This secondary analysis of an open-label study (n=30) of male Veterans with traumatic brain injury found that greater intensity of mystical experiences during magnesium-ibogaine treatment was associated with larger reductions in PTSD severity both immediately and one month post-treatment, as well as greater reductions in peak alpha frequency at one month.
Abstract of Mystical experiences during magnesium-Ibogaine are associated with improvements in PTSD symptoms in veterans
“Ibogaine is an atypical psychedelic that evokes unique subjective effects, including mystical experiences. Mystical experiences have shown a mediating effect on clinical improvements following treatment with several psychedelic substances; however, the relationship between mystical experiences and clinical outcomes following ibogaine remains unclear. We examined the association between mystical experiences during ibogaine and subsequent changes in PTSD severity. We also explored the relationship between mystical experiences and several electroencephalography (EEG) measures found to underlie some of ibogaine’s therapeutic effects. Our study included 30 male Veterans with traumatic brain injury from repeated blast/combat exposures who underwent magnesium-ibogaine therapy. We assessed mystical experiences post-treatment using the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30). PTSD severity and resting-state EEG assessments occurred at baseline and immediately and 1-month post-treatment. In linear mixed models, we used the time by MEQ30 interaction to assess the relationship between MEQ30 and changes in PTSD severity and EEG measures after treatment. Participants reporting greater intensity of mystical experiences following magnesium-ibogaine exhibited larger reductions in PTSD both immediately and one month after treatment (time by MEQ30 interaction for change from baseline: immediate post-treatment Badj = −5.89, padj < 0.001; 1-month post-treatment Badj = −4.45, padj = 0.007). Greater intensity of mystical experiences was also associated with larger reductions in peak alpha frequency one month after treatment (Badj = −0.38, padj = 0.006). These findings suggest that mystical experiences may contribute to improvements in PTSD following magnesium-ibogaine. Greater mystical experiences during ibogaine treatment may also be related to persisting decreases in peak alpha frequency.“
Authors: Randi E. Brown, Jennifer I. Lissemore, Kenneth F. Shinozuka, John P. Coetzee, Afik Faerman, Clayton A. Olash, Andrew D. Geoly, Derrick M. Buchanan, Kirsten N. Cherian, Anna Chaiken, Ahmed Shamma, Malvika Sridhar, Saron A. Hunegnaw, Noriah D. Johnson, Camarin E. Rolle, Maheen M. Adamson & Nolan R. Williams
Summary of Mystical experiences during magnesium-Ibogaine are associated with improvements in PTSD symptoms in veterans
Brown and colleagues open the introduction by highlighting the global rise in depression and the substantial proportion of individuals who do not respond adequately to standard treatments. They note that treatment-resistant depression represents a particularly difficult clinical challenge, often requiring alternative or adjunctive approaches. Against this backdrop, non-invasive neuromodulation techniques—such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)—have gained increasing attention as promising options for individuals who have not benefitted sufficiently from traditional medication or psychotherapy.
The authors explain that the Stanford Neuromodulation Therapy (SNT) protocol, a form of accelerated TMS, has shown rapid antidepressant effects in earlier research. SNT delivers high-frequency magnetic pulses to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain region associated with mood regulation. Unlike conventional TMS, which unfolds over several weeks, SNT condenses treatment into a shorter period through multiple daily sessions. This accelerated schedule is intended to produce faster clinical improvements, which may be particularly valuable for individuals with severe symptoms, functional impairment, or acute crises.
However, Brown and colleagues observe that although SNT has demonstrated strong results in controlled studies, it remains unclear how well these outcomes generalise to real-world clinical settings. Prior studies often included relatively homogeneous samples, strict inclusion criteria and highly structured treatment environments. The present study therefore aims to evaluate SNT as it is applied in a naturalistic clinical practice, examining its effectiveness, rate of symptom reduction and impact on factors such as suicidality, functional impairment and co-occurring conditions. By capturing outcomes in an everyday treatment environment, the researchers hope to clarify whether SNT can deliver rapid and meaningful improvements for a broader group of patients.
Methods
Find this paper
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.120722
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Cite this paper (APA)
Brown, R., Lissemore, J., Shinozuka, K., Coetzee, J., Faerman, A., Olash, C., ... & Williams, N. (2025). Mystical experiences during magnesium-Ibogaine are associated with improvements in PTSD symptoms in veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 120722.
Study details
Compounds studied
Ibogaine
Topics studied
Neuroscience
PTSD
Traumatic Brain Injury
Study characteristics
Observational
Open-Label
Longitudinal
Bio/Neuro
Participants
30
Humans
Compound Details
The psychedelics given at which dose and how many times
Ibogaine 2 - 14mg | 1x