The new Netflix film follows three Navy SEALs who travel to Mexico for ibogaine treatment — and the science and stories behind it are impossible to ignore.
What Is In Waves and War?
When a documentary opens with a line from Homer — "By now, I am used to suffering. I have endured so much in waves and war" — you know it's not going to be an easy watch. In Waves and War, which premiered on Netflix on November 3, 2025, is a raw, intimate, and at times overwhelming portrait of three former Navy SEALs who, after years of failed conventional treatments, travel to a clinic in Mexico to undergo ibogaine therapy — a psychedelic-assisted treatment that remains illegal in the United States.
The documentary has sparked a surge of public interest in ibogaine, psychedelic therapy for veterans, and the clinics operating in Mexico where this treatment is legally available. For many viewers — veterans, families, and clinicians alike — the film has raised an urgent question: what exactly is ibogaine, and could it help? Beyond ibogaine specifically, psilocybin clinical trials for PTSD are now in Phase III, and the broader landscape of plant-medicine therapies for combat trauma is changing fast.
Directed by award-winning filmmakers Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen — known for Athlete A and Audrie & Daisy — In Waves and War follows three former Navy SEALs: Marcus Capone, D.J. Shipley, and Matty Roberts. Each man carried different wounds home from their years of service: traumatic brain injuries, severe PTSD, depression, suicidal ideation, and the slow destruction of their closest relationships.
The film doesn't dramatise combat. There are no recreated firefights, no slow-motion footage of soldiers in the field. Instead, it focuses entirely on what happens when warriors come home and find that neither they nor the systems built to help them know how to treat what they're carrying.
Marcus Capone's story is the emotional spine of the documentary. His wife Amber describes him at his worst as "a monster" — a man she barely recognised after multiple deployments. Capone himself describes years of antidepressants, talk therapy, and VA interventions that provided little relief. It was Amber who eventually found ibogaine, beginning what would become a life-changing — and ultimately movement-defining — journey for the couple.
D.J. Shipley's story carries additional layers of grief. His wife Patsy lost her first husband, Danny Dietz, in the 2005 Operation Red Wings mission in Afghanistan — the same engagement that inspired the film Lone Survivor. Shipley's struggle with the psychological cost of two decades in special operations is depicted without any Hollywood embellishment. The pain is visible and real.
Matty Roberts, who sustained a devastating arm injury in combat, allows his ibogaine treatment to be filmed in Mexico — giving viewers one of the most intimate portrayals of the psychedelic experience ever captured on screen. The documentary uses animation to recreate the veterans' inner journeys during treatment, a creative decision widely praised by critics as both artistically effective and appropriately respectful of experiences that defy literal depiction.
The film also features follow-up research conducted by scientists from the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, who tracked participants through psychological assessments before and after treatment. In Waves and War is not a promotional piece. It is careful to show that ibogaine is not easy, not guaranteed, and not without risk. But for these men — and the 1,200+ veterans funded through the Capones' nonprofit VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions) — it represented something no conventional treatment had offered: genuine relief.
The Veteran Mental Health Crisis: Why This Film Matters Now
To understand why In Waves and War has resonated so widely, you need to understand the scale of what it's responding to.
According to the 2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, more than 6,400 veterans died by suicide in 2022. That is an average of 17.6 veterans every single day. The film opens with this statistic, and it hangs over every scene. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please visit our crisis resources page.
For decades, the standard tools for treating combat-related PTSD and traumatic brain injury have been a combination of antidepressants, cognitive behavioural therapy, and EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing). For some veterans, these work. For many others — particularly those with multiple deployments, severe TBI, or complex trauma — they do not. The veterans in In Waves and War collectively represent years of failed treatment before they found ibogaine.
Capone, speaking to PBS News in November 2025, described the fundamental problem with conventional approaches: "Too many treatments put a Band-Aid fix on it. Many of these antidepressants are really just covering up the symptoms. Psychedelics get into your unconscious. So it takes potentially five to 10 years of psychotherapy, what a therapist or a psychologist is trying to get to in a few hours."
It is this promise — not a quick fix, but a genuine shortcut to the root of trauma — that has made ibogaine the focus of serious scientific inquiry.
What Is Ibogaine? A Plain-Language Explainer
Ibogaine is a naturally occurring psychoactive compound derived from the root bark of Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central and West Africa, particularly Gabon, where it has been used for centuries in the spiritual and healing ceremonies of the Bwiti tradition. For a comprehensive overview, see our guide on what ibogaine is and how it works.
In pharmacological terms, ibogaine is classified as an atypical psychedelic. Unlike psilocybin or MDMA, which primarily work on serotonin receptors, ibogaine interacts with a broad range of neurological systems simultaneously — including opioid receptors, serotonin transporters, dopamine pathways, and NMDA receptors. This complex, multi-system action is one reason researchers believe ibogaine may be effective against such a wide range of conditions, from opioid addiction to PTSD to traumatic brain injury.
The ibogaine experience is typically described in two phases. The first, the "visionary" phase, involves intense visual and psychological experiences — often described as a cinematic life review in which the person sees their memories, traumas, and emotional patterns from a new vantage point. Veterans in In Waves and War describe this as seeing difficult moments from their past "from a different angle," gaining emotional distance and, in some cases, profound resolution around guilt, grief, and self-blame.
The second phase is more introspective and contemplative, characterised by a deep processing of the material surfaced during the visionary phase. The full experience can last between 12 and 36 hours, which is significantly longer than most other psychedelic sessions. Learn more about what to expect during ibogaine treatment.
Dr. Nolan Williams, a psychiatrist at Stanford University involved in the ibogaine research featured in the documentary, has described ibogaine as acting like a "heat-seeking missile" in the brain — targeting areas impaired by trauma or injury and helping to restore neural connections. One veteran featured in the film, Elias Kfoury, reported that the chronic headaches that had plagued him for 12 years largely disappeared after treatment.
Ibogaine is currently a Schedule I substance in the United States, meaning it is classified as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse — a classification that the veterans and researchers in In Waves and War argue is not only inaccurate but actively harmful to those who could benefit.
The Stanford Research: What the Science Says
The documentary's scientific credibility rests heavily on research conducted by the Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab, which has been tracking veterans undergoing ibogaine therapy in controlled settings.
In February 2024, Nature Medicine published the landmark results of a Stanford University study involving 30 special operations veterans. The study examined the effects of ibogaine combined with magnesium — the latter used to reduce the cardiac risks associated with ibogaine treatment — on veterans with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
The results were striking. Participants reported significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression following treatment. Cognitive functioning improved. Suicidal ideation decreased. The researchers noted that many participants reported improvements that persisted for months after a single treatment session.
When you're ready to explore options, our verified clinic directory lists the providers operating in Mexico with full medical oversight.
This is the research that underpins In Waves and War. The documentary follows these veterans in real time, interweaving their personal experiences with the data emerging from Stanford. It gives the film a dual register: emotionally devastating personal testimony on one hand, and cautiously optimistic scientific evidence on the other.
The Stanford findings have contributed to a changing legislative landscape. In June 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation investing $50 million into research on ibogaine as a treatment for neurological disorders and opioid addiction — directly referencing the momentum generated by the veteran community and, in part, by screenings of In Waves and War before the Texas state legislature.
The Department of Veterans Affairs also announced in December 2024 that it would fund its first study on psychedelic-assisted therapy since the 1960s, with expanded research now investigating MDMA and psilocybin for PTSD, treatment-resistant depression, and anxiety disorders.
Why Veterans Are Going to Mexico
Because ibogaine remains a Schedule I substance in the United States, anyone seeking the treatment must travel abroad. Mexico has become the primary destination for American veterans pursuing ibogaine therapy, for several reasons.
Ibogaine is not a controlled substance under Mexican federal law. It operates in what is often described as a legal grey area — permitting clinics to administer the compound under medical supervision, though the regulatory framework governing these clinics varies. Several established clinics operate in cities including Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta, and elsewhere in Mexico, some of which have developed sophisticated medical protocols for ibogaine administration.
In In Waves and War, the veterans travel to a clinic in Tijuana operated in partnership with The Mission Within, the veteran-focused psychedelic therapy programme co-founded by Marcus Capone and Dr. Martín Polanco. The clinic shown in the film operates with medical oversight — nurses, doctors, cardiac monitoring — reflecting the safety-conscious approach that serious ibogaine providers take.
The issue of cardiac risk is one the documentary addresses openly. Ibogaine can prolong the QT interval in the heart, which under certain conditions can lead to dangerous arrhythmias. This is not a reason to dismiss ibogaine therapy outright, but it is a reason why medical screening — including a thorough cardiac evaluation — is considered essential before treatment. The Barrow Neurological Institute, whose president Dr. Michael Lawton appears in ASU panel discussions following the film's release, has described ibogaine as "a serious medication that can have cardiac side effects that can be lethal, so it has to be done in a very monitored setting."
Reputable clinics in Mexico conduct electrocardiograms, assess contraindicated medications (particularly opioids, SSRIs, and certain cardiac drugs), review full medical histories, and monitor patients continuously during treatment. For guidance on evaluating providers, see our guide on how to choose an ibogaine clinic.
For veterans who have spent years being failed by conventional systems, the decision to travel to Mexico is rarely taken lightly. It typically follows multiple failed medication trials, significant personal suffering, and extensive research. The documentary captures this decision-making process with honesty and nuance.
The VETS Organisation and the Broader Movement
One of the most significant threads in In Waves and War is the story of how Marcus and Amber Capone transformed their personal experience into a movement.
In 2019, the couple founded VETS — Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions — a nonprofit organisation that provides resources and financial support for veterans to access psychedelic-assisted therapy. By the time the documentary premiered in November 2025, VETS had funded ibogaine treatment for more than 1,200 veterans. Marcus Capone has described the demand as overwhelming, with the organisation able to accept only one in ten applications.
The film shows VETS not simply as a funding mechanism, but as a community of shared experience. Veterans who have been through treatment — including Capone and Shipley — accompany newer participants through the process, offering peer support and moral presence during what can be an intensely challenging experience. "These guys take a pledge to each other when they join the military not to ever leave a soldier behind," co-director Jon Shenk has said. "And in a way, they're still doing that."
This peer-supported model of ibogaine therapy has become a hallmark of veteran-focused psychedelic treatment programs. It reflects an understanding, well-documented in trauma research, that community and relational support are as important to long-term recovery as any pharmacological intervention. This model is also relevant for first responders facing similar occupational trauma.
What the Treatment Actually Involves
For those unfamiliar with ibogaine therapy in a clinical context, In Waves and War provides one of the most detailed and accessible portrayals available. Here is what the process generally involves, based on what the documentary shows and what is understood from the research. For a complete walkthrough, see our guide on what to expect during ibogaine treatment.
Medical screening comes first. Candidates undergo cardiac evaluation, blood work, and a full medication review. Contraindications — including opioid use, certain SSRIs, and pre-existing cardiac conditions — must be assessed and managed before treatment proceeds. Magnesium is often administered alongside ibogaine to reduce cardiac risk, a protocol supported by the Stanford study.
Preparation involves psychological work — understanding the intention behind the treatment, managing expectations, and often reducing or eliminating certain medications in advance. The documentary shows veterans engaging in preparatory conversations with clinicians and one another.
The treatment session itself lasts between 12 and 36 hours. Participants lie down in a medically supervised setting. The visionary phase — vivid, often emotionally intense inner experiences — typically begins within an hour and can last many hours. Medical staff monitor vital signs throughout. The documentary's animation sequences, which recreate the veterans' subjective experiences, give viewers a sense of what this phase can involve: confronting difficult memories, processing grief and guilt, and often arriving at new emotional perspectives.
Integration is the phase that follows. The ibogaine experience surfaces material; integration is the ongoing work of making sense of it. Veterans in In Waves and War are explicit that the treatment is "only the first step." Long-term psychological support, community connection, and ongoing therapeutic work are presented as essential components of sustainable recovery.
The Cultural Moment: Why In Waves and War Landed When It Did
In Waves and War did not appear in a vacuum. It arrives at a moment when public attitudes toward psychedelic medicine have shifted dramatically.
Psilocybin has been decriminalised or legalised in several U.S. states. MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD progressed through clinical trials before facing regulatory hurdles that reflected the complexity of translating psychedelic research into approved medical practice. Ketamine, once a surgical anaesthetic, is now widely prescribed for treatment-resistant depression. The American public, researchers, lawmakers, and — crucially — veterans themselves are increasingly open to the question of whether substances long classified as dangerous and without medical value might in fact hold significant therapeutic potential.
The film premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival before reaching a global Netflix audience. It has been screened before the Texas state legislature, at Johns Hopkins University, at Arizona State University, and at veterans' organisations across the country. At each screening, audience members and panellists have described being deeply moved — not just by the personal stories, but by the combination of human testimony and scientific rigour that makes the documentary feel both urgent and credible.
For the ibogaine therapy community — clinics, researchers, advocates, and veterans — the release of In Waves and War on Netflix represents a genuine inflection point. Mainstream visibility at this scale was previously unimaginable for a treatment that, just a decade ago, existed almost entirely below the radar of public health discourse.
What In Waves and War Gets Right — and What It Leaves Open
In Waves and War is a documentary, not a clinical trial. It is open about this. The film makes no claim that ibogaine works for everyone, or that the experiences shown are representative of all outcomes. What it does — and does very effectively — is present compelling evidence, both personal and scientific, that deserves serious attention.
What the film deliberately avoids is the role of a promotional vehicle. The veterans speak with the kind of hard-won honesty that comes from having been failed by systems that were supposed to help them. They are not salesmen. When Matty Roberts tells his therapist at the end of the film "Mexico beat the crap out of me," it is a reminder that this is not a comfortable or easy treatment. It is a demanding, disorienting, and in some cases terrifying experience that requires both courage and careful medical support to navigate safely.
The questions the documentary leaves open are the ones the research community is now working to answer. How durable are the benefits? What is the optimal treatment protocol? Who is most likely to benefit? What role does integration play in long-term outcomes? How do we make this available to the veterans and others who need it, in a regulated, safe, and accessible framework?
These are not small questions. But the fact that they are now being asked seriously — in Stanford laboratories, in state legislatures, in the halls of the VA, and in living rooms across the world as Netflix subscribers encounter In Waves and War for the first time — represents a genuine shift.
Key Facts: In Waves and War at a Glance
Title: In Waves and War
Platform: Netflix
Release date: November 3, 2025
Directors: Jon Shenk and Bonni Cohen (Actual Films)
Subjects: Marcus Capone, D.J. Shipley, Matty Roberts (former U.S. Navy SEALs)
Treatment: Ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT, administered at a clinic in Tijuana, Mexico
Research partner: Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab (Dr. Nolan Williams)
Related organisation: VETS — Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions (founded 2019 by Marcus and Amber Capone)
Key statistic: 17.6 U.S. veterans die by suicide every day (2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report)
Key research: Stanford/Nature Medicine study (2024) — ibogaine + magnesium significantly reduced PTSD, anxiety, and depression in 30 special operations veterans with TBI
Further Reading and Resources
- In Waves and War — available to stream now on Netflix
- VETS (Veterans Exploring Treatment Solutions) — vets.org
- Stanford Brain Stimulation Lab ibogaine research — published in Nature Medicine, February 2024
- Ibogaine for Veterans & TBI — our comprehensive guide
- Ibogaine Treatment Cost — what to expect and how to plan
- Frequently Asked Questions about ibogaine therapy
- Subscribe to The Ibogaine Briefing for ongoing research updates
This article is for educational and informational purposes only. Ibogaine is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. Nothing in this article constitutes medical advice. Anyone considering psychedelic-assisted therapy should consult qualified medical professionals and ensure any treatment is conducted in a fully supervised, medically appropriate setting.