DMT has become an increasingly popular psychedelic. The use of it has been rising in the past 15 years and it has been the focus of some popular books, documentaries, and mainstream news articles.
Many people consider DMT to be one of the most – if not, the most – powerful psychedelic. It also has some unique effects that separate it from other psychedelics.
In this article, we explore what DMT is exactly, its history and effects, and what research is revealing about it.
As we shall see, DMT may offer people more than just an intense and strange experience. It may help people to find more spirituality in their life, as well as deal with certain psychological issues.
When people refer to ‘DMT’, they often mean N,N-DMT, rather than 5-MeO-DMT, which is another powerful and short-acting psychedelic. One of the main differences between N,N-DMT and 5-MeO-DMT is that the former is much more of a visual experience[*].
What is DMT like in its appearance?
DMT usually comes in freebase form, as a white or yellowish powder. People will use different methods for taking the substance. You can use a small freebase pipe or a bong.
When using a bong, many people will sandwich the powder in between some non-psychoactive herbs (such as oregano or mullein) or in between cannabis. Using cannabis, however, may change the nature of the experience since it’s psychoactive. This ‘sandwich method’ is to prevent you from burning the DMT. The aim is to vaporize the substance by applying heat to it but not a direct flame.
Another way of using DMT is to combine the compound with smokable herbs, usually including an MAOI-containing plant, such as Banisteriopsis caapi (also known as the ayahuasca plant). Other common herbs that people use include mullein, damiana, blue lotus, passionflower, and peppermint.
These DMT-infused smoking blends are known as ‘changa’ or ‘smokable ayahuasca’ (due to the presence of the MAOI, which can both extend the length of the experience and slow it down).
The perceptual, emotional, and spiritual effects of DMT can be similar to those of other psychedelics. DMT differs from the other classic psychedelics in that it is short-lasting. Its effects usually last between 5-20 minutes, depending on the dosage (normally 10-50mg). You will then return to baseline after about an hour.
But DMT is also known to produce some unique effects, such as the manifestation of entities and otherworldly realms.
You might find it difficult to remember a lot of the details of the experience when you come out of it. This is a common occurrence.
The ethnobotanist Terence McKenna, who often spoke about the DMT experience in his lectures, said that “the way a dream melts away is the way a DMT trip melts away”[*].
For this reason, you may find it helpful to take notes about your experience – or record yourself talking about it – when you come out of it.
In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers did not intensively study DMT as they did with LSD[*]. It was an uncommon psychedelic both among researchers and the public who were experimenting with psychedelics.
In the psychedelic renaissance that we find ourselves in now, psychedelic research has tended to focus more on psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA than DMT[*].
Having said that, there are many important studies on DMT that are worth highlighting.
Strassman’s study in the 90s on DMT revealed the unique subjective effects of DMT, including reports of contact with entities and visitations to otherworldly places. Strassman administered approximately 400 doses of DMT to nearly five dozen men and women. Many of his participants reported mystical-like experiences.
For this reason, he dubbed DMT the ‘spirit molecule’.
In 2019, Chris Timmerman and other researchers from Imperial College London published results of the world’s first-ever brain imaging study on DMT.
Researchers used EEG to measure the electrical activity of the brain. They found that DMT reduces brain waves associated with waking consciousness while increasing brain waves seen with dreaming. DMT, therefore, induced a kind of waking dream state.
Alan K. Davis and other researchers from Johns Hopkins published a survey showing that 58% of respondents reported a belief in ultimate reality, a higher power, God, or universal divinity after an encounter with a DMT entity[*]. Only 1 in 10 reported that the experience made them atheist. More than half of those who identified as atheist before the entity encounter no longer identified as such after the experience.
More fascinating research on DMT is also underway. Small Pharma is collaborating with Imperial College London in the first clinical trial of the use of DMT in the treatment of depression[*]. Researchers will provide the DMT experience alongside psychotherapy, as they’ve done with studies on the use of psilocybin for depression. Timmerman suggested in his 2019 study that DMT could act as an antidepressant due to the way it alters brain waves[*].
As we can see, DMT can offer you some quite powerful and transformative experiences. While the experience may be brief and hard to remember, you should not underestimate its effects.
If you plan to use this substance, it’s always best to have a sitter with you. He or she can ensure that you are safe when you are having the experience. It can also be helpful to have a sitter so you have someone to discuss the experience with when it’s over.