DMT
N,N-Dimethyltryptamine
5-20 minutes (smoked/vaporized), 4-6 hours (as ayahuasca)
Seconds (smoked), 20-60 minutes (ayahuasca)
classic psychedelic
Found endogenously in many plants and animals including huma…
- ⚡Intense closed-eye visuals and immersive dreamscapes
- ⚡Profound time distortion — 15 minutes feels like hours or lifetimes
- ⚡Out-of-body and near-death-like experiences
- ⚡Entity encounters — beings of light, machine elves, ancestors, interdimensional intelligences
- ⚡Breakthrough experiences — complete dissolution of ordinary reality
- ⚡Sense of contact with another dimension or intelligence
- ⚠️Sudden, completely overwhelming onset when smoked — no time to adjust
- ⚠️Psychologically overwhelming — can trigger terror alongside awe
- ⚠️A trusted sitter is strongly recommended if smoked or vaporized
- ⚠️Dangerous MAOI interactions — relevant for ayahuasca preparation
- ⚠️Not recommended for those with psychosis history or cardiovascular conditions
Used for millennia in South American indigenous traditions, primarily as a component of ayahuasca brews. Also used as snuffs (yopo, cohoba) by Amazonian and Caribbean indigenous peoples in shamanic healing and spiritual ceremonies.
Growing academic interest. Extended-state DMT infusion trials at Imperial College London. 2024 research confirmed endogenous DMT in human brain cortex at near-dopamine levels. Increasing research interest in near-death experiences and consciousness.
Schedule I in the US. Illegal in most countries. Legal as part of ayahuasca in Brazil, Peru, and Netherlands. Its endogenous nature creates philosophical legal questions but prosecutions still occur.