DMT is a hallucinogenic tryptamine drug that occurs naturally in various plants, such as Psychotria viridis or Chacruna. Some people call it the “spirit molecule” due to the intense psychedelic experience.
Although less familiar than other psychedelics such as LSD or magic mushrooms, N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) produces a brief but intense visual and auditory hallucinogenic experience.
DMT is a Schedule I controlled substance in the United States. This means that it is illegal to manufacture, buy, possess, or distribute the drug. The substance has a high potential for abuse, no government-recognized medical use, and a lack of accepted safety parameters for use.
Researchers can use DMT under a Schedule I research registration that requires approval from both the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Despite its illegal status, people sometimes use DMT in religious ceremonies and various settings for an “awakening” or to obtain deep spiritual insight.
Fast facts on DMT
Here are some key points about DMT. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
People have used DMT, often in religious rituals, for thousands of years.
Use of the drug as part of shamanic rituals is common in South America.
Side effects include powerful hallucinations.
Due to the nature of the drug, some people call DMT the “spirit molecule.”
DMT is a white crystalline powder derived from certain plants found in Mexico, South America, and parts of Asia, such as Psychotria viridis. It is present in cohoba, a hallucinogenic drug derived from the seeds of Piptadenia peregrina.
People typically consume it in the following ways:
vaporized or smoked in a pipe
orally in brews like ayahuasca
snorted or injected on rare occasions
The chemical root structure of DMT is similar to the anti-migraine drug sumatriptan, and it acts as a non-selective agonist at most or all of the serotonin receptors, particularly at the serotonin 5-HT2a receptor.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that has a large effect on the majority of our brain cells.
There is some evidenceTrusted Source that the body also produces DMT endogenously. This means the body makes DMT, likely in the pineal gland of the brain.
A typical smoked dose of DMT is 40 to 50 milligrams (mg)Trusted Source but may be as much as 100 mg. The drug begins working almost instantly. The effects peak and plateau for 2 to 5 minutes and gradually drop off with the duration of effect totaling up to 30 minutes.
When consumed as a brew in the form of ayahuasca, the dose is between 0.6—0.85 mg for every kilogram of liquid. Effects begin within 60 minutes, peak after 90 minutes, and disappear in approximately 4 hours.
DMT street names
A number of slang terms exist for DMT:
dimitri
businessman’s trip
businessman’s special
fantasia
forty-five-minute psychosis
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