#56 - Norman Ohler: Ibogaine and the Writer's Mind
Fri Jan 30 2026
In this episode, Talia Eisenberg talks with Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed, about creativity, cognition, and how narrative changes when the nervous system changes.
Ohler breaks down how ibogaine differs from classic psychedelics, describing a state that feels sober yet radically clear. He explains how his second flood dose shifted quickly from personal healing into an extended, high-precision creative session where he restructured chapters, tone, and architecture for upcoming books. The conversation closes with advice for creatives using psychedelic work to understand themselves better, and why ibogaine can function as an introspective tool for writers rather than just a dramatic visionary experience.
Norman Ohler is a bestselling German author and historian whose book Blitzed examined drug use in Nazi Germany and its impact on wartime strategy and leadership. He writes about drugs and history, hosts the DopeCast, and is working on Stoned Sapiens, a drug-centered reframe of human history that includes iboga as one of the oldest psychoactive influences on culture and consciousness.
Links
I write books — NORMAN OHLERNorman Ohler (@normanohler)Stoned sapiens | SubstackTimestamps
(01:55) Blitzed and why drugs belong in serious history(05:25) Why humans seek drugs and the science of neuroplasticity(08:10) Becoming a writer and the role of discipline versus inspiration(10:15) First LSD experience and how it changed narrative form(14:10) Arriving at Beond: the observer versus the inner journey(21:10) Why Beond’s protocol matters, neuroplasticity, breathwork, and integration(28:20) Stone Sapiens, iboga’s ancient role, and what changes after treatment(30:45) Advice to creatives using psychedelic work for self-knowledge
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In this episode, Talia Eisenberg talks with Norman Ohler, bestselling author of Blitzed, about creativity, cognition, and how narrative changes when the nervous system changes. Ohler breaks down how ibogaine differs from classic psychedelics, describing a state that feels sober yet radically clear. He explains how his second flood dose shifted quickly from personal healing into an extended, high-precision creative session where he restructured chapters, tone, and architecture for upcoming books. The conversation closes with advice for creatives using psychedelic work to understand themselves better, and why ibogaine can function as an introspective tool for writers rather than just a dramatic visionary experience. Norman Ohler is a bestselling German author and historian whose book Blitzed examined drug use in Nazi Germany and its impact on wartime strategy and leadership. He writes about drugs and history, hosts the DopeCast, and is working on Stoned Sapiens, a drug-centered reframe of human history that includes iboga as one of the oldest psychoactive influences on culture and consciousness. Links I write books — NORMAN OHLERNorman Ohler (@normanohler)Stoned sapiens | SubstackTimestamps (01:55) Blitzed and why drugs belong in serious history(05:25) Why humans seek drugs and the science of neuroplasticity(08:10) Becoming a writer and the role of discipline versus inspiration(10:15) First LSD experience and how it changed narrative form(14:10) Arriving at Beond: the observer versus the inner journey(21:10) Why Beond’s protocol matters, neuroplasticity, breathwork, and integration(28:20) Stone Sapiens, iboga’s ancient role, and what changes after treatment(30:45) Advice to creatives using psychedelic work for self-knowledge