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Your weekly dose of drug facts while dispelling fiction
Unknown Speaker 0:00
This is a kunv Studios original program. The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 jazz and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education. We're
Unknown Speaker 0:33
Welcome to another episode of the chemical collective. The chemical collective offers you your weekly dose of Drug Facts while dispelling fiction
Unknown Speaker 0:41
today, we're diving into the world of DMT, a substance known for its powerful psychoactive properties and its deep significance in both traditional and modern psychedelic use. I'm Missy Bothwell And I'm April Contreras. All right, let's begin by discussing what exactly DMT is. Yeah, so DMT, or nn Dimethyltryptamine is a naturally occurring compound found in many different plants and animals, including humans. And DMT is a psychedelic compound prepared by various cultures for use as an entheogen. And an entheogen refers to psychoactive substances which are specifically used for religious or spiritual purposes, and traditionally, DMT is most commonly associated with the use of Ayahuasca in South America, a brew made from the banister opposite CAPI vine and other DMT containing plants, particularly different types of ferns. Indigenous Amazonian tribes have used ayahuasca for centuries, possibly millennia, in both spiritual and healing rituals.
Unknown Speaker 1:46
Yeah, so indigenous cultures have ingested DMT, typically as part of an Ayahuasca brew for centuries. Ayahuasca brews typically contain multiple compounds with DMT as one of the key psychoactive ingredients. DMT recently gained popularity in western contexts on its own as an isolated psychedelic or standalone a Canadian chemist Richard Helmuth, Frederick manski was the first to synthesize DMT in 1931 or at least he's credited to be the first to synthesize it. But DMT wasn't known as a psychoactive compound commonly until the Hungarian chemist Stephen Sara discovered its psychoactive effects when he self administered it during his research around 1956 Western interest in the psychedelic properties of DMT didn't take off until much later, around the 60s and 70s.
Unknown Speaker 2:41
Yeah, missy, I think it's really interesting too, that the cultural significance of DMT was under appreciated by Western researchers for quite a while, and the revival of interest in DMT through Ayahuasca tourism and its association with contemporary psychedelic culture shows this interesting convergence of both ancient traditions and modern science.
Unknown Speaker 3:01
All right, let's get into the effects of DMT. Well, the
Unknown Speaker 3:05
DMT experience is really fascinating, and it varies depending on whether the person is ingesting it alone or in an Ayahuasca brew. Ayahuasca could get its own show. So we're going to talk about more about ayahuasca in the future, but today we're going to focus just on the effects of isolated DMT, which is known to be a very rapid and intense experience. So when it's smoked or vaporized, the onset can be felt within 10 to 30 seconds after inhaling, and users really report vivid, intense visuals, altered perceptions of reality, encounters with entities and the Lost Vigo. And these effects gradually diminish within, again, a very short time window, about 10 to 20 minutes, with users reporting a return to baseline within 30 minutes or less. So the whole experience 30 minutes or less. And while the experience can last within a short time frame. Many users say it feels way longer like hours or even days, and altered perception of time is actually really common feature of DMT experiences.
Unknown Speaker 4:11
Yeah. So like April said, the effects of DMT are often described as one of the most intense and unique psychedelic experiences. Many discuss vivid geometric patterns and an altered perception of colors. DMT is also known for the intense emotional reactions from Bliss, euphoria, awe to feelings of fear, anxiety, confusion. Overall, DMT is known for its intensity and mystical qualities. Many users describe it as one of the most profound experiences of their lives, whether it's enlightening, terrifying or a bit of both, very
Unknown Speaker 4:47
cool. And then, before we walked into the studio, missy, we were talking a bit about how DMT alters our perception of time. Could you tell me a little bit more about the mechanisms involved in this?
Unknown Speaker 4:59
Yeah, the. Iteration of time perception and the psychedelic effects generally from DMT are due to the effects of DMT on the serotonergic system. So DMT primarily works by binding to serotonin, serotonin receptors, especially the five ht, to a receptor which is targeted by other classical psychedelics like LSD and psilocybin. DMT is actually structurally similar to salosin, the main psychoactive compound in psilocybin mushrooms. Dmts interaction with the serotonergic five HT to a receptor initiates a cascade of neurochemical processes that alter sensory perception and consciousness. These interactions lead to increased connectivity between different regions of the brain, so you have different regions of the brain talking that aren't normally during your everyday consciousness. And this is what creates vivid hallucinations, distortions and time perception and what users describe as breakthrough experiences. And you can actually see this in neuroimaging studies, where DMT appears to decrease the activity of what researchers call your default mode network, which would be your brain regions that are normally talking in your everyday consciousness. So they think this network, the default mode network, is involved in maintaining a sense of self or ego, and DMT decreases the activity of the default mode network. And a lot of researchers think this decrease in the default mode network is responsible for the dissolution of the ego, or what a lot of people call the ego death. DMT also binds to the five HT 2c receptor, which is thought to contribute to mood altering effects, and the five HT one a receptor which is thought to modulate anxiety and the intense emotional responses during the trip.
Unknown Speaker 6:48
Yeah, it seems like DMT acts on a lot of, or at least a few of the serotonergic receptors, but it also has a mild effect on the dopaminergic system, which actually may contribute to those feelings of euphoria, right? DMT also binds to the sigma one receptor, which is involved in cellular stress responses. And activation of this receptor has been associated with neuroprotective effects and modulation of neuroplasticity, and there's increasing evidence that DMT promotes this neuroplasticity, which is basically the brain's enhanced ability to form and reorganize synaptic connections in response to learning and experience or sort of injury, and this increased neuroplasticity is sought to underlie some of the lasting psychological effects that users report after using DMT. So people usually refer to psychedelics as a method to rewire the brain, and so that's being done through this increased neuroplasticity, and this leads to that increased openness, or changes in perspective. And increased changes in perspective is really critical for the research going into how DMT affects not only serotonergic receptors, but the sigma one receptor and how it might influence long term mental health outcomes like recovery following depression, post traumatic stress disorder and other mental health disorders. And overall, DMT produces these widespread changes in brain activity, particularly in areas involved in perception, mood and self awareness.
Unknown Speaker 8:18
All right, let's get into how DMT is typically prepared.
Unknown Speaker 8:22
DMT can be extracted from plants like the Mimosa hostilis, which is a type of Fern, through a process that involves soaking the powdered pant, the powdered plant material in a basic solution. So a lye solution to free the DMT and then the DMT. This solution is added to a nonpolar solvent to extract the compound, and after separating the solvent, the DMT is crystallized by evaporating or freezing the solvent, which results in pure DMT crystals and for consumption, DMT can be smoked or vaporized. Users typically replace a small amount of DMT crystals into a pipe or a vaporizer, gently heating it to release the vapor which is then inhaled. And when DMT is vaporized, it bypasses the digestive system and enters the bloodstream directly via the lungs, which makes it immediately bioavailable and leads to the rapid onset of effects. Right?
Unknown Speaker 9:17
So DMT can be smoked or vaporized, like April said, and it can also be consumed in the form of a traditional brew, like we were talking about ayahuasca. And that's done by boiling plants like the fern psycho psychotrea viridis, which contains DMT and then Banisteriopsis CAPI, which contains monoamine a oxidase inhibitors. So monoamine a oxidase inhibitors allow D and T to be consumed orally by preventing the enzyme monoamine a oxidase from breaking down DMT in the digestive system. So normally, if you were to ingest DMT, it would be rapidly metabolized by this enzyme, which is why most smoker vaporize it, because that would render. Inactive by inhibiting monoamine oxidase. With the inhibitor, these compounds allow DMT to enter the bloodstream and reach the brain, producing the psychoactive effects.
Unknown Speaker 10:11
Well, from what we've been talking about, DMT seems to be like a very powerful compound. How much of DMT is needed to feel any of its effects?
Unknown Speaker 10:20
So in the case of vaporized or smoked DMT, super small amounts lead to the profound, intense experience we've been describing. So typical doses range between 20 to 50 milligrams. To put that in perspective, a typical cup of coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, and I usually have three or four cups. That's just one in one single shot of distilled spirits, like whiskey or vodka, typically contains about 14 grams of alcohol, not milligrams, grams. So it's a very small amount of DMT that can lead to these intense experiences
Unknown Speaker 10:57
that's pretty that's pretty profound, and we kind of talked about some of the different plants already that contain DMT. Could we go over that again? Because it seems like it's in bark. It's in leaves.
Unknown Speaker 11:11
Yeah. So like you said, DMT can be found in a variety of plants and animals. The most well known sources in the plants are Psychotria Viridis, like we mentioned, another one is diplopteris cabarena, which I'm sure I'm not pronouncing correctly, but those are commonly used in Ayahuasca. Other plants, such as Acacia species and Mimosa hostilis, also contain significant amounts of DMT. The concentration of DMT in these plants varies depending on the species, environmental factors and preparation methods. So while the DMT content is naturally variable, Psychotria Virtus remains the primary source in traditional Ayahuasca brews. It's
Unknown Speaker 11:53
a good thing that you bring up the content, like the actual amount or concentration of DMT that's going to be in these plants, because from a biochemical perspective, really, the alkaloid content can be highly variable depending on where the plant is coming from, the season is in which it's grown, and even the geographical region. So in modern psychedelic use, purified, synthetic DMT really is going to be ensuring that consistency. But it's interesting to see and consider how traditional preparations have relied on natural variations and years of experience. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 12:26
super interesting. I want to talk a bit more about the use of DMT in Western culture. How has it changed?
Unknown Speaker 12:34
The use and views of DMT have really changed significantly and rapidly, kind of like the experience itself. So like we talked about, DMT was first synthesized in 1931 and it started to become more researched in the 50s and 60s, researchers quickly realized the potential therapeutic effects of DMT and other psychedelics for various psychological conditions, and by the 1970s DMT really gained popularity among those often termed as Psychonauts or counterculture groups with figures like Terence McKenna advocating for its use as a means of spiritual exploration. But the war on drugs in the 1980s and 90s led to increased criminalization and stigma surrounding DMT, pushing its use mostly underground. The
Unknown Speaker 13:22
war on drugs created significant barriers for researchers examining the therapeutic effects of DMT and other psychedelics by imposing strict legal restrictions and stigma surrounding all psychedelics. DMT was classified as a schedule one substance, meaning it had no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. So this classification makes it really difficult for researchers to obtain the necessary permits to study DMT, and limited funded funding for potential research projects. And you might think, well, you just have to get the necessary permit and talk to the right person so that you can study this compound, but you have to think about the stigma as well. How is it going to look if your lab is researching something that has a lot of stigma surrounding it and then makes it really difficult to find funding for your project? So it's not just that you have to go through a series of permits. It made it really difficult to study, and in recent years, interest in DMT though has resurged alongside a broader renaissance in psychedelic research focusing on the therapeutic applications for mental health issues and it's increasingly seen as a tool for psychological healing and personal insight, reflecting a growing acceptance of psychedelics in both scientific inquiry and cultural discussions. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 14:38
those are some really good points that you brought up with the connections and convergence surrounding scientific research in society in general. And you know, the MT doesn't just act on the brain like the way science and society is interacting, our brain and the rest of our body interact. So can you tell me a little. Bit more about the effects of DMT on the body, yeah. So
Unknown Speaker 15:02
DMT, of course, like you said, doesn't only affect the mind, also affects the body. So when any drug is taken, it binds to receptors throughout the body. So wherever those receptors are present, the drug is going to bind to, not just in your brain. So the so DMT binds to serotonergic receptors that are in the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract and more. They're also present in blood vessels in the heart. Dr Hines was talking a bit in the past weeks on why these serotonergic drugs possibly have cardiovascular risks, and it's because of those five ht, two A receptors that are present in blood vessels and the heart with DMT users often report physiological changes, like increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, pupil dilation, changes in breathing, some tremors have been reported, sweating, a sense of warmth, the effects are usually short lived with smoked or vaporized DMT and most help most healthy individuals tolerate these changes without an issue. But it is essential to be cautious, especially in populations with people who have underlying cardiovascular risk, something you should definitely think about before taking it.
Unknown Speaker 16:15
Yeah, and as we talk about all these different compounds, it's important to note whether there's a chance of overdose or any associated risks. So is there a recommended daily intake of DMT?
Unknown Speaker 16:30
There's no recommended daily intake for DMT. It's really not a substance that's meant to be taken regularly, especially given the intense psychological effects. So modern users typically take it on rare occasions. Again, because of how intense the experience it is, there is some report of microdosing, but it's a lot less common with DMT compared to other psychedelics like LSD or psilocybin, and there's not much research on the safety or any benefits of microdosing DMT. So despite the powerful, intense effects, DMT is considered physically safe with low toxicity and no known lethal dose. However, because of the intensity of the experience, harm reduction practices are crucial. The main risks associated with DMT involve feelings of anxiety, confusion or panic during the experience, rather than overdose in the traditional sense. So your body will be fine. You're not going to be in the hospital for anything, but you might feel intense psychological panic or confusion. So it's a different kind of risk that we're talking about, and you can prepare for this experience by selecting a safe and supportive environment, often referred to as set in setting, which includes ensuring a calm mental state, having a trusted sober sitter present, and choosing a quiet, comfortable location where the user can remain undisturbed for the duration of the experience, because DMT can elicit overwhelming emotions and even panic, especially for first time users or those not accustomed to the experience, the presence of a trusted guide or sitter is often recommended, which can provide reassurance ground the user and ensure their physical safety during the experience. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 18:14
and I think that's an interesting point that you bring up, and it's something that we should consider, like a lot of the evidence that we're talking about, especially in terms of the effects of DMT on the brain and body, were done in a hospital setting by doctors. So there's this paper, one of the original ones, by Rick Strassman in 1996 so maybe a little dated, but this is kind of where all this research was like at its initial height. It was actually a series of studies where they were looking at the differential tolerance and two biological and subjective effects of DMT administered very close in time, so 13 Psychonauts or experienced users received intravenous DMT at a dose of point, three milligrams per kilogram, or placebo four times at 30 minute intervals. So remember, the whole experience lasts about 30 minutes. So they were getting right back to back administration on two separate days. And so tolerance of psychedelic subjective effects didn't occur according to either clinical interview or the hallucinogen rating scale scores. But they, you know, took a variety of other measures like prolactin, cortisol and heart rate responses, and they actually identified that it was decreased with repeated DMT administration. And so interestingly, these closely spaced doses of DMT didn't produce any tolerance, but other neuroendocrine effects, like heart rate responses were diminished with this varying dosing. And you know, it's just good to try and imagine. In the entire like, like you said, set in setting or context in which these compounds are being administered.
Unknown Speaker 20:06
Yeah. And similarly, in traditional settings, there's always a guide or a shaman present to help participants through the experience and ensure their safety, both physically and spiritually. And just another point to make about its toxicity, while it's not physically toxic, combining DMT with other substances, particularly those that affect the serotonergic system, may lead to dangerous interactions. There's not a lot of research on D and T in combination with every other medication, so it's definitely something to think about when taking it.
Unknown Speaker 20:39
Yeah. Definitely DMT and basically any other psychoactive substance, right? These compounds affect multiple brain regions and neurotransmitter systems, so it would be difficult to be able to pinpoint the effects of poly drug use with DMT. But speaking of drug use in general, is DMT considered addictive?
Unknown Speaker 21:01
No, DMT is not considered addictive. It doesn't seem to cause the compulsive use or physical dependence you see with drugs like stimulants or opioids. In fact, many users describe DMT as so intense and profound they're in no hurry to repeat the experience. However, like with other psychedelics, some individuals may develop a psychological attachment to the experiences or the insights they gain from DMT, but this doesn't constitute addiction in the traditional sense. Actually, there's growing interest in the potential for DMT to assist with substance use disorders.
Unknown Speaker 21:37
I think that's really a common theme with all these psychedelic compounds in general, right? There been, there's a rich history of their use ceremonially, where it's seen as an entheogen, right? And it's a powerful tool for personal growth, rather than something that would be abused and overused. And earlier we mentioned that researchers are, you know, quickly realizing the potential of psychedelics like DMT for a treatment of various neuropsychiatric disorders at this modern stage, can we talk a little bit more about the use of DMT in clinical practice? Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 22:11
so many psychedelics are increasingly being studied for their potential to treat a range of mental health conditions, and DMT is no exception. Most of the research has focused on other psychedelics, like psilocybin, LSD, MDMA, but DMT is also being explored for its therapeutic applications due to its rapid onset and short duration, which may offer advantages over longer acting psychedelics in certain settings. So you can imagine some psychedelics act for hours, some even as long as a day. So for some populations, this 30 minute, rapid, intense treatment may be the way to go. So one area that we're looking at DMT in is for as a treatment for depression and anxiety. So this could make DMT a more practical option for clinical settings that short duration, and we think that DMT is good for depression and anxiety due to its ability to disrupt rigid patterns of thinking and induce a state of heightened neuroplasticity, which might allow individuals to break free from negative thought cycles often associated with depression and anxiety, and as We are talking about the temporary dissolution of the ego, less Default Mode Network thinking, you can think of it that way, might help patients confront deep seated emotional issues in a therapeutic setting. And unlike antidepressants, which usually need to be taken every single day for years, DMT might offer long term mental health benefits from just a single or a few sessions. However, because the experience can be so intense, it can also be overwhelming, and in some cases it might temporarily increase anxiety, especially during the hallucinatory phase, which is why therapeutic guidance and integration are so important for individuals using DMT for mental health reasons. There was actually a study done in healthy volunteers in 2024, very recent where they compared mental health outcomes after different doses of DMT, which they delivered through an IV and another they did another analysis where they gave a survey before giving DMT and then after, and both analyzes showed significant reductions in depression severity one to two weeks post DMT administration, indicating potential therapeutic effects.
Unknown Speaker 24:36
Yeah, and there's also a lot of research in the second use of psychedelics for end of life care, there is a lot of research done in Johns Hopkins, specifically by groups led by Ronald Griffiths. And similarly to other psychedelics, DMT has potential application in palliative care for individuals facing terminal illness these pre. Studies which utilize psilocybin and LSD have shown that these compounds can reduce end of life anxiety and depression really offering patients a sense of peace, acceptance and emotional resolution and DMT, with its intense, short lived experience, may provide similar benefits. These vivid mystical experiences reported by DMT users could help those that are facing mortality and gain a sense of spiritual insight, comfort or clarity about life and death. And like we mentioned briefly, DMT could be a potential avenue to follow for addiction treatment, specifically assisting those with a variety of substance use disorders, particularly to alcohol or opioids, the intense psychological experience, which often includes confronting personal truths and gaining profound insights, may help individuals struggling with addiction to break these destructive behavioral patterns, and additionally, the neuroplasticity promoting effects of DMT could facilitate new patterns of thinking and behavior further supporting recovery. And while more research is needed in this area, dmts unique characteristics may make it a promising candidate for addiction therapy. Yeah, so
Unknown Speaker 26:12
in speaking about DMT and addiction, and we talked a little bit about tolerance, what about withdrawal? Is there any withdrawal symptoms after taking DMT. No
Unknown Speaker 26:22
DMT doesn't cause withdrawal symptoms, since it's not physically addictive, users don't experience crazing cravings or physical withdrawal when they stop using it. However, the profound psychological effects can sometimes leave people feeling disoriented or emotionally raw after a particularly intense experience. This is why integration therapy, where individuals process and make sense of the experience, is often recommended following the use of DMT, especially in therapeutic or ceremonial settings.
Unknown Speaker 26:52
Yeah, that fits with traditional practices, where participants are often guided through periods of reflection and recovery after the ceremony to help integrate what they've learned. Yeah, and
Unknown Speaker 27:02
it really is interesting that there's a variety of effects associated with DMT use. Could you tell us a little bit more about the mystical or profound qualities of this compound?
Unknown Speaker 27:13
Yeah, one of the most fascinating aspects of DMT experiences, to me is the phenomenon of what users describe as breaking through to other dimensions or realities, which involves passing through the initial phase of geometric patterns and distortions and entering into a state where users often encounter what they describe as entities or beings. The entities are frequently reported as intelligent, otherworldly and interactive, with many users claiming they communicate with them telepathically. So the nature of these encounters has intrigued both researchers and Psychonauts alike. Some theorize that the experiences are a product of the brain's natural inclination to organize sensory input into familiar forms, while others believe the experience might provide access to alternative dimensions of consciousness, whatever the interpretation is, these breakthrough experiences are often described as life changing. Yeah,
Unknown Speaker 28:07
I think that's really interesting, and just kind of to summarize in general, DMT isolated is a psychedelic compound that's really unique, and it has a lot of effects on the brain and behavior via mechanisms of neuroplasticity. So thanks, Missy for this great conversation.
Unknown Speaker 28:38
I move I've never been a winner.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai