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Beware of the iboga "shaman" Patrick Moughenda Mikala. Sadly, this is a healer who has been corrupted, but he can be very charming and charismatic. He may have started out in his work with good intentions, but he has succumbed to greed and dishonesty. When he was operating in Costa Rica, he offered drug detoxes with iboga at top dollar and often left severe addicts in the care of brand new volunteers. Two deaths resulted from negligence or lack of decent medical support. He sat on his laptop during the healing work most of the time. There are many inconsistencies with his word and he ends up with a lot of broken promises. On more than one occasion, he promised to send iboga to people, then he asked for more and more money for various reasons, and it still never arrived. He uses and manipulates people for money, sex, and promotion. He treats women poorly unless they are young, attractive, and totally submissive. He hit on a young, vulnerable woman in Africa who was there at one of his retreats. He dosed her with extra medicine and snuck her in and out of his bedroom the whole time, all while he was married and his wife was away. I learned that he has hit on multiple women who came for medicine work when they were vulnerable. He now has 3 child support cases against him in Canada and the United States. He easily disposes of people who seriously confront him on his bad behavior. His ego has grown out of control. He puts down other medicines and other traditions, even without any direct experience. He asks for inflated resort level fees for his retreats to Africa with very rustic accommodations under the pretense of sharing much of it with his tribe or using it for the common good, but it was revealed that his tribe actually receive almost nothing while he keeps most of it for himself. Right after cashing in on one of his retreats with foreigners, he was seen with several women who were obviously prostitutes. There is also a lot of hard alcohol being consumed by locals at his ceremonies in Africa. It is not a good place for people who are trying to recover from substance abuse. The only people that last with him are willing to overlook his offenses. It is sad to have to write this. Look elsewhere for healing. He preaches a lot about the truth so here it is.
Speaking from personal experience Moughenda and the Bwiti are some of the most genuine spiritually connected people I have ever come into contact with. Moughenda and the Bwiti actually helped save my life and connect me to the truth. Please don't be scared off by this nonsense. Talk to real people who have real experiences with Moughenda and make sure they are someone you would deemed to be healthy, happy and unattached. I'd be happy to help connect you.
Please feel free to reach out to me at any time for a real conversation about this. I have used my real name for that reason. Thanks
I am a women that has worked with Moughenda Mikala. All that I have observed, witnessed and experienced is Moughenda’s respect, care, consideration and professionalism for the female students he works with and the women in the community. I feel safe and cared for not only by Moughenda but by the community of people that support this transformative and powerful work.
You only have to spend a small amount of time at the village to see that the people of the Bwiti tradition (all students of Moughenda) walk with such integrity, kindness and humility with the deepest of respect for him. Despite a difference in language I felt so loved by the people of the community. Only a teacher with the purest of values and intentions could support the cultivation of such beauty I experienced in the village.
I’ve stayed with various communities across Africa and very much enjoyed having a mattress, my own room, fan and enjoyable meals three times a day. I’m usually use to a thin mat in a hut with several other people. A gentle reminder you are in the jungle in Central Africa ... Embrace it.
Each of us have our own perception of an experience but we really need to distinguish truth from perception. I only hope that these loaded judgements do not prevent others from revieving the healing so many of us need from this profound medicine and community.
This is a total disrespect for Moughenda’s work, he has changed my life and the life of my whole family. I have been whiteness of his professionalism and care for his guests. These accusations are clearly fake and lies toward a truly gentleman who has dedicated his life to help others. His team is faithful to the tradition and all of them respect the mission of the village to help westerners to cure emotional & physical problems. I have been to Moughenda’s village for 3 months 2 years ago, and I had the best experience in my life. I got rid of all my disorders, addictions and personal emotional disorders. I am now the best version of myself and I would be forever grateful for Moughenda’s work with me, my girlfriend and my parents. All have been cured and now enjoy life at the fullest away from darkness.
The internet is a wonderful tool to get your thoughts and perspective out. However, a review is written more when it is a complaint vs a recommendation. One criticism may be seen over 1000’s of positive experiences and does not fully represent the overall picture. Perspective and feelings are an individual experience; this sounds like a perception of someone who is really hurt and more personal (regarding the complaint above). However, there are two people in the situation and the only ones that know that situation are the people involved.
I can only speak of my perspective and experience. The journey that led me to work with Moughenda was an inspirational experience, and it sounds as if Nadinne Dyen had the same experience as me (please note I have never met or talked with Nadinne). From the moment I arrived to the moment I left and the continued connection I have with Moughenda and his team, they have treated me with the utmost respect. I have spent six months over a two-year timeframe working/training with Moughenda and spending that amount of time in his village, you learn a lot about someone, their culture and understand the Bwiti traditions process and how they do things. For my entire trip, I was not preview to the situations described in the complaint.
The cost I spent on my training, healing, and knowledge I gained about myself was worth every penny. However, the value has been worth so much more to me and others I have been able to work with. Even today, my ongoing relationship and communication with Moughenda is always very positive, and I know if I ever need any assistance or have any questions, I can count on him to help. If anyone is considering working with Moughenda’s, I highly recommend doing so as it is a transformational, learning and healing experience with the Bwiti tradition. Should anyone wish to contact me with any questions, I am happy to share my experience.
Let's try this again as my last comment was deleted.
The internet is a wonderful tool to get your thoughts and perspective out. However, a review is written more when it is a complaint vs a recommendation. One criticism may be seen over 1000’s of positive experiences and does not fully represent the overall picture. Perspective and feelings are an individual experience; this sounds like a perception of someone who is really hurt and more personal (regarding the complaint above). However, there are two people in the situation and the only ones that know that situation are the people involved.
I can only speak of my perspective and experience. The journey that led me to work with Moughenda was an inspirational experience, and it sounds as if Nadinne had the same experience as me (please note I have never met or talked with Nadinne). From the moment I arrived to the moment I left and the continued connection I have with Moughenda and his team, they have treated me with the utmost respect. I have spent six months over a two-year timeframe healing/training with Moughenda and spending that amount of time, you learn a lot about someone, their culture and understand the Bwiti traditions process. For my entire trip, I was not preview to the situations described in the complaint.
The cost I spent on my training, healing, and knowledge I gained about myself was worth every penny. However, the value has been worth so much more to me and others I have been able to work with. Even today, my ongoing relationship and communication with Moughenda is always very positive, and I know if I ever need any assistance or have any questions, I can count on him to help. If anyone is considering working with Moughenda’s, I highly recommend doing so as it is a transformational, learning and healing experience with the Bwiti tradition. Should anyone wish to contact me with any questions, I am happy to share my experience.
I am a woman spending time in the Village for almost three months now. I am here for the second time. I have known Moughenda for almost six years. Moughenda is my teacher and I trust him. It is not a blind trust, it is born of experience. Not only has he been a good teacher to me while I have been here in person, but also for years where I was not even part of his active network of facilitators. He has NEVER let me down! Moughenda has been absolutely respectful, loving and yes brutally honest with myself and those he teaches. Not everybody who comes here can deal with the truth of their own [censored] so they project it onto Moughenda. He is tough, he doesn’t baby people and he pushes anyone to be their best. He is truly loving, patient and good. The people in this village, the men and women love him and he loves them. He doesn’t ever claim to be better than anyone else, in fact encourages people to be strong and sovereign. Moughenda in fact states clearly that he isn’t better than anyone. He is chosen and trained for his position . His boss, as well as mine and all of us that are in his network, is Iboga.
Moughenda Village isn’t a resort, it is however, beautiful and a place of very deep learning if you have the courage to be honest with yourself and grow yourself.
Jenny Noëlle Kolb
Thanks Jenny. I am so sick of these really old rumours popping up. There are literally thousands of positive stories and far as I can see, some professional jealousy and Negative noise from the cheat seats is all this rubbish is. Thanks for posting a comment from someone who actually knows him. I’ve known him for ten years now and he has always been kind and supportive to me.
I am chiming in as another woman that has spent three LIFE CHANGING months at Moughenda Village! I have never felt as safe and cared for in my entire life! The men and women in this village were very respectful, helpful, caring and genuinely happy to be there. The lodging is rustic, but they let you know that up front. The three meals they provide daily were gourmet level wonderful And they even accommodated special diets. I did get to know some of the locals personally and I'm still in touch with them and they are happy, healthy and want for nothing. I would have gladly paid 10 times as much for what I got from this experience without batting an eye. The healing and education was way more than I anticipated and absolutely worth every penny.
Look up "iboga house fraud scam warning c636948" on this same website, complaintsboard.com and you will see a lot more people who have had terrible experiences with Moughenda.
Of course his students will defend him, since their entire reputation rests on his reputation, just as with any guru/disciple tradition.
Furthermore, I have spoken with the grandson of a real iboga shaman (she is still alive but pretty old now). He told me, "I know everything about iboga ceremonies, but I can't be an iboga shaman, because I don't have that gift. The Iboga spirit gives that to a special person only."
This makes perfect sense to me. You cannot get spiritual gifts by paying Moughenda or anyone else to teach you songs and dances. Impossible! Furthermore, "10th generation" is a claim that is unprovable.
If you want a real ceremony with a real iboga shaman, I suggest you go to Africa, and ideally into the forest to work with the Pygmies. They don't have much use for money since they live in the forest, so you can bring them other gifts like food, or vitamin C, or water filters perhaps, or you can work with a nonprofit like Friends of the Pygmies which organizes this type of thing and gives back via digging wells and land title projects. Look up IbogaQueen or FabIboga as that will be the easiest way to connect with real ceremonies while giving something back to whole communities rather than lining someone's pockets.
Another option would be Ebando. I don't know much about them, except that their shaman is a white guy named Tatayo, which makes me cringe, but so far I haven't found complaints online, so he may be a good guy, though it certainly won't be as traditional as a Pygmy ceremony.
Hi Joel, you mind contacting me and discussing the pigmy route?
Just letting you know these comments about Moughenda are fraudulent and written by people who are jealous and trying to take work from him.
I have personally been treated by him and been back two years in a row and will continue to engage with him and his Bwiti tribe. His generosity, capacity to heal and entire experience are beyond anything I have ever experienced. I had completely given up on life and thought there was no hope for me to ever recover.
Now the healing and benefits I have experience are beyond anything I could ever have imagined.
If anything there needs to be a complaint made against complaints board for allowing this kind of defamation to even take place in the beginning. It disgusts me that the internet is being used to demonise a man who has done more, single handedly, for thousands of people, around the world.
Feel free to contact me if you would like any further information.
I have not yet engaged in ceremony with Moughenda, however, over the past ten years, he has been an amazing and supportive friend to me. I’ve read and spoken to hundreds of people, who have been full of praise for him over the years. I find the blowout and rumours from one or two individuals from years ago now getting very very tired. Moughenda, as far as I can see, has done more to help people heal, including myself, than anyone else I know of.
What a load of rubbish. I had given up all hope of ever healing and Moughenda has exceeded all expectations and imagination with what he has done for me. I now have a life. A wonderful joyous life and Moughenda has proven to be the most knowledgeable, generous and wise soul, I have ever met.