy peoples are often cited as the origin of Bwiti, or at least of the use of

Iboga ''Tabernanthe iboga'' (iboga) is an evergreen rainforest shrub native to Central Africa. A member of the Apocynaceae family indigenous to Gabon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Republic of Congo, it is cultivated across Central Africa ...

in a ritualistic context.

Recognition

Bwiti is one of Gabon's official traditions. Some sects are influenced by Christianity, and include the use of the Christian calendar.The Babongo
BBC page for Bruce Parry's "Tribe" series.

Notes

References

Holy War- A Tale of Bwiti Initiation, Part 1
(2018) by Jim Dziura. Psychedelic Times
Holy War- A Tale of Bwiti Initiation, Part 2
(2018) by Jim Dziura. Psychedelic Times *BBC TV Series (2005). ''

Tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

''
link
- explorer Bruce Parry spent a month living amongst the Babongo and was initiated into their use of Iboga.
Tribe Babongo Iboga
With Bruce Parry; Divx Video Quality. * Pinchbeck, Daniel (2002). " Breaking Open the Head". Broadway Books. Part I pages 9–39. * Pinchbeck, Daniel (1999).
Tripping on Iboga
. Salon Travel * Samorini, Giorgio.
Adam, ''Eve and Iboga''
(Originally published in ''Integration'' 4: 4-10). * Samorini, Giorgio.
''The Bwiti Religion and the psychoactive plant Tabernanthe iboga (Equatorial Africa)''
(Originally published in ''Integration'' 5: 105-114)