The drug is typically used via inhalation or is taken orally in the form of an ayahuasca-like

preparation.

Although it's not as popular as LSD or psilocybin, it is a widely discussed and used psychedelic.

DMT is also present endogenously in the human body.

As always, there will be more information and links to references on TheDrugClassroom.com

which you can find using the link below.

Among the potential positive effects are closed and open eye visuals, spiritual or otherwise

meaningful experiences, euphoria, mood lift, and auditory hallucinations.

The negative effects can include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, fear,

anxiety, and paranoia.

Although I won't fully discuss ayahuasca here, it does come with some other common effects

that may be considered negative such as vomiting, diarrhea, and nausea.

DMT's effects depend on the dose, though the vast majority of attention is given to its

peak effects.

At low doses, it might provide some mood effects, such as anxiolysis and mood elevation.

These doses typically aren't very hallucinogenic, but they can lead to objects vibrating, items

becoming more colorful, and the appearance of slight geometric patterns.

More complete doses come with effects that are highly variable between users, but some

parts of the experience can be placed into typical groups.

Multiple proposals have been made regarding how to group the effects and experiences.

One commonality between them is that the lowest or initial stage of an experience contains

colorful geometry of increasing prominence in the visual field and behind closed eyes.

A step up from this is the progression to being immersed in what seems like a different

world.

Sometimes a further peak experience of white light and euphoria is obtained, although the

immersion into another world is the most commonly discussed experience.

Depending on dose and individual response, you may only reach the initial stage.

Although you can group the effects, the actual contents of a full immersive experience differ

between users.

Here are some of the common elements:

A full replacement of normal reality with an "alternate universe."

The universe can include visual objects and even seemingly sentient, intelligent, or powerful

entities that sometimes interact with the user.

Regardless of eyes being closed or open there is rapidly changing "kaleidoscopic" imagery.

A feeling of euphoria is often present following an initial period of anxiety.

Some users report laughter, calmness, or a feeling of joy.

Although it's possible to experience significant anxiety and fear during the entire experience.

And other users don't report any discernible feelings during the peak effects.

There's also a dissociation from the body and, when your eyes are closed in particular,

a disconnection from normal reality.

This can mean no longer feeling your body and sometimes at least a partial disconnection

from "self" occurs as well.

Disconnecting from the "self" or your mind may include an absence of thoughts or a temporary

lack of personal memories.

Lastly, another common element is that people report the experience feels as real or more

real than normal reality or dreaming.

Not all of these effects appear for everyone, but they're a general outline of a full DMT

experience.

There's also a pretty typical progression of the experience with a full dose.

Initially there's a "rush" phase during which you may feel disoriented and like you're being

rocketed to a new location.

Your head may feel like it's intensely vibrating.

This can be accompanied by a sound, usually of a high-pitch, such as a whine.

This initial period is often filled with transient anxiety brought on by the intensity of the

effect.

The rush progresses towards a detachment or dissociation from the body and normal reality.

People sometimes remain partly connected to normal reality with their eyes open, depending

on the dose.

The "rush" is followed either by a full breakthrough experience or first by a brief waiting period.

When the waiting period is present, which it isn't for everyone, it may be filled with

colors and a sense that an experience is about to unfold.

Users can feel like they're moving, such as heading down a tunnel.

And the internal feeling and progression is sometimes described like that of a rollercoaster.

When it comes to the contents of a full experience, it's difficult to give a description.

As was previously noted, there are often impressive geometric patterns and incredibly bright or

intense colors.

There can also be non-earth landscapes and environments.

Euphoria is a common feeling, along with a sense of wonder, amazement, and confusion.

A few general categories for the type of experiences someone can have were put forth by Rick Strassman,

who carried out DMT research.

The first is "personal," which are experiences based around personal issues, which might

be difficult to accept.

The second is "transpersonal," which are novel experiences in terms of quality and intensity

but they have some basis in the subject's previous experience.

Mystical and near-death-type experiences may be grouped in this category.

And the third is "invisible worlds," which involve encounters with autonomous, freestanding

realities seemingly inhabited by alien beings capable of interaction.

Strassman reported that around half of volunteers receiving a high dose of DMT reported an "invisible

worlds" experience at least once.

Just to give an idea of the range of things witnessed during the experiences, people have

reported everything from "high-tech machine-like objects" to "a ballroom with crystal chandeliers"

to "circus imagery."

A key component of many experiences is ineffability, or the inability to describe the effects with

language.

Not only can people struggle to impart their experiences onto others, they themselves may

recall just a small portion of what was experienced.

This is often because there's an overwhelming amount of data in the form of feelings or

visual perception.

Entities are clearly an interesting part of the experience.

They don't always appear and many people use DMT without encountering them, but they are

frequently reported.

Again, there's massive variation.

People come back describing the entities as elves, spirits, gods, dwarfs, reptiles, insects,

mantises, stick figures, and sometimes just an unseen but felt "presence."

Those descriptions typically aren't meant to be precise.

For example, if someone describes "elves," that's largely due to it being the best available

term.

It's not because the elves people usually think of are exactly what was seen.

These things may interact in the form of welcoming the user, laughing, or seemingly imparting

some sort of wisdom.

They may also just probe or examine the user.

And sometimes they don't even acknowledge the user.

Although the entities are more often described as benign and even helpful, they can sometimes

be persecutory and antagonistic.

Users tend to have the feeling that these beings are not a part of themselves, but this

may very well just be a feeling.

While people are under the influence, they usually don't move much or at all.

Sometimes deep breathing is present, the user's mouth may be partly open, and there can be

REM-like movements behind the eyelids.

The main acute negative psychological effects are anxiety and confusion.

Paranoia, including feeling like you or others are being controlled by an outside force,

is also sometimes encountered.

These effects normally fade away quickly, but you should definitely be cautious when

it comes to using the drug.

Ayahuaca will be fully explored in a separate video, but since DMT is a key component of

it, I'll briefly mention it.

The term traditionally refers to Banisteriopsis caapi, though it's come to refer to a brew

made up of Caapi and Psychotria viridis, which contains DMT.

Using it orally lengthens the effect to 3 to 4 hours and reduces the peak intensity

and ineffability.

Although it can still be a very intense effect and it may be even more intense in terms of

the emotional and psychological impact.

Some medical applications for DMT have been explored.

Much of the data involves ayahuasca, which complicates matters.

Three areas where DMT or ayahuasca may have some efficacy are depression, anxiety, and

addiction.

But there's relatively little research in all of those cases.

It's worth exploring given the drug's effect and the trend towards efficacy that has been

shown so far.

The endogenous nature of the substance has led to multiple hypotheses about its potential

role, assuming it even has one.

A popular, though minimally supported hypothesis, is that it plays a role in dreaming, near-death

experiences, or naturally arising spiritual experiences.

Other proposals are that it could be an immune system modulator or a tool that helps the

brain survive potentially life-threatening conditions.

Although it was once posited to be the cause of schizophrenia and other forms of psychosis,

that's no longer really supported.

But some people still think it could have an impact on psychiatric illness.

Even in healthy people some proposals are that it could regulate mood and anxiety.

In each of these cases we need a lot more research to figure out what it might be doing.

One last point to round out this section is that DMT differs from other psychedelics in

that it effectively lacks a tolerance.

It's possible to use the drug multiple times per day.

When inhaled, DMT lasts 10 to 15 minutes and begins working in under 30 seconds.

Some effects may appear by 15 seconds, subsequently building to the full effect within a minute

or two.

Orally the duration is 3 to 4 hours and the onset is 30 to 45 minutes.

DMT is the simplest of the common tryptamine hallucinogens.

It is structurally similar to melatonin and serotonin.

It's also similar to other psychedelics, such as 5-MeO-DMT.

The drug is found in other animals and is widespread in the plant kingdom.

Among its sources are Psychotria viridis, Diplopterys cabrerana, and Mimosa tenuiflora.

Other plants have historically been taken intranasally, but DMT is typically a minor

constituent.

Ayahuasca is classically made with Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis, the latter providing

the DMT.

Brews sometimes contain other hallucinogenic, stimulating, or otherwise active drugs.

This makes ayahuasca a more complex pharmacological substance.

After decades of research we now have pretty good evidence for the endogenous nature of

DMT.

It's believed to be synthesized beginning with tryptophan, which is used to form tryptamine.

An enzyme called INMT catalyzes the addition of methyl groups to tryptamine.

This leads to n-methyltryptamine and then to DMT.

The most important production sites for the drug are unknown.

INMT is expressed throughout the body, with some high level areas being the lungs, thyroid,

and adrenal gland.

Notable levels are also found in the pineal gland.

Although this doesn't immediately apply to humans, DMT has been detected in rat pineal

gland.

The implication of that finding is unclear and may not be particularly important.

DMT's primary mechanisms are serotonin receptor agonism, Sigma-1 agonism, and trace amine

receptor agonism.

Serotonin receptor agonism is probably the most important factor for the psychedelic

effects.

It binds to many serotonin receptors and is known to be an agonist at 5-HT1a, 5-HT2a,

and 5-HT2c.

5-HT2a is likely an important mediator of the psychedelic activity, but other sites

could play a role.

DMT is known to be a Sigma-1 agonist, but how his contributes is still being worked

out.

This action might play a role in potential neuroprotective effects.

Although a role for Sigma-1 in psychoactivity hasn't been ruled out, there's more support

for physiological effects.

It's also not clear if Sigma-1 is relevant when DMT is at endogenous levels.

DMT has activity at the TAAR1 trace amine site.

This has been hypothesized to play a role in a regulatory action of endogenous DMT on

mood and cognitive functioning.

It could also potentially contribute to low-dose DMT's impact on mood.

Some of the other effects and contributing mechanisms include the following:

DMT has been shown to bind to the serotonin transporter and VMAT2.

And metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 might be an important modulatory site for psychedelic

activity since it influences glutamate release.

Research has found agonists and antagonists at this site can influence DMT's activity.

The drug also leads to a temporary rise in prolactin, growth hormone, and cortisol.

Inhalation is the most common route of administration, followed by oral when taken in an ayahuasca-like

manner.

A light inhalation dose is 10 to 20 mg, a common dose is 20 to 40 mg, and a strong dose

is 40 to 60 mg.

DMT is typically inactive orally, but it can work when combined with MAOIs, such as the

beta-carbolines harmine and harmaline.

There are a few groups for the oral preparations.

Ayahuasca contains Banisteriopsis caapi and Psychotria viridis.

Pharmahuasca contains DMT on its own along with MAOIs.

And anahuasca, or analog ayahuasca, uses alternative DMT and MAOI plants.

Analyses of ayahuasca preparations have found the average 100 milliliter dose of ayahausca

contains 25 to 35 mg of DMT.

People may use one or more dose.

The DMT content in ayahuasca can vary a bit.

This is why, at least in some cases, a ceremony leader in the Uniao de Vegetal (a syncretic

church that uses ayahuasca) will test a batch before it's given to other members.