DMT is considered to be one of the most powerful psychedelic compounds in the world.
"DMT" refers to dimethyltryptamine, or N,N-Dimethyltryptamine. It is also known by the street names:
fantasia
dimitri
businessman's trip (referring to the short duration when inhaled)
In recent years DMT—specifically ayahuasca—has gained popularity in certain executive tech circles as a means to unleash creativity by exploring higher realms of human consciousness and spirituality. DMT has also been referred to as "the spirit molecule" due to the transcendent nature of the experience.
In 2011, Dr. James Fadiman, Ph.D. published The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide which advocated for the use of micro-dosing LSD, Ibogaine and other psychedelics which has also created some recent excitement, e.g. The Tim Ferriss Show's interview with Dr. Fadiman, and Business Insider.
How do people consume DMT?
When smoked or injected, a DMT trip is known for its intensity and speed at the onset, described by one doctor as "a psychedelic bungee jump - a raw leap into a rapidly changing environment."
When taken orally as ayahuasca tea, the experience is MUCH more gradual and long-lasting: it takes 30min to set in, and the trip lasts 3-4 hours.
How do people describe the trip?
"Like clockwork, there's a burning sensation on the back of the neck. Then, a hum. It would get louder. And louder. Until it broke apart everything that I thought I was or knew. It got louder and louder until you had to surrender to the sound. Then you were there… pure consciousness."
"I felt a warm, golden feeling in my chest, then tremendous pressure behind my sinuses.
“I thought I died.”
"The linearity of time is absolutely useless in these states. You are at the God head."
“More and more layers of my humanity start peeling off. Eventually you get to the last layer. It's hard to describe but the last layer is what defines you as a human being… and you go keeckkkk, and you're no longer a human being. You leave your body behind."
"I completely lost my sense of self but rather I was a witness suspended within a hyper-colored dome the size of a small planet."
“You feel the coldness going through your veins. It's like ice going through your veins.”
“A thousand years of experience in 15 minutes. To say the least it was profound.”
"DMT should not be viewed as a recreational experience. It is profound. It is life-changing. And it can shake your consciousness in indelible ways."
What do the hallucinations look like?
There have been many attempts to capture the psychedelic visual experience. Here is a small sampling of them (click to enlarge):
Historical fun fact
After DMT had been ostracized for nearly a generation during the LSD crackdown, the University of New Mexico green lit a study in 1989 for Dr Rick Stassman to conduct a DMT human trial. It started with an ad in the local paper which we've managed to track down (see screenshot below). DMT is currently a Schedule I narcotic, so the idea of administering DMT to grad students is entertaining to say the least.
Important: Set & Setting
In all of the research we reviewed, the participants consistently referred to the "set & setting" as a critical precursor to the DMT experience. Your "set & setting" means a few things:
Your internal self
The things that you have learned
The capacities that you have achieved
The conditions of your own psyche and psychology
The environment you are in, such that:
“It's the medicine plus the set & setting that creates an effect of trust and comfort and of resourcefulness.”
"This is what makes it possible to make some big leaps and receive some big gifts. And if that's not there you just get terrified."
In other words, your mental state and physical environment are correlated with the DMT experience itself. If you'd like to learn more about DMT and the exploration of human consciousness, below are a few resources for your consideration.
Resources & References
Smart people who contributed to DMT: The Spirit Molecule, an excellent documentary on Netflix and YouTube.
Dennis McKenna, PhD - Ethnopharmacologist
Dave Nichols, PhD - Medical Chemist
Graham Hancock - Writer
Christian Meuli, MD - DMT Volunteer, Family Physician
Charles Grob, MD - Psychiatrist
Leanne Standish, ND, phD - Naturopathic physician
Ralph Metzner, PhD - Psychologist
Rick Strassman, MD - Psychiatrist (spoke of his theory that the pineal body in the brian was part of naturally recurring mystics states)
Joel Baskt, Rabbi
Steven Barker, PhD - Pharmacologist
Terence McKenna, Writer - Psychonaut
Ralph Abraham, PhD - Mathematician
Patricio Dominguez, DMT Volunteer, Shaman
Robert Weisz, PhD - DMT Volunteer, Psychologist
Quotes from said smart people
“Theoretically any living organism/matter could synthesize into DMT.”
“I can't think of a more powerful tool to explore the question of what is human consciousness?”
“The DMT flash makes it clear that disembodied consciousness is a possibility.”
“The whole tension of history, and the tension of life, seems to be about the shedding of the body.”
“Why is it that in the entire western world that the substances that have found to be so interesting by hundreds of cultures for thousands of years are prohibited.”
“Our society values alert, problem-solving consciousness, and it devalues all other states of consciousness. Any kind of consciousness that is not related to the production or consumption of material goods is stigmatized in our society today…of course we accept drunkenness.”
Mind-bending quote
“I do believe that there are higher levels—transcendent levels—of reality, and I'm actually now really starting to believe that the brain is not the source of consciousness, but it's more like a radio tuner for something way bigger.”
DMT search trends in the US
People in Colorado, Montana and Vermont seem to be very interested in DMT according to their search volume. They've ranked the highest in the country over the last 10+ years.