Author: James Anderson

DMT: Uses, Side Effects, and Risks

But in rare cases, it’s possible for the drug to cause seizures or a coma. At high doses, heart attacks and an inability to breathe have occurred. DMT is a potent hallucinogenic drug that can dramatically alter a person’s perspective, consciousness, and sensory experiences.

1. Serious side effects occur more frequently if you have pre-existing mental health or physical conditions.
2. When consumed as a brew in the form of ayahuasca, the dose is between 0.6—0.85 mg for every kilogram of liquid.
3. Despite its illegal status, people sometimes use DMT in religious ceremonies and various settings for an “awakening” or to obtain deep spiritual insight.
4. These benefits remain prospective and experimental, not scientifically proven.

It is well known for inducing intense and short-lived psychedelic experiences. 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 provides a brief but intense psychedelic experience that’s enjoyable for some and overwhelming for others.

Is DMT Legal?

In rare cases, it could cause a life-threatening drug reaction called serotonin syndrome. People use DMT for the intense psychedelic trip that feels like an out-of-body experience. But a range of physical and mental side effects accompany this powerful trip, some of which can be pretty unpleasant. It’s important to understand that DMT affects the serotonin system and therefore should not be taken in consumption with other drugs that also alter the serotonin system. This can result in a potentially life-threatening condition called serotonin syndrome.

DMT belongs to a class of chemical compounds called tryptamines, which primarily alter serotonin levels in the central nervous system. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep, and memory. If you or someone you know is planning on using DMT, especially with other drugs, it’s important to know how to recognize an overdose.

What are the physical side effects?

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. If you take DMT along with other drugs that also change the serotonin levels in your brain, it could cause bad side effects.

When ingested with 120mg of harmine (a RIMA and member of the harmala alkaloids), 20mg of DMT was reported to have psychoactive effects by author and ethnobotanist Jonathan Ott. Several scientific experimental studies have tried to measure subjective experiences of altered states of consciousness induced by drugs under highly controlled and safe conditions. The pure compound is not active when taken orally, because a digestive enzyme in the gastrointestinal (GI) system called monoamine oxidase breaks it down before it can affect the brain. DMT is found in trace amounts throughout nature, including the human body.

The sitter can provide reassurance and support during and after the trip. The sobriety of the sitter is essential and can provide a sense of clarity and guidance through any disorientating or overwhelming experiences. DMT, along with other classical psychedelics, is not addictive.

The DMT molecule is structurally similar to other psychedelic tryptamines such as 4-AcO-DMT, 5-MeO-DMT, and psilocybin, allowing it to bind to serotonin receptors and induce psychedelic effects. DMT can be a profoundly mind-altering substance with serious hallucinogenic effects. While it may have some potential mental health benefits, more research is needed to explore these effects. People with preexisting mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, are particularly at risk of severe effects. Serious side effects occur more frequently if you have pre-existing mental health or physical conditions. Experts aren’t sure if DMT can cause long-term health effects.

Taking a high dose of DMT or using DMT while taking antidepressants can result in a condition called serotonin syndrome. Bad trips can happen with just about any hallucinogenic drug. You could have a bad trip with your first exposure to DMT or your 10th time using.

How fast the body metabolizes DMT

Since DMT is illegal, there is limited research that shows any benefits. These benefits remain prospective and experimental, not scientifically proven. People who wish to try DMT should learn as much as possible and practice harm-reduction strategies. Using DMT with other drugs or without support can be dangerous. Clinical studies have not generally tested its interactions with other drugs.

What Is DMT?

People’s experiences on DMT range from blissful to downright terrifying. Many report an all-consuming hallucinogenic experience, as well as communicating with alien-like beings. When it’s taken in a plant-based brew like ayahuasca, DMT can take up to an hour to have an effect and leaves you tripping for anywhere from 2 to 6 hours.

DMT is naturally found in some plant species and combined with other plants to produce a brew called ayahuasca, which is consumed in spiritual ceremonies in several South American cultures. “I have experienced DMT seven times in the form of ayahuasca across two weeks. Participants reported a lifetime use of 8.9%, with 4.3% reporting use during the last year.

In addition to its psychological effects, DMT also results in several physical effects. Your chances of a bad trip seem to be higher if you have a history of mental health conditions or use DMT while you’re feeling distressed. The psychoactive effects may be what people are after when they use DMT, but the drug can cause a number of physical effects, too. There has been extensive debate as to whether DMT is produced in the human brain. A lot of the debate has been focused around the pineal gland, a tiny organ in the centre of the brain, which had been popularised by many as the primary producer of DMT.

When smoked, DMT produces brief yet intense visual and auditory hallucinations that some users describe as an alternate reality, otherworldly, or a near-death experience. People illicitly use DMT for its psychoactive, hallucinogenic effects. Anecdotally, many users report taking the drug to attain spiritual insight. Scientific data suggests its effects on the brain might mimic those of a near-death experience.